Tricks to seperate ball joint?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,802
Likes: 36
From: Dutchess, New York
Tricks to seperate ball joint? I'm in the middle of the shock install I started last night, and of course I can't get the ball joint on the spindle and upper A-arm to seperate. Does anyone have any good methods for doing this? I saw the pickel fork method on JMX's install page, wondering if there was anything else (otherwise I'll have to go out and find a place that sells them).
I have yet to not tear a grease boot with a pickle fork.
Trust me ... a solid whack on the beefy part of the knuckle will not not tear anything up. Now don't use a 10lb sledge ... but a 2lb hammer will pop it loose
Trust me ... a solid whack on the beefy part of the knuckle will not not tear anything up. Now don't use a 10lb sledge ... but a 2lb hammer will pop it loose
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,802
Likes: 36
From: Dutchess, New York
I was whacking it with a rubber mallet last night, but I'll give the hammer a shot, and see if the sharper blow helps it a bit. But I also went over to autozone at lunch and rented their pickel fork for good measure.
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A rubber hammer absorbs a lot of the impact and makes it less effective. Trust me a whack with a solid hammer (not a nail driving hammer either), a big meaty headed hammer will knock it free.
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,248
Likes: 0
From: Oklahoma
I left my forks and hammers in the toolbox for my front shock install. 
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/116793-f-bod-front-spring-shock-how.html
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/116793-f-bod-front-spring-shock-how.html
Launching!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Fort Collins, CO
Originally Posted by trackbird
Sure.
Launching!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Fort Collins, CO
Originally Posted by trackbird
Sure.
Originally Posted by kevinb
Seriously. All you have to do is unbolt the upper shock tower bolts and the lower two on the shock, flex the lower a-arm down a little and the upper bolts will pull away from the top, then you can rotate the upper a-arm to the rear and slide the shock assembly out between the lower a-arm and brake line. Easy as cake, don't make it harder than it is. Goes in just as easy.
Sorry, I misread you post to say "Can I do mine without removing the balljoints". I was saying "sure". Because that is the way I do them. I wasn't doubting you, the post glitch77 listed is how I told him to do it (the same as you).
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 372
Likes: 0
From: Orlando, FL
no, pickle fork is the piece w/ two prongs that you wedge in between the two pieces and wedge the two apart. a pitman arm puller is more like a pulley puller type piece. It's got two arms that lock onto the piece w/o the balljoint in it, and a bolt that pushes against the end of the balljoints stud to pull the one piece off the other.