Problem during UCA removal. Ideas?

Me and my friends were trying to install a pair of LR UCAs on my truck. We finished the drivers side without a hitch, but on the passenger side we reached a bit of a predicament.

The bolt that connects the stock UCA to the spindle is tapered. We got the nut off, but the bolt is still stuck in the spindle. We removed the sway bar link and tried a hammer, penetrating oil, and even wedging a breaker bar between the stock UCA and the spindle. Nothing broke it free. Anyone have any farfetched ideas to get it free?

 

Got pics?

 

We put the tire back on. If we don't think of any miracle ideas within the next hour, we're just gonna put it on a flatbed and have a shop press it out.

This is the best pic I could get. This happened last night so we put all the tools away.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/51713/size/big/cat/500

The bolt is the one on top of the spindle, linking the UCA to it. There is no nut on there presently.

 

Go to auto zone and see if they rent/loan a pulley puller- like this one:


Worked like a charm for me....

 

Put the nut back on. Leave it backed out a few turns from tight. Jack up under the LCA to load up spring. Wack the UCA right at the spindle with a steel hammer. That should unseat it. You could also try a pickle fork but they usually f's up the ball joint boot.

 

Already tried banging the UCA and the bolt with a hammer. We also wedged a large breaker bar in between the spindle and the UCA to try and wedge it free. All that did was shake the truck. The pickle fork would essentially do the same thing.

How does this pulley puller thing work?

 

Uhh....The pointy part in the middle goes on the end of the bolt you need to push out....the grip hooks on the sides go around the spindle lip. There is a head on the spike in the middle for a wrench....Tighten it up and it'll push the bolt out.

 

Would another jack underneath the lower control arm help? I think thats how I got mine free when doing it?
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Go and buy a pitman puller, that will come off in 5 minutes tops with it.
Same thing happened to me and that bolt would not move no matter what I did. I bought a puller and it came if very easily.

 

X2 on the pitman puller. CanadianBoy gave me the same advise. I went a bought on and had them both disconnected in 3mins. Its worth it.

 

Can also use a Ford tool (BFH), just make sure to protect the threads. I've used the castle nut, put on upside down- flush with the bold end, hit upward on the nut with the BFH. Might take 2 or 3 whacks but it'll pop.

 

get a bigger hammer,knock the tee livin snot out of it.

 

So the winner was steel hammer to the side of the bolt

 

take a wood splitting wedge and hammer it in between the uca and kingpin. Dont hit the side of the bolt.

 

oh you in LA... no wood splitting wedge for you...

Like said before take the castle nut and screw it on upside down...not tight, and hammer on that so you dont f the threads. MAP gas could be your friend too.

You could hammer on the side of the kingpin to try to break the taper loose

 

Why would you care about the threads on the ball joint? Don't all LR UCAs come with new ball joints like mine did? I think I'll try the puller thing if mine resist that much. The upper ball joints haven't really been in there that long so maybe they'll come out easierish.


edit - guessing all LR UCAs do not come with ball joints based upon further reading in a few different threads.

 

They should but theres no reason to ruin a perfectly good uca ball joint just because you have a new one...i guess im just anal...im a pack rat too Im always think like hmmm ill hang onto this just in case i want to put the truck back to stock

 

My LR UCAs came with ball joints

The hammer to the side of the bolt is what ended up getting it out

 

I packrat like that too. I won't ruin it on purpose....unless it forces me too. I actually already have the puller so I'll go with that before beating the shit out of the old ones.

 

I just used the pulley puller posted above to remove the LR UCAs from the spindle and it worked great! The tool was $29 at Advance Auto. I was going to take it to a local shop today to have the UCAs removed for $150 so this little guy saved me $120!