Help with lower ball joint?

[-Scott-]

OK - I give up. How do I loosen the lower ball joint? I got the one on the end of the tie rod, the upper ball joint was easy considering I couldn't get a good swing at it, but I can't get the bottom bastard to break. I've hit the end of the ball joint with the lower control arm supported and without, I've also tried placing a block of wood on top of the steering knuckle and knocking it down, with and without the lower control arm supported. I could buy a bigger hammer, I'm not keen on buying a ball joint separator (or whatever they are called...) or is there anything else I can try?

Thanks,

Scott (now running late for dinner! )

[DougH]

Are you trying to take the spindle off?

I loosen the castellated nut a couple of turns, then I put a bottle jack under the nut and jack up on it a little bit. Then I beat the ever loving piss out of the spindle and it pops free.

I always do the lower first if I want to take the whole assembly off.

[-Scott-]

Thanks Doug - that got it!

Getting the rest of the diff out was a b!tch! Now I remember why I'm not a mechanic - I suck at this stuff!

But, it's out - and it's off to the nice man to have the diff lock fitted

Then I've gotta put it all back together...

Cheers,

Scott

[PHIL]

Thanks Doug - that got it!

Getting the rest of the diff out was a b!tch! Now I remember why I'm not a mechanic - I suck at this stuff!

But, it's out - and it's off to the nice man to have the diff lock fitted

Then I've gotta put it all back together...

Cheers,

Scott

I feel your pain Scotty! I am trying to remove my knuckles as a whole, while fitting my front LSD and ne3w needle bearings and seals. Those BJs are a biotch to break loose! I went out last night and bought a fork set, and borrowed a friends' air hammer. We'll see what happens...
PHIL

[-Scott-]

Phil

Make sure you support the lower arm! It took me a while to work out what I was doing wrong. The upper arm was on the bump stop (max droop) and the lower arm was being held up by the steering knuckle. Every time I bashed up on the ball joint (bolted to the control arm) that thumping great spring we call a torsion bar was pushing it straight back into the steering knuckle. Result? One knackered ball joint with some really weird custom threads.

Once I jacked the lower control arm up enough, a couple of solid whacks on the top of the steering knuckle got it!

Of course, the after-market chinese made replacement ball joint didn't slot straight in - it was attacked with a file, and the lower arm customised with the hammer before it would go in.

Good luck!

Scott