Upper Control Arm Question... Urgent!!!

[gmanpaint]

Prying the steel on the knuckle apart, where the bolt goes will let the pinch bolt slide in.
I have had my knuckles off a few times, and I have had to use a pry bar every time. Not a big deal to do, only needs to be spread apart a 1/8" if that.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

Yes, I know this is an old thread. Just an update, as I also had this problem. The upper ball joint would not slide in to the steering knuckle. I tried lubricating both sides, cleaning both sides, hammering, twisting, and prying. Tried all sorts of alignment and rotation. Tried using a chisel to open the connection. Nothing was even close, and I knew that it had fit properly in the past.

SOLUTION: obtained salvage yard steering knuckle, and the upper ball joint slipped in easily with a gentle tap in.

So I am curious, for those of you with this problem, any idea what caused the trouble with the steering knuckle? My only two thoughts are over tightening the pinch bolt or an unusual problem with a worn out upper ball joint that caused popping and grinding in the past.

If you have this problem, and cannot solve the issue, you are not crazy! The solution is replacing the steering knuckle with a salvage part. Cost about $40, plus a few hours time trying to figure it out…

Good luck with this.