really, really, REALLY stuck ball joints!

[Metalhead47]

So I finally got my knuckles off... and the lower ball joints are STILL fused to the axle housing C's. Tried hammers, tried heating with a propane torch then dousing with Freeze-off, air hammer, PB blaster, pipe wrench, even the trick with the nut, bolt, & socket to try and press them out, something started to move and it wasn't the ball joint so I stopped there. I do NOT need to crack the inner C and go thru this all over again with a new axle!

I've tried everything short of an actual ball joint press at this point, but I honestly doing think that's going to work, seeing as how the joint is stuck in the wrong piece. Guess these things should have been replaced sometime in the last 220k miles

Any other idears here or is this the point where I just lug the housing down to the machine shop & have them figure it out?

 

[4xcrazy]

I've tried everything short of an actual ball joint press at this point,

they work....

 

[shady]

i used my ball joint press to do my stuck ujoints. worked better than anything else i tried. i couldnt beleive the force applied by it. well worth the money and time to by the right tool. or rent it at autozone,orilleys, etc.

 

[Metalhead47]

No, I mean physically, I don't think it'll fit. It's the tapered part that's stuck in the inner knuckle. I don't see where there's purchase between the bottom of the knuckle and the housing of the balljoint to get the cup over it, even if it's deep enough.

 

[cegusman]

You try a balljoint fork?

 

[2_wacko]

Use a pickle fork works just fine.

 

[sweetk30]

4lb mini sludge hammer works wonders.

dont be afraid to hit it like a man.

i have had a few stubborn ones before 10+years as a mechanic.

rail it like you mean it.

 

[sweetk30]

Use a pickle fork works just fine.

if you dont wana reuse the boot.

thay do work. but knowing the hammer trick there is no need for them. i dont even own one in my huge snap-on box. go figure.

 

[Jessie James]

Another trick I learned is to take a sledge hammer and hit the housing as hard as you can. Don't hit the ball joint, or any part of anything that moves or is weak. Just slam the heck out of the housing. The shock can often help un-stick the joint. Then remove the joint.

It's worked wonders for me at least a dozen times.

 

[Metalhead47]

Yup tried a pickle fork, tried an 8lb sledge, tried hitting a pickle fork WITH an 8lb sledge. Hit the housing, hit the ball joint stud, & every possible permutation thereof.

 

[sweetk30]

let it sit overnight.

that works sometimes to.

 

[Metalhead47]

let it sit overnight.

that works sometimes to.

This would be night 7 or 8 of that

 

[sweetk30]

then you sir have BIG problem .

 

[jms]

Get a new axle housing.
According to the wisdom on this board, $50 should net you a 10-bolt...

 

[Metalhead47]

Get a new axle housing.
According to the wisdom on this board, $50 should net you a 10-bolt...

That bad eh? IF I have to go that route I guess I'll have to scrounge up a D60, but I really really don't wanna have to go that far. This whole thing was just supposed to be an engine swap!

 

[Stomis]

Can you take a picture of this please so I can wrap my head around exactly where what is stuck?

 

[Metalhead47]

Can you take a picture of this please so I can wrap my head around exactly where what is stuck?

Behold:

 

[Doc Feel Good]

Dang.. I know your pain. It took me and a friend about 5 days to do ball joints on my 99 F350. EVERYTHING was rusted or bent, so alot of new part later and its good to go..

I used heat from a Mx gas to get mine free and a big sledge hammer. It sounds as if you have tried this already.

 

[cegusman]

pickle fork and a 16 pound sledge

 

[Metalhead47]

Dang.. I know your pain. It took me and a friend about 5 days to do ball joints on my 99 F350. EVERYTHING was rusted or bent, so alot of new part later and its good to go..

I used heat from a Mx gas to get mine free and a big sledge hammer. It sounds as if you have tried this already.

That's the frustrating thing, there's almost no real rust anywhere on this rig! Up till now everything's come apart fairly easily with nothing more than an impact wrench. Even the exhaust manifold bolts back when I was pulling the old blown engine apart. I guess all the rust karma decided to focus on these two friggin bits! I'm thinking of cutting off the cup end of the joint, figuring some way to set this thing up in a 10 ton press and see if that'll work.

PS: The difficult thing about any kind of banging on the housing (ie bigger hammer) is that it's just a bare housing on jackstands now. The blows just move the housing instead of the part!