96 K2500 ball joint question...

[crashandburn]

Well 2 questions, really.
I have been hearing a clunk in my front end when I turn the wheels hard on my Burb. I figured ball joints, especially since the torsion bars are cranked up a bit. Took it apart, and indeed found a bad one. Also found a bad wheel bearing. Really bad, and I can't believe it wasn't howling. Come to think of it, it has been wandering a little, but I figured it was the ball joint. Never made a peep.

Anyways,
Question 1)
How the heck do I separate the brake disc from the bearing/hub?

Question 2) The passenger side ball joints came apart with no trouble. Well none other than the normal fight that they put up. But the drivers side will not budge. I hit the pickle fork with my biggest ball peen hammer literally hundreds of times. I actually destroyed the fork.
Does anyone know any tricks to free up a stubborn one?

 

[sweetk30]

early 8 lug hub / rotors had to press out the studs and sep rotor from hub. but DO NOT SNAP OFF THE ABS SENSOR on the hub when pressing the studs out if you need to reuse it.

toss away pickle forks .

take 4lb mini sludge hammer AKA LBFH and wack the knuckle right were the ball joint or tie rod end goes in few times 99% time thay pop right loose.

 

[snowbound98]

Sweetk30 is right. I never use the fork. I hit that sucker with a mini sledge on the spindle where the balljoint goes in. There's usually a flat spot on it that I hit. Should pop loose. And ya if its 8 lug u need to pound out the studs. Be sure to hit them square so u don't mess them up. I set the rotor on a couple blocks of wood and smack the studs.

 

[crashandburn]

My brother stopped by while I was at work and popped it for me. What a guy! He was having a stressful day at his work and needed something to smash with a hammer.