I released the top and bottom ball joint nuts about 3/16 each, and with the wheel off the car, and the lower control arm NOT supported, I was able to knock on the upper ball joint and get it to release. The lower ball joint however is not releasing from the lower control arm. Tried lots of banging, and even tried an old-fashioned ball-joint separator tool without success.

Any tips? I'm really stuck and I need to get the car ready for CB05.

Thanks

Too easy, go down to a good hardware supply and get a fine thread 5/8" or 3/4" shank bolt and nut that is just a bit shorter than the distance between the upper and lower ball joint ends. Thread the nut on the bolt, put some flat stock between the bolt end and the lower ball joint. Then thread the bolt out to act as an inside press. The nut should be on one side of the flat stock and the reluctant ball joint end on the other.

Safety first: Make sure you have a coil spring compressor mounted inside - some of those lower control arms are under a LOT of coil spring pressure.

Thomas

Sometimes a 2nd hammer resting against the other side of the spindle will have an effect when you whack it from the other side.

I'm not taking about using a hammer your wife/girlfiend hangs pictures with. I have a 2 lb and a 3 lb sldedge that works these stubborn joints loose.

Make sure your pickle fork is big enough to go around the pin on the joint and is not a tie-rod-end fork.

DG

Bigger hammer and hit it harder. Sometimes they can really try your upper body strength before "popping" loose.

The lower ball joint however is not releasing from the lower control arm.

Not releasing from the lower control arm or spindle ?
Need to press it out of the control arm, not hammer it out.

Thanks for the replies, but I had to bail on the lower ball joint last night as it was getting late, and I absolutely HAD to get the upper bushings installed. Since I'm going to go at it again maybe tonight, I wanted to respond:

Dean, you caught me with a typo, I was trying to get it to release from the spindle.

DG I was using a 3lb sledge, and if I'd have hit it any harder, I was worried I'd break something. I'd moved the sway bar and inside tie-rod support (the C-shaped bar that bolts to the spindle) out of the way, and was whacking on that puppy pretty good. Obvious dents in it now. I hit down on the lower control arm a couple times, but not nearly as hard, just trying to see if I could loosen things up. The pickle-fork was for ball joints, I learned that lesson 30 years ago. Unfortunately I still managed to TEAR the rubber boot D***IT.

dennis68; My log splitter wouldn't fit under the car.

Bomber67: I'm gonna try your suggestion. I think I have the image of the setup you describe. If I could find a fine-thread long nut ("spacer" nut) could I thread the bolt into the long nut, and then thread the other side of the long nut onto the end of the upper ball joint? I'd be able to back the bolt out and press it against the top of the lower ball joint. Is this about the same setup?

Sometimes a 2nd hammer resting against the other side of the spindle will have an effect when you whack it from the other side.

I'm not taking about using a hammer your wife/girlfiend hangs pictures with. I have a 2 lb and a 3 lb sldedge that works these stubborn joints loose.

DG

I have never used any other tools to do this than two BFH's as described above. It usually pops loose after two-three good whacks. I took the spindles off my -69 not too long ago. They had been on the car since 1969 so I expected the worst, but it only took two whacks per ball joint.

Have you tried it with two hammers? That's what usually makes the difference.

There is already a tool specifically made to do what Bomber explained. It's basically like a pitman arm puller, but made for ball joints. There's one for tie-rods too. I have never used one. I do the 2hammer method... 2 4lb sledges.

I bought some spindles once from a guy who used a torch to heat the spindle... wish I had not bought them. They released from the ball joint, but were damaged.

You do not need to thread it onto anything - it just needs to be able to expand and push the lower ball joint out of the spindle. To do that you just need a fixed point opposite the point you want to move. There are a lot of variations on this idea. Basically you are using it as an inside out press.

Your lower ball joint sounds like it is really in there. You may need to do a combo with an inside out press and a little hammer work on the side. you might even fire it up with a torch.

Thomas

I saw Sam Memollo on "Two Guys Garage" use bombers method to pop the ball joints free of the spindle,cept they didn,t use the spring compressor.Worked quick,although who knows if they rehearse it before they film it.

If you have compressed air. Try a pickle fork attachment on an air hammer.

just in case you decide that you want to buy a tool ...
http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/OTC-6295.html
this place has some good prices on quality tools.