McNord

iTrader: (1)

Working on replacing my front shocks & I can't get the spindel seperated from the upper controle arm for the life of me. I have spent the last 3 hours trying to get the two parted & it hasn't budged at all. Any tricks? there is no rust in the area what so ever, I have tried with the suspension hanging, supported, little load, lots of load, turned both ways, straight, etc... Sway bar is disconnected & the shock is completely disconnected as well. Also before its mentioned the nut & cotter pin are out lol.

dubga

iTrader: (8)

Are you using a pickle fork? If not, you need one.

Bramlok

iTrader: (7)

Just take a good sized steel mallet/hammer and give the upper control spindle arm a few good smacks on the outside of the spindle where the joint goes into the control arm. Don't hit the threads or control arm itself, just hit the spindle part and it will jar it loose and separate it. Usually 1 or 2 good smacks will do it. maybe 3 or 4 if you swing like a girl.

trust me on this. I've done a thousand of them this way. And no you won't bend the spindle.

Killer_Z

iTrader: (1)

i used a jack to lift the spindle up a bit so it didnt put added stress on the shock. and it popped right off. if the spindle is hanging then its pushin down on the bolt so it makes it harder to get out. jack helps support it a bit.

McNord

iTrader: (1)

Is that with a pickle fork? Because I don't have one, I thought I read it can still be done fairley easily without one. All that aside, thats what I have been doing & still no luck. I have also taken the weight off it to try to prevent it from putting pressure on the stud.

dubga

iTrader: (8)

A pickle fork is not expensive, and definitely takes the work out of this. I haven't used one on the TA as I have not done any suspension work on it, but I have lowered 3 Silverados in the past. The first one I tried all types of ways to get it loose like described above. I finally got the fork and had it loose in 5 minutes. It then became one of my I-rarely-use-this-thing-but-would-beat-down-anyone-who-tried-to-take-it tools.

McNord

iTrader: (1)

LOL... I know what you mean, never had a need for one before.

Thanks guys, I got it out though, I just ran to Autozone & picked up an extra can of man lol. Actually I had been hitting in the wrong place 2 good wacks & it was out.

dubga

iTrader: (8)

They sell that in the Help section?

Good job...glad you worked it out!!

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

Yeah, I started reading this at the top and was thinking, "What the hell is he hitting that it's not popping out???"

Next time you pick you your extra can of man make sure it is NOT the one with the rainbow on the label. That's for a different kind of whacking...

Arc00TA

iTrader: (17)

LOL. I keep an acorn nut that fits on the upper ball joint stud and just give that a good whack and it always comes off, plus it keeps it from popping out until I'm ready to take it off.

StuntmanMike

iTrader: (2)

Never needed one?????

My pickle fork is one of my most used tools, lol. It's in my small tool box of "must haves" that I keep in my Jeep.

Pretty much any job I do on that thing I use the pick fork for something or another. It's a great hammer and prybar, and it works wonders in encouraging a stubborn coil spring to go back into it's home. I've actually even used it to pop balljoints a time or two also.

Lopoetve

iTrader: (1)

I had the same trouble as you. Friend stepped in, looked at it cross eyed, and then just swung the BFH hard at the front of the arm - POP! off she came.

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

There's even a better set-up to remove suspension components. Specially if your going to reuse them. Sometime pickle forks tear up the grease boots etc.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ype=G7&prdNo=7

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

I just hammered that ball joint upward. Came right out for me