Pickle fork question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 230
Likes: 0
From: Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada
Pickle fork question
Hey all. I'm taking my top A-arms out to install new bushings and ball joints. The pickle fork I have has an opening of 7/8 inch which seems to ride high on the ball. Question I have is should I be using one that is closer to the width of the shaft or does it matter. Ball joint shaft is just under 5/8 inch. Thanks
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
If your ball joints are original they are riveted into the control arm so a pickle fork won't do you any good. You have to grind off the tops of the rivets, pry the balljoint off and then remove the remains of the rivets. New ball joints usually come with bolts - you will have to enlarge the holes slightly for them to fit. If you are doing a NCRS restoration you can also get new rivets instead of bolts.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,493
Likes: 1,501
From: Little Rock AR
The pickle fork is to separate the ball joint stud fom the spindle. I do not even bother with them. You can whack the spindle near where the tapered stud goes through and the spring pressure will pop it apart. Only takes a whack or two and the rubber boot will be spared.
Just another way to get the job done.
-Mark.
Just another way to get the job done.
-Mark.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
I mis-read the question the first time. If you jack up the bottom control arm to compress the spring a bit, loosen the upper nut several threads and lower the jack the ball joint will probably drop free (maybe with a few whacks for good measure). Remember that the spring is still under tension so be careful - fasten a chain around the arms for safety. Lars has a paper on rebuilding front suspensions that will probably answer all of your questions. The 2 suspensions I have dismantled were both on bare frames so I used a somewhat more Bubba method to get the ball joints loose. My earlier post referred to the removal of the ball joints from the control arm.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,334
Likes: 4
From: Midland TX
I used a socket and bolt to make a press to push the upper ball joint loose.
http://www.thespark.us/frtsuspension.htm
It worked great.
http://www.thespark.us/frtsuspension.htm
It worked great.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Pickle forks are worse than useless. JC Whitney sells two different versions of the proper tools to separate ball joints. One looks like a little press, the other (and the one I prefer), looks like an "H" with a bolt running across one end.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 6
From: Sault Ste. Marie Ontario
The pickle fork is to separate the ball joint stud fom the spindle. I do not even bother with them. You can whack the spindle near where the tapered stud goes through and the spring pressure will pop it apart. Only takes a whack or two and the rubber boot will be spared.
Just another way to get the job done.
-Mark.
Just another way to get the job done.
-Mark.
This is likely how a mechanic on the clock would do it. Time is money!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 230
Likes: 0
From: Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada
OK well in the end that wasn't so bad, used a combination. I put a pitman arm puller on the bottom side pushing up on the ball joint bolt and loaded it. Then I put the pickle fork in and two small whacks 
and pop. I could have probably just kept loading the pitman arm puller till it popped, but I hate loading them things. The H tool you guys described gave me the direction to this. Thanks very much to all.
I was going to use a spring compressor on the spring but I can't get enough of the spring to use it. Is the spring compressor usually installed after the lower ball joint is undun?
Thanks again
and pop. I could have probably just kept loading the pitman arm puller till it popped, but I hate loading them things. The H tool you guys described gave me the direction to this. Thanks very much to all.I was going to use a spring compressor on the spring but I can't get enough of the spring to use it. Is the spring compressor usually installed after the lower ball joint is undun?
Thanks again
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: Saint Louis MO
You shouldnt need a spring compressor. I removed mine a few months ago and didnt use one. I used a floor jack under the lower control arm, backed off the nut from the upper ball joint but left it on the shaft, then separated the upper joint using a tie rod puller. Next pulled off the nut and lowered the lower control arm with the spindle attached and removed the spring.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 230
Likes: 0
From: Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada
Well the spring came out relatively easy, didn't use a compressor as advised and had no problem. I did put a chain around it but that was not needed either. I think the hardest thing of all was getting the lower control arm shaft to come free at the rear bolt. That was good for about 40 minutes 
. Now comes the hard part I guess, gettin them old bushings out and the new ones in. Thanks to all for the help.
. Now comes the hard part I guess, gettin them old bushings out and the new ones in. Thanks to all for the help.