I am in the middle of replacing my rack end bushing and have lots of trouble popping out the tie rod end ball joints. Is there any secret I should know other then beating the **** out of it. How do you guys usually do it? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Are you using a pickle fork to spread the ball joint? There are a couple ways, i usually just beat the **** out of it cause Im going to replace it anyways, but you can use another tool that rachets onto the bottom of the joint and pushes it through the knuckle.

Brute force and lots of anti-seize combined with a pickle fork always do it for me.

 

get a 3lbs (minimum) hammer and beat the side of the knuckle just under the balljoint. it will pop off. keep the castlenut loosely on the threads to protect the threads.

if you use a pickle fork, be preapred to have a replacement boot.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">get a 3lbs (minimum) hammer and beat the side of the knuckle just under the balljoint. it will pop off.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That usually ends up mushrooming the threads for me. If you are going to do that, at least leave the castle nut on.

I guess this all depends on whether or not you are planning on re-using the ball joint you are beating the **** out of.

--Edit

Doh, apparently you just added on to what I was going to say

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Keebler &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

That usually ends up mushrooming the threads for me. If you are going to do that, at least leave the castle nut on.

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you have no clue what im saying then.

you do NOT hammer the threads. you hammer the KNUCKLE, that surrounds the balljoint. youll see theres extra meat around there, its MEANT to be pounded.

DO NOT HIT THE BALLJOINT!

i say keep the castle nut on in case of the errant strike, then you dont wantto damage the threads.

 

hit the knuckle with a hammer a few times(at a 90 degree angle) pretty hard and itll pop right out.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you have no clue what im saying then.

you do NOT hammer the threads. you hammer the KNUCKLE, that surrounds the balljoint. youll see theres extra meat around there, its MEANT to be pounded.

DO NOT HIT THE BALLJOINT!

i say keep the castle nut on in case of the errant strike, then you dont wantto damage the threads.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Err ok , guess I misunderstood what you were directing the user to do...

Its not MEANT to be pounded as you say, there are tools to remove the balljoints, use them. One preserves the boot around the joint and allows for easy removal, the other destroys it...

Whatever advice the user decides to take will work.

 

those who know how to do it, know the hammer the best way. ive used every tool and method out there. hammer is the most effective. it knocks the weak corrosion and molecular bonds between the two metals into higher and random harmonics. because its tapered, it WANTS to come out, just gotta shake it loose.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">those who know how to do it, know the hammer the best way. ive used every tool and method out there. hammer is the most effective. it knocks the weak corrosion and molecular bonds between the two metals into higher and random harmonics. because its tapered, it WANTS to come out, just gotta shake it loose. </TD></TR></TABLE>




So in the end, it comes down to beating the **** out of the knuckle

 

I have used this tool with excellent results. Kicks pickle fork's ***.

 

the deed is done. after popping both ball joints i tried to get the bushing out, no luck. then i tried to take the rack off but it was easier to just unbolt the 4 bolts and let it hang, then the bushing came out easy. greased up the new one, put it back in, then put it all back together.

what sucks is that i took it for a test ride and i can barely notice a difference, although it has stopped making most of the clunking it used to. what else can it be? ball joints, tie rod ends? are there any other bushings that usually need replacement?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AJxr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">then i tried to take the rack off but it was easier to just unbolt the 4 bolts and let it hang, then the bushing came out easy.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah, thats the way to get at it.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">what sucks is that i took it for a test ride and i can barely notice a difference, although it has stopped making most of the clunking it used to. what else can it be? ball joints, tie rod ends? are there any other bushings that usually need replacement?</TD></TR></TABLE>

you still have to tighten up the steering gearbox.

did you bother to check your balljoints while you were under there?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tyro &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have used this tool with excellent results. Kicks pickle fork's ***.

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this tool also ruined myballjoint by crushing the threads around the cotter pin hole before it ever popped off the balljoint.

 

sometimes you get lucky and the pop easy...othertimes you destroy then trying to beat them off the car.....I thinks its more about luck than it is about technique.....

 

Indeed, luck plays a part.

Sorry to hear you had bad luck with yours, Tyson.

I think it helps if the joint has been separated in the past 5 years..