question about replacing the ball joint

[schuttie2002]

im currently in the middle of changing my drivers side ball joint, and i've encountered a little problem. I got the two nuts off the bolts that connect thru the control arm, and i got the nut off the 14 mm bolt that goes thru the knuckle. my problem is i cant get that 14 mm bolt out of the knuckle. it looks threaded so ive broken two 14 mm sockets trying to get it out, but my question is... is it threaded or do i just bang away at it to get it out. Thanks

[Tunes67]

You will need a pickle fork to seperate the ball joint from the knuckle most likely.. you can get them at any auto parts store.

Tunes67

[schuttie2002]

o yea one more thing. on the shop manual the bolt doesnt look threaded. right now its soaking in penetrating oil so ill have to get back to it in a few hours but please help me out if you've replaced ball joints before

[schuttie2002]

I have a pickle fork, and i've got it just about all the way in, and the thing still isnt budging which brings me back to that stupid 14mm bolt. will it just come out with a hard enough hit, or does it have to be unthreaded

[Tunes67]

Should just pop out with a good smack from a hard plastic hammer.. dont use a metal sledge or if thats all you have.. put a block of wood on the end of the 14mm and then hit the block of wood with the sledge.

Tunes67

[Custommx3]

Put some good ol PB blaster on that bolt, should help out a bit. Save my butt and my tools quite a few times.

[92GS_STL_MO]

if the 14 mm bolt is the one on the steering knuckle, stop wasting your sockets (hope they were craftsman or snap on or the like lol) you need to get the nut back on it and hit the nut, not the bolt and drive it out, then you can get a pickle fork and pry the ball joint out. If you look at the new ball joint you can see that it is notched all around the shaft where you put that pinch bolt back in. actually you may have a larger problem if you get that bolt to turn, towards the top of it, there are splines instead of threads (straight grooves going parallel to the bolt as opposed to the grooves running around the bolt diagonally) if you cant get it driven out with the nut on it you can use a punch or a screwdriver (one you dont care about) or a slightly smaller bolt. after you drive the bolt out you can probably just pull the BJ out (or if it is completely toasted you can always whack it with a hammer/mallet).

REMEMBER TO BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR TIE-ROD END it can really screw up an alignment if you accidently hit it with the hammer

PM me if you have more questions, I remember many hours of inventing swear words while I was working on my suspension

[tmac4t4]

[quote="92GS_STL_MO"]if the 14 mm bolt is the one on the steering knuckle, stop wasting your sockets (hope they were craftsman or snap on or the like lol) you need to get the nut back on it and hit the nut, not the bolt and drive it out, then you can get a pickle fork and pry the ball joint out. If you look at the new ball joint you can see that it is notched all around the shaft where you put that pinch bolt back in. actually you may have a larger problem if you get that bolt to turn, towards the top of it, there are splines instead of threads (straight grooves going parallel to the bolt as opposed to the grooves running around the bolt diagonally) if you cant get it driven out with the nut on it you can use a punch or a screwdriver (one you dont care about) or a slightly smaller bolt. after you drive the bolt out you can probably just pull the BJ out (or if it is completely toasted you can always whack it with a hammer/mallet).

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!! just broke a socket and was debating on breaking another trying to budge that damn bolt!!!

[wytbishop]

ummm...38+ months since the last post in this thread...I'm just saying.