Moparts
any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's?
Posted By: Pyper70
any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/29/14 11:35 PM
I used to have the tool but I let someone borrow it and well...thats the end of that one...Dont feel like spending $55 for a new socket...I am also worried about stripping the threads on the UCA...is there any trick to removing it through years of broken knuckles? Should I be soaking it with Liquid Wrench for a few days before I attempt the task? Should I heat it up with some Mapp Gas to break it loose? Should I whack it with a hammer? Should I give it some Red Bull and cross my fingers that it willfully surrenders on its own?
Posted By: OzHemi
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/29/14 11:44 PM
Just spend the money on a new proper socket for it ,and it makes for an easy job of it. (Easy as it can be that is..)
And then just use a Good impact gun or a really long breaker bar, should be all you need. Then reverse again to install the new ball joint.
Posted By: Stanton
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/29/14 11:49 PM
If the UCA's are off the car, just take them into a local shop and ask them to yank them off. Probably do it for a coffee!
Posted By: OzHemi
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 12:15 AM
Quote:
If the UCA's are off the car, just take them into a local shop and ask them to yank them off. Probably do it for a coffee!
I wouldn't think...I could be wrong...but would not think many local shops in Greece would have Mopar ball joint sockets? 
They would probably just try to press the ball joints out instead. 
Posted By: Andrewh
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 12:17 AM
not sure what shipping would be, but napa and a few other places sell them cheaper than 55 bucks.
I saw that right after I paid like 80 bucks for my snap on one, you could then buy them for 12 bucks I think.
Posted By: hemi71x
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 12:47 AM
Quote:
not sure what shipping would be, but napa and a few other places sell them cheaper than 55 bucks.
I saw that right after I paid like 80 bucks for my snap on one, you could then buy them for 12 bucks I think.
If you can find a Mopar ball joint socket anywhere,from anyone, for $12.00, buy every one that you can get, sell them, and make a tremendous profit.
When were they ever 12 bucks, on this planet? 
Posted By: stumpy
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 12:50 AM
Pipe wrench works when you have nothing else.
Posted By: Andrewh
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 01:11 AM
Quote:
Quote:
not sure what shipping would be, but napa and a few other places sell them cheaper than 55 bucks.
I saw that right after I paid like 80 bucks for my snap on one, you could then buy them for 12 bucks I think.
If you can find a Mopar ball joint socket anywhere,from anyone, for $12.00, buy every one that you can get, sell them, and make a tremendous profit.
When were they ever 12 bucks, on this planet?
trust me they were. must have been 5 or 6 years ago now. maybe a little more.
I just remember someone even on this board talking about them, and me kicking my self for spending so much on one not that long before that.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sxt-10213
ok 16 bucks.
Posted By: pattyboy 572
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 01:28 AM
14.30 pro shop price + ship 4.95 still great price....just ordered 2...pat NOTE...I believe there are three sizes a b c bodies also difference in years order correct one....
Posted By: Pyper70
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 01:34 AM
prices sure have come down...I might as well buy one of those then....I mean...I have to remove it...but I also have to crank it back in right....I sure hope those threads don't strip out....it happened to my 70 Charger and it was FUN looking for decent UCA's
Thanks fellas
Posted By: hemi71x
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 01:37 AM
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
not sure what shipping would be, but napa and a few other places sell them cheaper than 55 bucks.
I saw that right after I paid like 80 bucks for my snap on one, you could then buy them for 12 bucks I think.
If you can find a Mopar ball joint socket anywhere,from anyone, for $12.00, buy every one that you can get, sell them, and make a tremendous profit.
When were they ever 12 bucks, on this planet?
trust me they were. must have been 5 or 6 years ago now. maybe a little more.
I just remember someone even on this board talking about them, and me kicking my self for spending so much on one not that long before that.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sxt-10213
ok 16 bucks.
Wow, ok, but is that Summit one, for the small ball joint A body cars, or large ball joint A, B, E, body cars.
