Need help getting lower ball joint out !

[nitro71]

I got every torn apart but I can't get the lower ball joint out of the axle/knuckle. Is there a tool for this? I beat the last one out but this one is stuck and I don't want to damage it either. How do you guys get em out? Talking about the knuckle attached to the truck.

 

[westfield]

pickle fork and a bfh

 

[nitro71]

I beat the SOB out. Nice design ford.. Now I need a new nut as I fuggered that up pretty good.

 

[MrShorty]

C-clamp type ball joint press.

 

[BradR]

From your lovely friends, Google.

 

[nitro71]

There isn't anywhere to get a C Clamp on it when it's still stuck on truck. From now on I'll just buy a nut when I'm at the parts store if I'm re-using the lower joint. Direct presure from a sledge hammer seems to do the trick pretty good.

 

[92exp4x4]

Get yourself a balljoint press set like the one pictured in this thread. Having the right tools for any job is worth the cost. Then you can do other peoples stuff later!! I did my joints with no cussing in about a half hour. Not including the disassembly of course.

 

[nitro71]

Ball joint press doesn't help when the lower stud is stuck in the lower axle knuckle.

 

[92exp4x4]

I misread your post, i didn't think the knuckle was still in the beam.

The tool i had i used to get the joints out of the knuckle. Is your truck excessively rusty? In that case i guess heat and a BFH is the best solution.

Where are you striking the axle beam? Tapered joints like steer ends and some ball joints, require a strike from the side. Use some locking pliers or a clamp that will put pressure on the joint stud. Then hit the axle beam perpendicular to the area where the tapered stud is seated in.

Its doesn't make logical sense but it works, trust me.

 

[TedJ]

BFH will get you there eventually. A 2lb or so one is the best size because you can get it in there and it's heavy enough to do something. Make sure there is a support under the radius arm with some of the vehicle weight resting on it so it cant move around.

I don't understand why you would go through all of this and then re-use the ball joint. Some goofball did that on my truck, and I had to do it again to replace the 2nd one when it wore out. (I actually replaced the replaced one too so they all matched) They're all going to go soon if one is, just do them all.