Help! Trying to disconnect upper ball joint

[BlownPony306]

How do you get the upper ball joint to seperate? I have been working on this for a couple hours now with no success. I have one of those pickle fork deals and it doesn't budge. I sprayed it down good with some nut buster stuff but that hasn't seemed to help either. I need to get it disconnected so I can get my CV half shaft out. ERR!! :fire:

This is on a 98 XLT AWD by the way.

Thanks!

 

[Robb]

It doesn't seperate. The ball joint is made into the upper control arm.

 

[Lloyd10977]

It doesn't seperate. The ball joint is made into the upper control arm.

Ronn is right, the upper ball joint and the upper control arm are an assembly. But once the spindle nut is removed from the top of the spindle, the spindle (steering knuckle) can be separated from the upper ball joint by using the pickle fork. It does take a lot of work.

 

[BlownPony306]

No, I know the ball joint doesn't seperate from the upper control arm. I am just trying to disconnect it so I can get the suspension to hang down enough so that I can get the CV half shaft out. I have the spindle nut out. But I can't get that little ******* to come off. I even broke one of my pickle fork attatchments trying(one of the arms broke off).

 

[Hartman]

Did you take the retaining nut off at the top of the spindle?

 

[BlownPony306]

Yes. Sorry just edited my last post to note that. Of course if the PITA the removal of the rotor is any indicator I may be in for a chore. The rotor was actually seized to the hub. Guessing it's never been off. I ended up having to remove the whole hub assembly by removing the 3 bolts on the back side of the spindal and then disconnecting the ABS sensor. I then had to bang out the lug studs and then pound out the hub from the rotor. I have the lug studs reinstalled and ready to go. Stupid Midwestern winters.

 

[Doug]

If the upper ball joints have never been removed from the knuckle they can be very difficult to get undone. You're on the right track with the picke fork, but make sure you're using the smallest on that will fit. That will make sure you get the most out of what you're doing. Unfortunantly pickle forks will destroy the boot on the ball joint and I don't know if you can just replace the boot, I kind of doubt it. With out a boot there, your upper ball joints will wear out pretty fast.

 

[BlownPony306]

I was using the smallest one first and it broke in half. One half of the fork just went flying across the garage. Well I finally did get it off there. The nut buster stuff had time to soak in and I was able to tap it out with a hammer. Got the half shaft out as well. Just a note for anyone else trying it. If you are working on the driver's side one the only way it will come out with the lower ball joint and tie rod connected is if you crank the wheel all the way to the left. Problem is I'm not so sure that it is the half shaft. The play on it is a little more then the new one but it doesn't make any noises at all. Is there an easy way to know you have a bad half shaft without removing the dust boots?

 

[Doug]

If there is any play in the halfshaft or when you have it out and you turn it and it doesn't feel smooth or you hear grinding, it's time to replace the shaft.

 

[Hartman]

I disconnected mine by beating up on the lower side of the control arm.

 

[Eneurb]

Hammering a chisel into the pinch sometimes helps to separate the spindle from the ball joint.

 

[BlownPony306]

Ok new problem. I got the old one out but now I can't get the new one to go all the way in. The little retaining ring seems to stick out farther then on the old one. I can get the splines lined up but it won't pop past the ring. Is there a trick to this?

 

[jtison]

I've got the factory Service Manual for the 1994 ... it says you need to press the upper (and lower, for that matter) in with a C-clamp-lookalike special presser (Ford part # T74P-4635-C). If you can't land one of those, have you tried heating up the control arm? Freezing the ball joint? Both at once?

 

[Lloyd10977]

Rent a ball joint press from your local AutoZone. There is a refundable deposit of about $100. But since it's refundable, wouldn't it be worth it?

To see what it looks like, go to:

http://www.haroh.com/explorer/ball_joint.html

 

[X-1]

for othewrs with difficulty seperating ball joints, or tie rods, easiest way is to hit the side of knickle with a 2 to 3 pound hammer, the shock releases the wedge.
For half shafts, the inner side with the clip is what holds it in, sometimes a lite tap will get it to go in, other times a little more force, but be careful not to damage insides.

 

[BlownPony306]

I finally got the new half shaft in. I had to remove the ring and file a little bit of it off and then comress it down. It was just too big. After I did that it poped in with a few taps of the BFM.