I am missing something here....

[Moody]

Okay, I been working on my front end this week trying to get it ready to upgrade my 70 blazer to 3/4 ton running gear. Everything was going fine, removed the brakes, spindles, axle shafts, etc. Went down to Autozone and rented the ball joint removal tool and was planning on installing all new moog ball joints today. Wrong! I spent all day just trying to get the knuckles off! Upper castle nut and threaded collar came right off...removed the lower nut and lower snap ring. I cannot get the the lower end of the knuckle to separate from the axle. I tried a BFH with a picklefork, soaking in PB.....it won't budge. The only thing I haven't tried is the torch. Am I missing something here or should it be this hard?

 

[DEMON44]

...I must be missing something. I was under the impression that putting 3/4 diffs under a K5 involved removeing ubolts.....dropping crappy diffs......slining up better diffs.....install new ubolts........

 

[divorced]

Not on the front. You just need to swap outters to 8 lug.

8 lug hubs/rotors and backing plates.

 

[DEMON44]

oh I see.....not haveing a complete set of 3/4ton diffs would do that then 'eh.

 

[Moody]

I guess I should clarify, I have been tearing down my 8 lug dana 44...going to install all new ball joints, bearings, brakes, etc bearing swapping out the crappy axle for the new axle)

 

[pvfjr]

Just hit downward on the knuckle until it breaks loose. Or just keep trying ball joint tools, like the pickle fork or the separator. One thing I can tell you, is that you really can't be pussyfootin around with it. Get after it like you're serious, get a bigger hammer, whatever it takes. If you think heat would help, try it, but I've never needed it. Both ball joints should pop loose at the taper and the knuckle should drop free. So no, you're not missing anything.

 

[ntsqd]

snip....
get a bigger hammer

x eleventeen

 

[Slapperbar]

... and swing it like a man.

 

[DEMON44]

.....or you can get a ball joint separator. I have on in the garage you can borrow. its not a pickle fork, its a small press specifically designed to grab the ball joint. it was pretty cheap, at Princess Auto........our version of HF.

 

[gmc4cw]

hit it on the side of the lower part of the inner C. Really hard! I wailed on mine, got tired and soaked it in PB. went and had a sandwich. when I came back it fell out on the first swing. Good luck.

 

[Moody]

Thanks for all the feedback! So the general opinion appears to be quit being a "girly man" and "git' er done")) I've been using a seven pound sledge but I'm going to try the torch on it tonight. Demon, I tried using the ball joint press..no luck.

 

[Chevy305]

I've been using a seven pound sledge.

Well thats your problem you need at least a 10lb sledge. I'd step up to the bar and get a 15lb sledge. Just need to cut off 1/2 of the handle. Now that is a BFH