this was probably discussed before but i cant seem to find it when i search. I tried seperating the lower and upper control arm ball joint stud with a hammer which is what most people tell me but i cant seem to get it off. in the Haynes manual they use a puller but i cant find that tool anywhere! anyone know where i can get one online or at a store? damn i hate being stuck! any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Try autozone, they rent them.

Anyways, you can go AROUND this whole ball joint deal if you work at it.

I'm not going to explain it again.. but next time I take my engine out, I'll take pics and show people a work-around. You just gotta unbolt stuff and wedge it through the fork. Beleive it or not...

 

Ball Joint Splitter oWnZ j0o..

 

a little hint from an old timer - i find it easier to remove the nut, use a heavy hammer and hit the side of the knuckle where the stud goes through - after several sharp blows it will just pop right out - works on tie rod also.

 

upper is easier to thread the nut on upside down and slam it with a hammer, although mine were on so tightly that I ruined the nut and had to order new castle nuts over the net, since nobody carries oem castle nuts they only come with new balljoints!

the lower joint is easy.... I slipped a 1/2" ratchet/breaker bar that is 2+ feet long in between the knuckle and the lower arm, close to the balljoint. Raise the knuckle a bit to get the ratchet in there. then lower it all, and stomp on the end of the handle, it pops the balljoint out in one try! works great and no damage to anything, just excellent! the longer the ratchet the better this works.

 

Here's the tool you need http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...unction=Search

It is a mere $6.00 or so from www.harborfreight.com I am actually picking one up today, because I need to replace the dust boots that cover the lower tie rod joint. Good luck.

 

the link says invalid part #, so it doesnt show a pic....?

 

Sorry man. The tool is called a "Pitman Puller." I actually just did this change last night, and if I could give you one word of advice it would be: DON'T HIT THE BOLT WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER! I gave the bolt a few good wacks and mushed the first thread on the bolt. After some crafty work by "sonicgsr" with his dremel I was fortunate enough to get the nut back on.

Also, the "Pitman Puller" that I purchased had too wide of a grip, so I would recommend renting the fork-like tool from Kragen/Checkers. THere tool fits better and will save you lots of time.

Good luck, IM me if you have any further questions.

 

dudes, dont bother with that tool. GET A LONG BREAKER BAR and use its leverage, that procedure is much much easier to do, and much quicker too. I had a pitman arm puller and after using it a bunch of times it sucks.

 

Jack the car up, use jackstands and have the tires removed. Leave all the susp pieces together. Remove the cotter pin and castle nut from the lower balljoint. Jack the car up from under the brake rotor, this puts a downward force on the lca and balljoint. Hit the lca with a hammer. 9 out of 10 times it will come right off. HTH