Posted By: pattyboy 572
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 01:41 AM
Posted By: RapidRobert
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 01:41 AM
several days worth of apps of kroil or pb blaster never hurts. As Stump said if you can get a pipe wrench on there & keep it square it'll work most of the time. DEFINITELY take em off before you take the UCA itself out. If the socket is cheap & you ain't in no rush to order it then as you know having the proper tool is always the better way
Posted By: Commando1
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 04:20 PM
Buy the damn tool.
Sell it on ebay later.
Posted By: Stanton
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 06:55 PM
C'mon, what man buys a tool and then sells it ?!?!?!
Posted By: mod5v
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 06:57 PM
I couldn't get them out on my 84 truck even with the socket. So I do have a mig welder. I welded a short piece of scrap 2" tube to one and the heat of welding loosened it up enough to spin out with a pipe wrench took the one I had out flipped it over and welded it to the outer side and it came out easy to. Threads were fine and quite clean. Have some water handy as the grease in the old ball joint tends to catch on fire!
Posted By: dan9
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 07:27 PM
Or do what someone did when i got mine. They bought it, used it and returned it.
Posted By: Paul_Fancsali
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 10:42 PM
No matter how careful you are you will probably strip the threads on roughly 70% of the ones I have seen done. Get a mig welder and just tack them in solves the problem
Posted By: Pyper70
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 11:41 PM
Went ahead and ordered the socket...I'll use it....probably keep it as you never know when you need one....I will clean the UCA's tomorrow and put in some liquid wrench for a few days until the socket arrives...Hopefully its not part of the 70%
Posted By: stumpy
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/30/14 11:44 PM
Leave the control arms on the car to remove the ball joints or you could end up twisting them out of shape.
Posted By: astrobuf
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/31/14 05:18 AM
Quote:
Leave the control arms on the car to remove the ball joints or you could end up twisting them out of shape.
Exactly. You need the socket. While you might use a pipe wrench to take the old Ball joint out, you gotta have the socket to put the new one in! Put the arm back in the car BTW before you screw the new ball joint back in.
Astrobuf 
Posted By: kentj340
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/31/14 08:21 AM
The force required to use a breaker bar on the UCA ball joints was going to pull my car off the jack stands. Finally got them off with an impact wrench, but just barely - really needed a bigger, heavier duty impact wrench than my Sears.
Posted By: Commando1
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/31/14 03:33 PM
Quote:
The force required to use a breaker bar on the UCA ball joints was going to pull my car off the jack stands.
3' pipe over breaker bar and still I thought the car was going to come off the lift.
All the while, I kept thinking to myself when it refused to budge, I must be doing this wrong.... 
Posted By: Pyper70
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/31/14 04:53 PM
I doubt my 1/2 Snap On Impact with 150lbs behind it is going to crack them loose...I might have to resort to putting on my 3/4" Sears breaker bar w/ 1/2 adapter and an additional 3' stainless pipe I have for occasions like this.
Posted By: 68goldfish
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/31/14 06:43 PM
I also went the pipe and breaker bar route. Would not move at all. I finally decided to try a little PB. It cleaned off all the years of grease and road grime. That is when I found the tack welds! Save yourself a headache and clean them first. Look for welds.
Posted By: screamindriver
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/31/14 08:28 PM
Don't forget to put the Red Bull on them for good luck...
Posted By: RSNOMO
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 01/31/14 09:19 PM
Soak 'em...
A little heat, and a 3/4" impact can be your friend...
They gots to come out...
Posted By: justinp61
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 02/01/14 01:16 AM
I always use heat, never stripped one this way. My socket is home made.
Posted By: HUSTLESTUFF
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 02/10/14 02:48 AM
If I'm not reusing I weld a 1" nut to them and use impact to remove them
Posted By: ns1aar
Re: any trick to removing Ball Joints from UCA's? - 02/10/14 06:22 AM
Air chisel be careful to not nick the arm though