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Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
#1531364
11/10/13 07:45 PM
11/10/13 07:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 738
OK
David_Trimble
OP
super stock
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OP
super stock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 738
OK
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After spending three nights this past week wailing on a pickle fork with a hand sledge trying to seperate my upper ball joint from the steering knuckle ('69 Charger) I'm beginning to wonder if I'm doing this the right way. I saw in the FSM (and found someone online who sells it) a tool that basically expands between the lower and upper ball joint studs while you whack the knuckle. I'm wondering if that's the better way to go since in retrospect when I use the pickle fork it's not exerting pressure as evenly on the ball joint stud as this other tool could do.
Oh and yes- I've soaked this sucker in a half-spraycan's worth of Liquid Wrench for the past week. I even got a rental pickle fork thinking my old one wasn't thick enough to generate any leverage between the knuckle and ball joint/UCA.
I didn't see anything in the forum talking about this (much to my surprise)- any opinions on this?
Thanks!
David
'69 Dodge Charger R/T
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: David_Trimble]
#1531366
11/10/13 07:53 PM
11/10/13 07:53 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,715
North Dakota
6PakBee
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,715
North Dakota
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Upper ball joint? Let the suspension travel all the way down so the torsion bar has the upper joint loaded up. Then unscrew the retaining nut on the upper ball joint until there is about 1/16" between the nut and the knuckle. Do NOT take the nut off. Then get two 4-5# small hammers and simultaneously hit both sides of the knuckle where the ball joint stud is. You have to SIMULTANOEUSLY hit the knuckle with both hammers to be effective. You can't hit with one and then the other, has to be TOGETHER. I've never had a joint I couldn't break loose like this. Now the lower ball joint....
"We live in a time when intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won't be offended".
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: David_Trimble]
#1531367
11/10/13 07:54 PM
11/10/13 07:54 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
Supercuda
About to go away
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About to go away
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
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Here's what I do.
I leave the torsion bar adjustment tight. I loosen up the nut on the end of the Upper Ball Joint stud, I do not remove it though, I leave it engaged on the threads with some clearance between the nut and the spindle. I then smack the spindle with a BFH right where the UBJ stud passed thru it. It will pop loose then, you may have to smack more than once though.
Sometimes, when there isn't enough room to get a good swing I will use two hammers, a ball peen to direct the blow and a small hand sledge to hit with. I will put the ball of the ball peen hammer on the spindle where I want the force to direct. I will smack the flat of the Ball Peen with the hand sledge. You are not supposed to hit pone hammer with another, but I do in this case.
They say there are no such thing as a stupid question.
They say there is always the exception that proves the rule.
Don't be the exception.
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: David_Trimble]
#1531369
11/11/13 12:32 AM
11/11/13 12:32 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,664
IN
ahy
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,664
IN
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: David_Trimble]
#1531370
11/11/13 03:01 AM
11/11/13 03:01 AM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,848
Memphis
HemiRick
master
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master
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,848
Memphis
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Just hit the steering knuckle on the flat spot by the taper with sharp hard hammer blows one hammer will work fine,.it'll pop loose. Never seen one in 30 yrs I couldnt get loose with this method.
Take care,
Rick
68 Coronet R/T 440 & 68 Charger 528 Hemi,and 5 Challengers! 6 cyl, 318, 360, 383, 451
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: HemiRick]
#1531371
11/11/13 08:11 AM
11/11/13 08:11 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,715
North Dakota
6PakBee
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,715
North Dakota
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The two hammers don't have to be exactly the same weight but it helps. Maybe the one hammer method works for others but when I tried it for the first time over 40 years ago, all I ended up doing was beating the crap out of the knuckle. With two hammers, about two hits and the ball joint will pop free. The secret is to get the two blows to hit together. Good luck!
"We live in a time when intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won't be offended".
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: HemiRick]
#1531374
11/11/13 02:09 PM
11/11/13 02:09 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,437
Omaha Nebraska
Brian_wo
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,437
Omaha Nebraska
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Wish I had found this trick 30 years ago,didnt learn it until about 20 years back and it has never failed to work,going to do a disc swap soon and this is the way I will get the factory stuff apart,in fact I do the bottom first then the top,always works. Quote:
Just hit the steering knuckle on the flat spot by the taper with sharp hard hammer blows one hammer will work fine,.it'll pop loose. Never seen one in 30 yrs I couldnt get loose with this method.
who is that guy?
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: HemiRick]
#1531375
11/11/13 02:18 PM
11/11/13 02:18 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 18,157
Mass
DAYCLONA
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 18,157
Mass
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Quote:
Just hit the steering knuckle on the flat spot by the taper with sharp hard hammer blows one hammer will work fine,.it'll pop loose. Never seen one in 30 yrs I couldnt get loose with this method.
Generally this works 50% of the time for me, another problem using a pickle fork, is most don't start it right, when doing an upper ball joint with a pickle, the flat side of the fork faces down towards the ground, or knuckle, if you put the wedge side facing down towards the knuckle doing the upper ball joint, you can hammer all day long, it ain't going anywhere but being wedged in there... 
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: Commando1]
#1531378
11/11/13 06:48 PM
11/11/13 06:48 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 637
SoMd, USA
135sohc
mopar
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mopar
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 637
SoMd, USA
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Quote:
You need one of these Ball-Joint Separator Tools:
Works great. In fact, the FSM calls for using this Miller tool.
Yup... and its also hollow on both ends so it stays centered over the studs when your cranking down on it. Well worth the $30 I paid for mine via ebay.
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: DAYCLONA]
#1531380
11/11/13 07:08 PM
11/11/13 07:08 PM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,822
Colorado
denfireguy
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,822
Colorado
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Quote:
Plus I hope that your pickle fork is for ball joints, as there's 2, one for ball joints, and one for rod ends
Yes, make sure the fork is completely straddling the ball joint with some room to spare. To get the ones off of my Durango, I used these from Northern Tools. After hammering for hours, these popped them in seconds with an air hammer.
Craig
2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda
Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango
Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: David_Trimble]
#1531382
11/16/13 06:04 PM
11/16/13 06:04 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,072
Niles , Ohio
therocks
oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
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oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,072
Niles , Ohio
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Ive done front end work since the 60s.Never used any fancy tools.Pickle fork or a big hammer.Its not rocket science.Did the kids 62 300 last.It came apart with a few whacks.Ive always used one hammer and got them to pop.I do use my air chisel with pickle fork a lot.It saves time when I was at the shop.If you use it right you hurt nothing.Besides unless the BJs are fairly new they probally need replaced anyway.My suggestion if you are having that much trouble is find someone that can give you a hand.What are you doing to the front end anyway?Rocky
Chrysler Firepower
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Re: Upper Ball Joint from knuckle- what is the best way?
[Re: therocks]
#1531383
11/16/13 06:10 PM
11/16/13 06:10 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,322
Michigan
crlush
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,322
Michigan
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Quote:
Ive done front end work since the 60s.Never used any fancy tools.Pickle fork or a big hammer.Its not rocket science.Did the kids 62 300 last.It came apart with a few whacks.Ive always used one hammer and got them to pop.I do use my air chisel with pickle fork a lot.It saves time when I was at the shop.If you use it right you hurt nothing.Besides unless the BJs are fairly new they probally need replaced anyway.My suggestion if you are having that much trouble is find someone that can give you a hand.What are you doing to the front end anyway?Rocky
. Air chisel has always worked for me 
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