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ball joints stuck

91GSR

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Sep 10, 2008
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Newport News, VA
so i read thru the how to forum and they only talk about how to replace control arms and ho to completely replace ball joints, i just need to know a good way to get them unstuck from the hub...ive pryed and twisted and pulled and pushed but it wont budge /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 

Terry Posten

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Dec 16, 2003
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9,009
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Davenport, Iowa USA
Do you mean removing the spindle from the lower control arm or removing the ball joint from the lower control arm?

If you are just trying to leave the joint in the lower arm, then a pickle fork works but does screw up the boot 95% of the time. If you have the Mitsu tool, it pushes it out without any stress on the boot.

If the joints are older than a few years, you might as well just replace them while you have everything apart.
 

Ben

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Jan 14, 2009
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Lubbock, Tx
You normally have to hit the knuckle pretty hard with a hammer. Don't miss and hit the ball joint threads thoug. I always put the nut several thread so if I do miss, I don't mess the threads up. If you're able to get a good pry while hitting it, that will help.
 

Grab a dead blow hammer and hit the knuckle (where it was made to be hit of course) until it pops free. It's a tapered joint so prying doesn't really work. If you don't have a dead blow you can try putting a floor jack under the brake rotor and jacking it up until the ball joint pops free (be careful when you do this as you can bend the dust shield or even brake the rotor). Also might want to try spraying some PB Blaster in there and let it soak for a bit.
 

91GSR

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well when i was taking the control arm out of the gsr the ball joint came right out of the hub, but on the vr4...its stuck. wont move at all. im trying to get the control arm off the car with the ball joint still atached.
 

DarkDevilMMM

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Jun 8, 2001
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4,065
Location
Vacaville, CA
pb blast -> heat -> beat the living hell out of it -> repeat & rinse
and like other ppl said, remember to put a nut back on the ball joint if you need to beat it from the top to protect the threads. have something to pry in between and beat from the top at the same time. if propane torch fail, oxy torch it, one way or another, it will give up and let go.
 

Kenny_Kline

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Dec 27, 2007
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Seekonk, MA
Ok I assume you have taken off the ball joint pin and nut? Once you seperate, there is a snap ring you need to remove from the top. Take ring out and go get a BFH (big fuking hammer) and hit the ball joint out. Some take some time. I find supporting the bottom of the control arm from underneath and hammer the ball joint down and out. To press new one in, get something that is the same size as the ball joint (a cylinder shaped bar) or the make a specific tool to press the ball joint in and then place bar between ball joint and ground. Hot control arm with hammer swinging down and ball joint slowly goes up. Install new snap ring and your done. Its alot easier to type and tell someone to do and of course this way is the cheating way to do it. They make specific tools to do these jobs. I would predict a shop would charge 3 hours total to replace both sides.
 

RayH

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Apr 9, 2001
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2,703
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NJ
Another option, RockAuto has control arms with new ball joints and bushings included for around $72.
 

gtluke

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Sep 16, 2001
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dirty jersey
ebay has them for a pair even cheaper. i got mine last week, they seem fine
 

91GSR

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Newport News, VA
kenny u arent understanding...i am taking the control arm out...i am already buying new ones from rock auto...the problem i am having is getting the ball joint out of the wheel hub, not the control arm. i have the nut unthreaded, but not all the way...and its stuck in there. i have taken a hammer to it and soaked it with blaster...but it wont come out. doesnt matter if i have a new control arm with ball joints or if i get the ball joint out of the control arm because its stuck in the wheel hub...
 

toybreaker

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Long bar, pry down.

Hammer, hit knuckle.
 

91GSR

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Sep 10, 2008
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Newport News, VA
that could work. ill try that tonight. gotta find a long ass pry bar tho...hmmm looks like time for a trip to deh vatozone
 

I use the handle of a 1/2"ratchet wedged between the axle stub and the balljoint nut. Just unbolt the nut at that point and it will force the balljoint out. If it doesn't just pop out then hit the knuckle with a large hammer withit under load.
 

91GSR

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Sep 10, 2008
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Newport News, VA
ill try this first as it will save me money. basically just stick something aboe the bolt the nut is threaded on and just undo the nut and it will push the ball joint down? sounds fairly easy...
 

GreenGSX

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May 15, 2005
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Rochester, New York
99% of the time the hammer works but like mentioned earlier you should have a floor jack pushing up on the bottom of the rotor. That way it pops out when its free and you don't spend 20 minutes beating the snot out of it. Just a FYI but be careful of the rotor. If you hit your fingers while gripping the hammer on the edge of the rotor you are going to be very, very sorry. Might want to take that off first.

For really stuck ones you gotta get meaner. Remove the axle nut then unbolt the strut from the spindle. Pop out the axle and move to the side. With the ball joint nut still on the ball joint but flush with the top of the threads use a air hammer and push the ball joint down and out. Leaving the nut on will protect the threads and keep the top from mushrooming. If you ever work on bigger GM stuff sometimes you'll run into ball joints that have a dimple built in for just this type of operation.

Heat and PB blaster won't hurt either. Good luck.
 

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
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Mar 5, 2001
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Michigan
If the control arm is still attached to the subframe, the downward pressure as toybreaker shows is key. You need that to overcome the spring action of the front bushings, as they make the control arm want to come up naturally.
 

CP

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Aug 30, 2004
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West Simsbury, CT
Search for my user name and ball joint. I'm pretty sure I did a write-up last year.
 

Kenny_Kline

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Dec 27, 2007
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Seekonk, MA
Oh so your just trying to pop the ball joint??? Thats the easy part. Bring car down to floor level and put a floor jack under the rotor or something on the hub that is solid. Hit the control arm where the ball joint bolt goes through. The floor jack creates pressure on the hub and the control arm will naturally want to swing down. It just needs some help. The hammer shocks the ball joint and it will just pop. When I get home, I will upload a video of how to pop a ball joint with the method I described. Its really easy and takes little to no effort.
 

prove_it

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Jul 3, 2008
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Sioux Falls, SD
BFH.... Big Freaking Hammer
 

91GSR

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Sep 10, 2008
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Newport News, VA
prove_it: i dunno if u missed the part where im trying to reuse the control arms...im not just gonna go beating the sh*t outta it lol. i have a couple ideas im gonna use tomorrow, but first im gonna go to vatozone and pick up a torch so i can heat it up and see if it'll pull out with some "convincing"
 
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