Ball joint help please

so I'm replacing the ball joints on my 04 and drivers side went fine. Got the lower in on the passenger with no problems but for the upper , it just will not come loose from the uca!! The drivers side just took a few hits with the hammer and it popped loose. This side however is just not going anywhere. Pickle fork didn't work. Bigger hammer didn't work. I don't want to pound it much more because I've already left a lot of marks in it. I tried using the pickle fork as a lever but didn't work. I don't want to heat it if possible. Anyone else have some tricks to get it loose?

 

If you have an AutoZone nearby, go there and rent a ball joint removal tool.

 

@Aught2TaCO is right. Makes the job easy, plus it is free (once returned), plus you can use it to press in the new ball joints. Advance has a good loaner set too.

 

Ditto. I just did mine. The job will also go a whole lot easier with air tools. If the ball joint press is the same one I rent make sure you have a 22mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

 

Yeah I already have the press. But how to I put it on there to get it loose from the UCA? And I do have air tools. Wouldn't do half the maintenance I do without them!

 

Is it one that looks like this?

Put the screw on the threaded end of the ball joint, 1/2 inch impact that badboy outta there. Done.

 

If it's giving you that many fits just get an angle grinder with cut off wheel ,make a couple passes across it & it'll give way to a hammer blow or 2...I promise....


EDIT: You did remove clip right ??

 

Nope. Not that one. Its the other one for actually pressing it into the spindle. Didnt know you could rent those.... I'll go get one tomorrow. Thanks!

I'm trying to get it out of the UCA not the spindle quite yet. But yes that is what I ended up doing to the drivers side. Got tired of finding the right combination with the autozone pos. The way our spindles are shaped, you can't get the plates that hold the cups on there straight.

What I always say... when in doubt, hammer it out

 

OHHHH! Out of the UCA. I had that problem myself last time. What I needed to do was cut the ball joint between the UCA and spindle. Then so I could actually work with it take the UCA off the truck. At that point I went as far as I could with the ball joint press (till I couldn't get it to spin anymore). Then wacked the hell out of it with a hammer. The problem is that thing was seized in there beyond all belief.

 

Yes sir. You can fix anything with a hammer screw a press