I am trying to lower my subframe to replace the control arm bushings but am stuck trying to get the outer ball joints free. Are there any tricks to doing this? I've pried and whacked on everything I could with a hammer and nothing seems to be getting these things out. I also have new ball joints to replace the existing ones, figuring I'd go ahead and replace these while I've got the subframe out.

Here are the new parts that I have:


I am following this thread on lowering the subframe: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post1420223 and have removed these bolts:



The ball joints just won't come free. Any help?

 

Mine was up on jacks for two days with the same problem, while I waited for them to speedy delivery me an OTC 7315A Universal Tie Rod End Remover. Works like magic. If you're near Seattle you can borrow mine, otherwise order yourself one. Or find a full front end service kit that includes the one you need for the wishbone, and others for the rest of the car.

 

I had the same problem. A cold chisel between the joint and the housing and some judicious hammering eventually freed it, but it was reluctant!

 

Been trying that with no luck. Maybe I'll just keep hammering...

 

Did that allow you to get the ball joint free from the hub? Or just release the control arm from teh shaft on the ball joint?

 

It's for separating the shaft of the ball joint -- the one with the big M12x1.5 nut behind your socket in the picture. Not the part held on with the two bolts that your socket is on.

 

Marquette, have you tried heating the hub with a propane torch? IIRC, one required that.
Be careful of a grease fire...have an extinguisher handy!

 

Yes, I did, but got worried about the rubber boot when it started smoking...

 

I had to use a torch and pneumatic chisel to get mine out of the spindles. Those suckers were STUCK. However once I got the old ones out the new ones pushed right in place by hand.

 

Well I finally got the control arms free of the ball joint. Had to use a pickle fork-style tool rented from the local Carquest shop and some seriously hard whacks from a hammer to break them free. However I still could not get either ball joint out of the steering knuckle, despite all my hammering, chiseling and heating.

In the process of using the pickle fork I also managed to rip one of the rubber boots and squeeze all the grease out. So when I dropped the car off at the shop last night for an alignment I left them the new ball joints to install -- hopefully they can get them out.

 

We commonly use a chisel between the ball joint and the knuckle. The tabs on the ball joint that the bolts go through will bend, but eventually they will pop out of the knuckle.

 

I can't get the control arm off of the inner ball joint on the passenger side. I have a Pickle fork as mentioned above and believe me I've done some seriously hard whacks with the hammer. Any suggestions?

 

Check your new ball joints to your pickle fork to make sure the gap in the fork is large enough to go over the stud in the ball joint. I had an issue like that when i was doing mine.