Seperating ball joints from steering knuckle (spindle)
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 768
Likes: 3
From: Chicago Burbs IL
Seperating ball joints from steering knuckle (spindle)
I am in the process of disassembling my 65 front end and need some advice on safely removing the front control arms and front coil spring. I have used a pickling fork before but as a result of some research in the archives on less damaging procedures I am interested in other methods.
1. There whas a Dec 05 NCRS post which involves a two hammer approach to freeing the top ball joint from the knuckle using the downward force of the spring coupled with some liberating whacks with a BFH. This makes geometric sense but, how do I seperate the lower ball joint from the knuckle?
2. I am also interested in other safety measures in dealing with the compressed spring. I have taken past posters advice by compressing the spring upward using two thirds of an internal spring compressor (treaded rod and one hook) routed up through the shock tower hole. This is a nice compression technique. Note that the motor is already out of the car and the springs are therefore fully sprung, so using the car weight to compress the spring is not an option; not to mention the car is up on a kwik lift. The pic shows the threaded safety cable through the spring up around the front crossmember. This is ok until I have to lower the lower control arm to remove the spring.
Anyhow...your advice is appreciated.
1. There whas a Dec 05 NCRS post which involves a two hammer approach to freeing the top ball joint from the knuckle using the downward force of the spring coupled with some liberating whacks with a BFH. This makes geometric sense but, how do I seperate the lower ball joint from the knuckle?
2. I am also interested in other safety measures in dealing with the compressed spring. I have taken past posters advice by compressing the spring upward using two thirds of an internal spring compressor (treaded rod and one hook) routed up through the shock tower hole. This is a nice compression technique. Note that the motor is already out of the car and the springs are therefore fully sprung, so using the car weight to compress the spring is not an option; not to mention the car is up on a kwik lift. The pic shows the threaded safety cable through the spring up around the front crossmember. This is ok until I have to lower the lower control arm to remove the spring.
Anyhow...your advice is appreciated.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 663
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu Hawaii
your front end look similiar to my '68 which I just did.. I used a internal spring compressor like you have. the way you have it set up I think it is more than secure. I had fabricated a tool that was mentioned in the haynes manual which worked really well, got a large socket and placed over lower ball joint nut, then get a long enough threaded bolt to fit in a 1/2 drive socket with as bolt and washer between it and fit snug to upper ball stud.. loosen upper castle nut but don't remove it all the way. turn the nut downwards on the socket, this will push the bolt to the upper ball stud up and pop it out..make sure spring is compressed enough where it won't fly out when nut is removed completely..once that is out you're going to have to remove the rivets and the nut that hold the bottom ball joint. after this I just turned the spindle over and knocked it out with a big hammer, only took a couple of whacks
