Front ball joint removal

[Tim Boyer]

Hi
I am trying to separate the ball joint from the front assembly with no luck. There must be a secret to this! Anyone care to share what it is?.
Thanks
Tim

[timmy2]

Pipe wrenches, hammers, leverage, Are all your friends.
Knocking out the pin first helps too. On the car or off?

[RD911T]

Are you talking about unscrewing the castle nut from the bottom of the A-arm? Use a BIG pipe wrench. I read this advice from several people and tried it and was amazed at how easy it was.

[steely]

Tim :
+1 on the pipe wrench and honking pipe. came off like butter - new castellated nut required of course.

Be careful as mine came off so easily that I unintentionally scratched the bottom of the control arm

[mnez]

I cut through the nut with a dremel, then it came off real easy. The ball joint gets ruined too, but if you are replacing it then it doesn't matter.

[47silver]

get this tool from harbor freight.
raise the a-arm so that it is parallel with the ground.. this way the ball joint tool tips will not hit the a-arm.. If you leave it hanging loose then the angle of the a-arm prevents the tool from working properly
after affixing the tool, use a large hammer or sledge to hit the tool and in a few hits it will separate. wear safety glasses. I used a large brass hammer.

[47silver]

[rusnak]

whoa, no. You don't need a pickle fork.

To separate the ball joint, you can pound out the wedge pin, then use the BF pipe wrench. Loosen the nut, then re-tighten slightly. Use a plastic mallet or block of wood to pound the control arm down and pull the balljoint out of the strut. Remove the balljoint nut.

People like to use the pickle forks to separate the tie rod from the strut. I have banned those from my garage. I use a tie rod separator tool, and never damaged a single tie rod end with it.