Separating Ball joints.

[Dan Ratner]

For those who remember, I am working on a front end suspension rebuild for my 74 Stingray.

Well, things are going pretty good. Got my parts from PST last week and today I am home early and putting in some time.

I am at the point where I am removing the ball joints from the spindle. The instructions say to wedge a pickle fork in beween the spindle and the ball joint and whack away. They make it sound like it should pop right off. Well I have wacked the bejeezus out of this thing and it ain't budging. What am I doing wrong? I got the spring compressed. I got the arm jacked up too. The nuts that hold the spindle in place (upper and lower) have been loosened about 1/4 inch.

I think I have this pickle fork in the right area. I am attempting to uncork the top one first. I am placing the pickle fork right on that squishy rubber thingy. A whole boatload of grease is shoots out each time I whack it.

Help.

-Dan

 

[69vettester]

Dan,
Sounds like your doing it the right way!
How big is your hammer..
I did mine awhile back, They didnt pop right off either, so I got a "bigger" hammer and stopped worrying about destroying the boot. Got some swingclearance and after 3-4 massive whacks, they would pop loose. There is a ball joint separator tool you can get at the parts store also. Ive never used one but I hear they work and save the grease boot too.
Stay with them, theyll pop loose....
Tom

 

[Dan Ratner]

I am using a 5lb sledge. I thought that would be big enough. I'll go give it a few more enthusiastic whacks just for good measure.

 

[Dan Ratner]

Yea! I got it off. Took about 10 more good whacks with th 5lb sledge. Thanks for the help.

-Dan

 

[69MyWay]

Next time, check with the autoparts store first for tool rentals. They often have a ball joint removal tool, and tie rod tool. It makes life much easier than pounding away. A good friend of mine took his pointer finger clear off the bone doing lower ball joints on an old bonneville. Thanks to modern medicine and about 300 stitches, he got his finger back. I think about that everytime I get around ball joints, pickle forks, and sledge hammers.

Glad you knocked it loose. Suspension parts are a pain in the butt! But at least on our cars due to the low miles, they basically only need to be done once every 20-30 years!

 

[resto75]

It's funny how that works !!!!!!

I whacked off a finger in a car fan years ago. I think of that every time is get near a fan.

Ya just run down to the hospital and they sew them right back on. It's no big deal but it does delay the job for awhile. ( I guess if your in a hurry and Rambo you can just sew it on yourself).

 

[Dan Ratner]

No big deal???

Are you sure you didn't sustain brain damage in that mishap?

If I lost a finger I would freak and then probably pass out. I am not ashamed to say that I would probably cry like a girl too. My fingers and I are very close.

 

[69MyWay]

Hey Dan, I know the feeling. I dropped the tongue receiver of my Dad's car hauling trailer on my right index finger that happend to be still on the trailer ball. I still don't know what I was thinking. I don't know how I did not pass out as I had to walk/run about 400 yards to get to the house and show my mom. That was a quick trip to the hospital. Thank God they were able to put it back together. I was about 17 years old at the time.

 

[joe1975]

Didn't that happen to a guy named Bobitt also?

 

[GTR1999]

note: new to the market are upper ball joint bolts that look like rivets but are studs with a rivet head instead of the standard hex head. I bought some from Bairs at Carlisle last weekend.

 

[norvalwilhelm]

I got the spring compressed. I got the arm jacked up too. The nuts that hold the spindle in place (upper and lower) have been loosened about 1/4 inch.

I back the nut off like you did but I leave the spring alone. It is providing a force trying to pull the ball joint apart.
With the spring pulling on the joint it comes apart easy.

 

[TWINRAY]

I got the spring compressed. I got the arm jacked up too. The nuts that hold the spindle in place (upper and lower) have been loosened about 1/4 inch.

I back the nut off like you did but I leave the spring alone. It is providing a force trying to pull the ball joint apart.
With the spring pulling on the joint it comes apart easy.

?? I've found no repair (other than replacing the air cleaner element) on a Corvette that I would classify as easy - and this is after over 30 years ownership. Most of it I classify in the BB (and I don't mean Big Block) catagory