Please HELP!!!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,683
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
Please HELP!!!
How do I separate the lower control arm and the upright??? Everything is unbolted, and I cannot get them apart!
I've tried using a 2x4 and a hammer to hit the LCA, no luck. I've wiggled, jiggled, and cursed. I'm out of ideas! Please help me, or I won't have a car to get me to work tomorrow, aw shoot!
I've tried using a 2x4 and a hammer to hit the LCA, no luck. I've wiggled, jiggled, and cursed. I'm out of ideas! Please help me, or I won't have a car to get me to work tomorrow, aw shoot!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 874
Likes: 0
From: Campbell Ca
You'll need a Fork for this. Get a cheap one. I've used mine 5 times in 10yrs and 3 of those times was for home remodeling. Even easier is with the assistance of a air chisel but fork much cheaper route.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,180
Likes: 297
From: Sarasota Florida
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
Well, I ran out of time so I bolted everything back up. Thanks for the responses, I was getting worried. I've removed it before and all it took was a little bit of up-and-down, then side-to-side movement and eventually it just broke loose and the control arm fell. No clue what the deal was this time. I may have ripped off some of the threads on the bolt that runs through the upright from banging on the thing. Actually I'm positive that I did 
but I bolted everything back together and it seemed fine. Maybe I'll have better luck with it next time I try.
Still up for ideas to make that easier though...
but I bolted everything back together and it seemed fine. Maybe I'll have better luck with it next time I try.Still up for ideas to make that easier though...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
Put the nut back on the tie rod end - screw nut down till it's flush w/ top of threads - take a block of wood to protect the threads, and place block on top of nut/tie rod end - use a BIGGER hammer - no, I'm not kidding or being smart - get a BIGGER hammer than what you are using - you will be surprised that hitting with a Bigger hammer might do the trick - 
or, get the tie rod seperator a/k/a "pickle fork" which has been mentioned and use that
I removed mine a month or so ago for a head / cam swap so I could get the steering sector out - I didn't think it was going to budge either, so I got the proverbial bigger hammer, and hit harder w/ the bigger hammer - it came out
or, get the tie rod seperator a/k/a "pickle fork" which has been mentioned and use that
I removed mine a month or so ago for a head / cam swap so I could get the steering sector out - I didn't think it was going to budge either, so I got the proverbial bigger hammer, and hit harder w/ the bigger hammer - it came out
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 9,420
Likes: 8
From: Southern New Jersey, The wet part at the bottom
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
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
And you DON'T want to do that!
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 23,220
Likes: 3
From: HOUSTON
St. Jude Donor '06 thru '15, '19
Quoting my wife after she drove the car the last 2 days "The cam is badass!"
But to this thread , I had the same problem changing ball joints on a truck , I put the jack on the outer edge off the frame, and a few smacks with the hammer and it came apart.
But to this thread , I had the same problem changing ball joints on a truck , I put the jack on the outer edge off the frame, and a few smacks with the hammer and it came apart.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,094
Likes: 5
From: The 7th layer of hell - Western Washington
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...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
From: CHICOPEE MA
Put the nut back on the tie rod end - screw nut down till it's flush w/ top of threads - take a block of wood to protect the threads, and place block on top of nut/tie rod end - use a BIGGER hammer - no, I'm not kidding or being smart - get a BIGGER hammer than what you are using - you will be surprised that hitting with a Bigger hammer might do the trick -
or, get the tie rod seperator a/k/a "pickle fork" which has been mentioned and use that
I removed mine a month or so ago for a head / cam swap so I could get the steering sector out - I didn't think it was going to budge either, so I got the proverbial bigger hammer, and hit harder w/ the bigger hammer - it came out
or, get the tie rod seperator a/k/a "pickle fork" which has been mentioned and use that
I removed mine a month or so ago for a head / cam swap so I could get the steering sector out - I didn't think it was going to budge either, so I got the proverbial bigger hammer, and hit harder w/ the bigger hammer - it came out
Team Owner
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 21,473
Likes: 356
From: Palmdale, Ca----- 2009 Cyber Gray 4LT A6 F55 452 RWHP 422 RWTQ- RIP 1998 C5 734 RWHP & 585 RWTQ-----
It looks like this and it's called a pickle fork!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pickl...QQcmdZViewItem
Thanks,Matt
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pickl...QQcmdZViewItem
Thanks,Matt