7point62fmj Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 OK. I am in the midst of a education (I.E. wheel berrings) with my brat. I finnaly got all bits and parts off the berring housing so I could remove it and tap out the old berrings EXCEPT the freaking lower ball joint. HTKYSA say for my year brat (87) that I am just supposed to use a big screw driver to pop it off. Well it is not happeing. What did happen is that I ended up squeezing all of the grease out of the ball joint boot. I tried to use a gear puller but there realy is no where for it to hook on to. So my questions are 1. How do you pop the lower ball joint off of the wheel berring housing? 2. Is my lower ball joint now fubar 3. Is it really a have to, to put cotter pins in the castle nut since I had to snap them because they would not come out:mad: ? (except the axle nut) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik litchy Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 the boot is removeable, its a press fit 90% of the time it should just pry off once you get it off. pickle fork works but best for trashed balljoints. safety wire can replace a cotter pin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7point62fmj Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 Ok I just did some searching.. by all accounts I SHOULD of done it before posting. Now is there a specific sizes pickle fork?? Also the pins are broken still in the studs. Should I attempt on drilling them out then replacing them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik litchy Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Ok I just did some searching.. by all accounts I SHOULD of done it before posting. Now is there a specific sizes pickle fork?? Also the pins are broken still in the studs. Should I attempt on drilling them out then replacing them? pound them out with a nail or soemthing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 never done a brat but if it's just the ball joint in the lower control arm like other soobs i'll try to help. been a few years, hopefully i recall doing them as i type. the ones i've done are always in the end of the control arm and the bottom of the hub, so if yours is like that here's what i do: i believe the bottom of the hub has a small split in it where the ball joint goes. you can usually get a chisel or something wedge like in there to help pry it open just a little once the ball joint is unbolted of course. once the bolts are disconnected i leave the control arm bolted to the body and wail on the end of it right by the ball joint with a big hammer. wailing on the control arm with a hammer will force the ball joint out of the hub. make sure the control arm is taking the brunt of the force. if the struts are unbolted or loose or the control arm isn't fixed on the other end stuff will bounce around and you won't get much impact on the actual stuck joint. prybars can work too depending on what you got and what you have to leverage against. i'd definitely replace the ball joint. there aren't too many things that can be very hazardous to your life if they fail, but this is one of them. some liquid wrench sprayed up in the joint housing may help as well..or PB Blaster (not WD40). good luck, hope you get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 i would install something in the castle nut. it would probably stay, but for a ball joint it's nothing you even want to try really. some combination of hitting them with a screwdriver or nail or other small items usually works them out. sometimes you have to go backwards a little to get anywhere forwards too. you can get the ball joint out without a pickle fork if you don't have one, i've never used one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 I just get out my 8ft long 1" round solid iron bar and stick it between the wishbone thingy and hub casting (right next to the ball joint towards the center of the car) and push down with more then all my weigh. Some times it takes a bit of convincing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7point62fmj Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 I think it is time to buy a pickle fork. That is what mcbrat said I should do. Also any web links for ball joint replacement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 do this. goto napa, ask for the ball joint. take it over to the rack with the hand tools on it. Look for the 15 dollar pickle forks. It should be the smaller of the two or three they will have. Either way, size it up with the new ball joint. Use a BFH and two hits the balljoint should be out. I broke the stud off on my wagon one time changing ball joints and I ended up taking a sawzall and cutting the stud down flush on both sides of the control arm. Then drilling the stud down a 1/4" so I could get a piece of Stainless steel rod in there.. Put it in a vice and pounded the hell out of the stud. Took a long time, but it came out. After I was all done with the work, I asked my parents if they'd ever changed the balljoints on the car and they said not that they could remember.. so that balljoint had been in the car for 10 years or longer. As for the pin, when I replace a balljoint at work, I just cut the pin flush with the castle nut and then impact the nut off. Comes right off and then you dont have to fight the pins out. Now they are making Nylock nuts that replace the castle nut. No more need for cotter pins. WOOHOO.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Oh, and once the tapered thread is out, I leave the thread sticking thru the half wish bone thing (would you call that a swing arm?) and put the nut back on, then leaver it again. Thats the easiest way of getting the big end out I find... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 cotter pins are a must, I learned the HARD way. they are essential and may save you from a potentially lethal wreck. I had a wheel coming off the highway going about 60-70mph, during rush hour. I was DAMN lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 cotter pins are a must, I learned the HARD way. they are essential and may save you from a potentially lethal wreck. I had a wheel coming off the highway going about 60-70mph, during rush hour. I was DAMN lucky. No they are not. Parts stores wouldnt sell their premium parts with nuts that would rattle off. I'm not talking about the castle nut on the axle. I'm talking about the castle nut on the bottom of the ball joint.. I've been using those for 2 years and have had no problems with them coming loose. NyLocks are designed for that reason. The nylon that is pressed into the nut stops the vibration from rattling the nut loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7point62fmj Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 AS allways thanks every one.. The education goes on! I think this the one I need http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=MRC&PartNumber=10370&Description=Ball+Joint+-+Lower+-+Front+Suspension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 No they are not. Parts stores wouldnt sell their premium parts with nuts that would rattle off. I'm not talking about the castle nut on the axle. I'm talking about the castle nut on the bottom of the ball joint.. I've been using those for 2 years and have had no problems with them coming loose. NyLocks are designed for that reason. The nylon that is pressed into the nut stops the vibration from rattling the nut loose. my point is, its a safety feature, and its ABSOLUTELY NOT worth the risk. yeah you can get nylocks, I dont trust them, yes they will stay on there longer than a nut by itself, but will the last? with a cotter pin there is NO WAY it can fail untill the coterpin itself fails, and you will be able to visually inspect the condition of the cotter pins much more easily. being lazy isnt an excuse. also torque anything down with nylocks in my experiance has been difficult because the nylon part of the bolt produces a lot of friction and can reduce the amount of torque put on the nut/stud, making it hard to judge and reducing the effects from the elasticity of the bolt/studs, potentially comprosmising the strength and longevity of the fastener. also keep in mind that this post was written at 4am and that while there may be a valid point behind all of what I am saying, also consider it may not be entirely accurate of my oppinions as I am very tired and the only reason I've been up so long is trying to trouble shoot my own problems on my car. I trust a solid metal pin over maliable plastic isht anyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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