Ball Joint Puller

[shenion]

This is where having a welder has changed the way I do things. Would have cost me special tools for one job.

1990 Jeep Cherokee with 220k miles. Bought new ball joints about 2 years ago and never put them in.

Royal pain in the butt. Really the proper way to do them is to remove entire axles and install them/remove them using probably at least a 10 ton press.

Replacing one of them was a 6-hour job. C-Clamps, pounding and heating did nothing to get them loose.

So cut up some 2"x2"x1/4" angle, some 6013 rods and hacked this together:



Thought the weld was horrid until I knocked the slag off. Came out well but cut out the best part of it for the center hole and the ends had starts/stops and tacks. The two notches were done with my 25A plasma cutter. Freehand and ragged as more than the plasma can handle.

Here's the opposite side:


I asked the tire place last year to install the ball joints:

Me: How much to install the ball joints; I have them.
They: You don't need to replace them.
Me: It has 200k miles, should probably be done.
They: I don't want to do it!

Now I see why. Took the puller cranked as hard as I could over top and spindle bolt, wedged a cold chisel under the bottom an pounded it until I could actually see the cast iron spindle flex. Then beat to the top.

Typical, it moves a few thousandths. Retighten, pound some more; repeat ad nausium.

Now I see why the tire place refused to do it

 

[wyn]

I find that's the handy thing with welding .....you can make the exact tool you're looking for.

It sounds like the joints on you're jeep are a bit of a nightmare.

Last year i bought a special tool to change a ball joint on my mitsubishi......had to take a fair bit of the front suspension off to get at it. Put the joint seperator on ........absolute garbage I then had to break out the oxy/propane to persuade it off.

Got another one to change soon so i'll probably miss out the "ball joint seperator" and go straight for the o/p.

 

[bill_gj]

I have one of the big fork-type separators which usually, though not always, works.
Depends on whether you can get a good swing at it with a big enough hammer.
The dissassembled joints are usually ******** by the time they seperate, so you have to replace them, whether they wer worn or not.
I had one of those nutracker type, but on one job (son's MR2 rear end) the thing bent.

 

[wyn]

The dissassembled joints are usually ******** by the time they seperate, so you have to replace them, whether they wer worn or not.

That's exactly what i find bill_gj.... now i never take them apart unless they need to be renewed

 

[shenion]

The fork-type separators are just for pulling the spindle off the pin (and destroying the boot.) That was the easy part as the ball joint is pressed into the axle housing.

I remember doing ones that were hot riveted in. Cut the 3/8" solid steel rivets off with a cold chisel.

 

[JimM]

Yep, having a welder is great, you can knock together some useful tools with a bit of improvisation.

I made up a hub puller for my Spitfire from a couple of bits of plate and a few inches of lamp post, looked a bit like this

http://tinyurl.com/6rd4kl

Although mine didn't look half as pretty

Jim

 

[Shug]

I removed a ball joint by balancing suspension arm over a large socket, then I took the sledge hammer.....

New suspension arm only cost me 30 quid.

 

[mikeross]

I was having a hard time replacing and removing the ball joints. I guess i need more practice on these technical stuffs..

 

[Luke]

I made a very similar tool for pulling a new ball joint in to a Landrover A-Frame.

 

[Hitch]

Ingeneous ideas!

Did a ball joint on me van the otherday, beat in the fork, undo 3 bolts, knock the balljoint sideways, and it comes out of the wishbone. Tap new one in, 3 new bolts, a very shallow tapered wedge in the hub, push new one in, remove wedge put locking bolt in, wheel back on. 30mins including getting tools out and packing away again.

 

[shenion]

One of these days, I'll tackle the other 3 Just don't have a whole day to waste.

 

[premmington]

Been in motortrade 26years, never use fork or lever ball joint splitters, they just wreck the boots on joints, most of time we have to pull joints apart to get to other bits. And need to re-use the joints..

Best way to seperate ball joint taper seats are to shock them out, by beating the housing with a 2lb hammer.

Sometimes you may need to load up the connected suspension componant with a really long pry bar. Lever against the way you need to get it out and then beat it...

Method never fails me...

Had several DIY repairers bring me cars they can't get apart, they look amazed when the ball joint comes apart with a couple of thumps with a hammer.

Oh... Another good tip is to weld wheel bearing shells round the inside, they shrink when they cool, couple of light taps with a chisel and they surrender.

Decades ago. I was apprentise to a very mean old man who would not buy special tools. When I could not get something apart and I was losing my temper with the job. He used to just laugh and show me how to do it, with the tools at hand.


http://www.remmington.plus.com

 

[scarecrow]

that's how I always separated ball-joints on tractors and diggers in is with the hammer if that doesn't work you need a bigger hammer
I have also had to weld the shells of cone bearings to get them out be careful not to have your hands under them as they can drop out themselves when they start a cool as i learned from experience

 

[premmington]

that's how I always separated ball-joints on tractors and diggers in is with the hammer if that doesn't work you need a bigger hammer
I have also had to weld the shells of cone bearings to get them out be careful not to have your hands under them as they can drop out themselves when they start a cool as i learned from experience

Yes at times I have had to resort to sustained attacks with larger hammers, but not that often. Worst thing we get in garage is 4x4's and they are nothing like the lorrys I used to attack on the farm.




http://www.remmington.plus.com

 

[eil]

The two hammer method one held tight on one side of the taper and a sharp smack on the opposite, the only problem with the method is having enough space to swing the hammer, oh and completely missing it of course

 

[premmington]

The two hammer method one held tight on one side of the taper and a sharp smack on the opposite, the only problem with the method is having enough space to swing the hammer, oh and completely missing it of course

Yep.... I've used the two hammer method! For some reason it does seem work better, but you are right in saying, access is sometimes a problem.

I've seen some people really struggle with seperating ball joints over the years, the damage they do is shocking. I once watched a man albiet from a distance, heat one up till it exploded. He got hit by the shrapenel and hot grease. My mate just thumped the other side of the lorry with a 4lb lump hammer twice while I loaded the drop arm up. It came apart with two heavy blows.




http://www.remmington.plus.com

 

[shenion]

I had no problems getting the spindle separated from the ball joint taper.

It is getting the ball joint out of the axle that I am fighting. Even pressing the new one in is very difficult.

I get the feeling the only way these are done correctly by pulling the axle and using a shop press. That is what the manual shows.

 

[mikeross]

I've tried separating the ball joint.. using the hammer method.. Kept on missing it big time, it slips and all that.. Geesh. Gave me the headache.

 

[premmington]

I did another one today VW transporter minibus (Taxi) with 685.000 miles on the clock, W-reg year 2000.

I thump with a hammer and in surrendered, but it must have had several on it with that millage.

I like working on high millage cars... Gives me abit of pleasure seeing something that lasts...





http://www.remmington.plus.com

 

[scarecrow]

I had no problems getting the spindle separated from the ball joint taper.

It is getting the ball joint out of the axle that I am fighting. Even pressing the new one in is very difficult.

I get the feeling the only way these are done correctly by pulling the axle and using a shop press. That is what the manual shows.

now I get what your at probably the best way to get them out is in a press I suppose there isn't enough room if you fab together a small press with a low profile Jack