Ball Joint Replacement Help!!! 9/18

[97splorer]

spindle stuck!!

I am in the process of changing lower ball joints and I have everthing unbolted but the spindle(steering knuckle) will not come off the lower ball joint. Should I hammer it off? THe half shaft will not pull all the way out of the spindle(steering knuckle) untill it can be lowered and pulled out. Make sense? Please help.

 

[JDraper]

You'll have to either tap on top of the ball joint stud to remove it or get a ball joint fork to do the job. Usually you can give the ball joint stud a good whack with a hammer, and it will pop out.

BTW, I just replaced the lower ball joints and wheel hubs in my '01 and you can get the half shaft out without removing the lower ball joint, but it takes some doing. You need to move the steering wheel around and play with the position of the steering rack and the half shaft, and it will give enough clearance to remove it.

 

[97splorer]

so If i hit the lower ball joint stud from the bottom it will come up? I thought you had to knock the ball joint down. Sorry to sound stupid.

 

[JDraper]

Yep, hit the lower one from the bottom up. Once you have it loose from the spindle, you have to press the old one out of the control arm with a ball joint press. There is a c-clip on top of it that has to be removed first. You also have to press the new one into the control arm. If you try to hammer the old one out and hammer the new one in, you run the risk of damaging the control arm.

 

[97splorer]

O.k. let me get this strait. I hammer the lower ball joint up until it frees from the spindle then I press it down out of the control arm?

 

[97splorer]

ball joint press!!!

Alright, I have been calling parts stores all day and noone seems to carry a ball joint press. What the hell can I use to get the lower ball joints out? Am I asking for the wrong thing? I have heard you can hammer them out, true? Anyhow can someone at least direct me twards a picture of the "ball joint press" PLEASE!

 

[huskyfan23]

Go on eBay and search for it for a pic. Autozone rents them out. I don't see how you would hammer the balljoints out, it takes an amazing amount of force to just barely move them. Go to a shop and get them pressed out and new ones pressed in, take a minute instead of an hour.

 

[KPT]

I seriously doubt you'll get the ball joints out without a press. You can see what the autozone one looks like here: http://www.haroh.com/explorer/ball_joint.html

 

[JDraper]

I bought one from Toolsource.com. Here's the link. Ball Joint Press. Cost me $99 shipped.

 

[boominXplorer]

i hammered mine out but I used a press to put them back in. It take a little "finessing" to get the spindle off the little \_/ of the lower balljoint