Please HELP!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 30,897
Likes: 45
From: Picking on the weakest kid in the yard.
Stay away from the pickle-fork, it was a decent idea but will cause more harm than anything in this situation - unless you want to replace the ball joint.
Get a large brass hammer, I prefer either a 3lb or 5lb version for this sort of thing. Take out all the bolts you had out before and the break loose the lower ball joint nut, back it off until it's a couple threads off it's seating surface. Hit the lower control arm HARD from the side a few times and then check to see if it's broken loose. If that doesn't do it get somebody to put pressure on the lower control arm and pull down on it while you smack it with the hammer.
Basically it's a compression fitting that needs to be jarred loose, when that happens the rest is gravy...
Get a large brass hammer, I prefer either a 3lb or 5lb version for this sort of thing. Take out all the bolts you had out before and the break loose the lower ball joint nut, back it off until it's a couple threads off it's seating surface. Hit the lower control arm HARD from the side a few times and then check to see if it's broken loose. If that doesn't do it get somebody to put pressure on the lower control arm and pull down on it while you smack it with the hammer.
Basically it's a compression fitting that needs to be jarred loose, when that happens the rest is gravy...
It is possible to damage the threads with the nut itself, if you hit it hard enouph. And the fork can damage the ball joint. The best way I have found is to run the nut on almost all the way but with a gap. Then put some separating pressure on it such as putting a little of the cars wieght back on the spindle, then shocking the lower control arm with a heavy brass mallet. And the part pictured is the ball joint, not the tie rod end. 
That's the part that connects the spindle to the steering rack.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 30,897
Likes: 45
From: Picking on the weakest kid in the yard.
Support the a-arm from below ... jack stand or jack
Put the nut back on the ball joint stud (to protect the threads)
Give the stud a GOOD rap with a 3 lb hammer.
Should drop out.
If you use a fork, you'll run a good chance of destroying the boot and end up replacing the ball joint
Put the nut back on the ball joint stud (to protect the threads)
Give the stud a GOOD rap with a 3 lb hammer.
Should drop out.
If you use a fork, you'll run a good chance of destroying the boot and end up replacing the ball joint
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,683
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
