Ball joint removal

[Romanova]

Stupid question... trying to remove all my ball joints for replacement, so I bought

. Can't figure out the proper way to put it all together to pop them out. The instructions might as well be in Chinese. Any advice?

 

[toybreaker]

Big spacer on the bottom, small spacer on the top, and push the ball joint out the bottom.

You did remove the c-clip from the ball joint base, right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Barnes]

One bit of advice: When you reinstall the ball joint be very very VERY careful that the ball joint is going back into the arm straight. IF it isn't it will warp the hole and ruin your control arm.

 

[iceman69510]

When I did this, I had a hard time getting the arm up high enough to use that tool when the long threaded part was on the bottom (removal stage). Worked great for re-installation though.

 

[Hertz]

Quoting Romanova:
Stupid question... trying to remove all my ball joints for replacement, so I bought

. Can't figure out the proper way to put it all together to pop them out. The instructions might as well be in Chinese. Any advice?



So S_Firestone sold you his press? Maybe you should ask him. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If you scroll up, does that picture help ("Press Assembled")?

 

[rgeier11]

Similar to this.

 

[Romanova]

The clip is removed (huge pain in the ass by itself). I douched the hell out of it with PB plaster. Just having a hell of a time lining up this press to get the damn ball joint out. It's a rear arm and I have it C-clamped to the table... just trying to get the right combination of parts... ugh.

Tried beating it out with a hammer... that got me no where.

 

[Romanova]

Looks great for installing...

 

[Dan D]

When I did this, I found it easier to remove the arm from the car, put the C-Clamp press into my bench vise, then line the arm up to the press instead of the press to the arm. It just seemed to work better as you're trying to turn the screw and hold things in alignment.

 

[Romanova]

f*** this HF piece of sh*t. I came to the conclusion that it will not remove sh*t. I used a few of the pieces and placed them in my old 1920s vice and it popped out like butter.

 

Hammer TIME!

 

[Hertz]

I rented one, I seem to recall having to use a giant socket for something...

I did declare afterward that I would never do balljoints again.

 

[Romanova]

Using the vice made it very very easy. That press just would not fit... it made poor contact with the joint while trying to press it out... 1 down, 5 left... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif

 

[broke down]

in my opinion, it would be much simpler to not by the tool, and take the c-arm's to a shop and have them do it on a big shop press. Obviously, that doesn't work if the car being repaired is your only one, or you can't afford it, but most shops will do it reasonably cheap, if they don't have to remove the arms.

 

[Dan D]

The one I rented from Advance had a suitcase full of adapters. It did take me a few tries to find the right one. The little kit from harbor freight probably doesn't have the exact ones needed. Glad the vise worked.

 

[Romanova]

Any tips for removing the c-clips? The first one came off pretty easy, these other ones... not so much. I'm trying to use pliers to spread it to pop it off... any wacky tricks? I tried crying to gain sympathy from the clip, but that didn't work.

 

[Muskrat]

Get a pair of ring pliers.

Or are these the one's with no holes? Ring pliers might still make it easier (squeeze instead of push out)

Screwdriver helps too.

 

[Romanova]

These do not have the little holes...

 

[toybreaker]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hulk.gif

Those mean 'ole snap rings kick ur azz?

Don some safety glasses, take a small chisel or a screwdriver, and get even.

Just come from the side, and bend them out far enough to get ahold of them with vice grips. Grab a good hold on the end, and just peel them out of the groove.

Wear safety glasses.

 

[Muskrat]

^+1 You just gotta force them.

I remember those being a bitch. I just pried up one sid,e slid a screw driver underneath, then went as the other, and forced it out.

My replacements came with regular c-clips. Should be much easier next time.