Best way/tool to separate the outside balljoint
Best way/tool to separate the outside balljoint
Hey, I'm having trouble separating the outside ball joints (right at the wheel hub) from my front control arms. I got the bolt out no problem, but the wheel bearing stud is jammed in there pretty good. To make matters worse, the stud doesn't go all the way through, so I can't use a puller. Anyone have a suggestion on a tool or technique get this thing out?
- Gord
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry
I wasn't planning to replace it. :/ Just need to get the control arm off.twoie wrote:can you use a ball joint fork? If you're going to replace it, then it won't matter that the boot is going to rip. The forks are cheap.
twoie
I'll take another shot at getting the other two bolts off the control arm side. The driver's side inside nut was frozen solid and I ended up drilling it out. I was hoping to cheat on the other side. :(
- Gord
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry
- ryan_Fuerte
- Regular Member
- Posts: 223
- Joined: May 12th, 2006, 1:01 pm
- Location: Ottawa
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yah you can use pickle forks but they tend to rip the rubber boot on your balljoint, and you dont want that. because it allows moisture and water to enter, really shortening the life of your front end part.
Its a good method if you dont want to reuse the balljoint.
My method of choice is to use a larger sized cheisel. Place it in the knuckle that the through bolt goes through on the ball joint. Get a big hammer and just ram the s--- out of the chiesel till its wedged right in. This opens up the knucle. Then use a big torsion bar, (just a long piece of metal rod) and pry down on the lower control arm and the lower bj pops right out.
-lata
Ryan
Its a good method if you dont want to reuse the balljoint.
My method of choice is to use a larger sized cheisel. Place it in the knuckle that the through bolt goes through on the ball joint. Get a big hammer and just ram the s--- out of the chiesel till its wedged right in. This opens up the knucle. Then use a big torsion bar, (just a long piece of metal rod) and pry down on the lower control arm and the lower bj pops right out.
-lata
Ryan
Mx-3 GSr : Rebuilt klde with 5spd swap, xtd stage 3 clutch, Magnaflow dual exhaust,Accord custom intake, kyb gr2 struts with eibach springs, civic dual halo projectors, black altezzas, white 15'' oz rims, rolling on dunlop street slicks.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2400330
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2400330
I'll give it a shot. :) Thanks.ryan_Fuerte wrote:yah you can use pickle forks but they tend to rip the rubber boot on your balljoint, and you dont want that. because it allows moisture and water to enter, really shortening the life of your front end part.
Its a good method if you dont want to reuse the balljoint.
My method of choice is to use a larger sized cheisel. Place it in the knuckle that the through bolt goes through on the ball joint. Get a big hammer and just ram the s--- out of the chiesel till its wedged right in. This opens up the knucle. Then use a big torsion bar, (just a long piece of metal rod) and pry down on the lower control arm and the lower bj pops right out.
-lata
Ryan
- Gord
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry
- ryan_Fuerte
- Regular Member
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true dat...
Mx-3 GSr : Rebuilt klde with 5spd swap, xtd stage 3 clutch, Magnaflow dual exhaust,Accord custom intake, kyb gr2 struts with eibach springs, civic dual halo projectors, black altezzas, white 15'' oz rims, rolling on dunlop street slicks.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2400330
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2400330
- neutral
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 1770
- Joined: December 27th, 2004, 10:19 am
- Location: U.S. Mid Atlantic
Sorry. I missed that you were saying didn't intend to replace the ball joint and misread it as, didn't intend to reuse the ball joint. My bad.neutral wrote:Like twoie says, a med. size ball joint/tie rod removal pickle fork and 3 lb sledgehammer is what I've used... fwiw
You could also use the tool loaner option for a ball joint puller from Advance Autoparts or similar parts store. You want to get the threaded type of separator tool that would preserve the ball joint boot. Usually you just have to leave a deposit equal to the purchase price of the tool. If ya decide not to return the tool, no problem as they consider it bought and paid for in that case or, return it and you get a full refund of your deposit.
-Jim
Well, it was a 4 hour battle in total, but I finally got my control arms out. Every single last bolt was stuck.. had to grind off both sway bar end links, two other bolts... the nut cages on the inside front bolts both rusted away, so I had to stop halfway through to get a standard 17mm wrench..
But they're out. Tomorrow I take my 650ftlb impact wrench to the 19mm bushing bolts, change the bushings, and put everything back together.
The excitement is killin me.
But they're out. Tomorrow I take my 650ftlb impact wrench to the 19mm bushing bolts, change the bushings, and put everything back together.
The excitement is killin me.
- Gord
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry
- Mooneggs
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All's you are doing is changing the bushings? If you are going to be using the SRD ones (nylatron) make sure you lube everything up really, really, well that touches those bushings (on the control arm and the car) with that moly grease (green gooey stuff) or else you will have horrible creaking!! I greased my control arm really well but not the part where it attaches and now I am going to have to take them off to grease that part!
Every time the car moves it creaks! it's driving me crazy!
Every time the car moves it creaks! it's driving me crazy!
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92 mx-3 gs klze 'race car' IP 15.05 @ 92.5mph
92 mx-3 gs klze 'daily driver' IP 14.55 @ 95.7mph
http://www.cardomain.com/id/Mooneggs
I'll grease em well. Anyway taking everything apart again would probably take 15 minutes now that all the bolts are cleaned up.Mooneggs wrote:All's you are doing is changing the bushings? If you are going to be using the SRD ones (nylatron) make sure you lube everything up really, really, well that touches those bushings (on the control arm and the car) with that moly grease (green gooey stuff) or else you will have horrible creaking!! I greased my control arm really well but not the part where it attaches and now I am going to have to take them off to grease that part!
Every time the car moves it creaks! it's driving me crazy!
- Gord
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry
1996 MX-3 GS-ZE 2.5L 5spd
KLZE+LSD / Headers / KL02 VAF / Clutchmasters stage-I / Fidanza 9lb flywheel / Eibach Pro Kit / Tokico HPs / Urethane bushings & mounts / SSR Comp-C 16x7 / General Exclaim UHP 205/45R16 / Wilwood 13" brakes / Whiteline rear swaybar / Carputer / Software Crossover / Infinity components+subs / 41hz Tripath Amp9 / Trunk SLA batt / Keyless entry