I have been trying to break the ball joint loose for 2 days now, but cannot get it.

I am trying to get the lower control arm, upper control arm and coil spring apart. I loosened the nuts on the brake part and have a coil spring compressor, but I cannot separate the ball joints. I have beat on it and have a pickle fork with an air chizel and it still will not separate.

Has anyone had this problem with a suggestion on how to get it apart?

thanks

Put the nuts back on the balljoints. Leave them a few turns loose. Take the coil spring compressor off. Let the front coil help you. Smack the spindle with a hammer, right where the boiljoint goes through. You may have to give it a couple of really good whacks. May even have to apply heat with a small propane torch. Hitting the spindle and using the coil spring will work ten times better than a pickle fork. Also is your pickle fork wide enough to go around the the balljoint? If you have a new balljoint slide it on to make sure. It may be one designed for tierod ends, etc. and is too small for a balljoint.

Put the nuts back on the balljoints. Leave them a few turns loose. Take the coil spring compressor off. Let the front coil help you. Smack the spindle with a hammer, right where the boiljoint goes through. You may have to give it a couple of really good whacks.

My brother was a professional mechanic for years. That's how we took all of them apart. It should just pop right apart with a couple of good whacks.

The method above is the only one I have ever used. Might add that it seems to work better if you try to hit the joint as straight from the back as possible, i.e. from the engine compartment and out. The control arms tend to flex less that way, and it gives you a better impact. BTW, when I say "hammer", I'm talking about a BFH, not a 16 oz or something. You need the heaviest hammer you can hold with one hand. I removed a set of spindles from my -69 this way a while ago. They had been on the car since 1969, and they popped loose after 2-3 good whacks.

If that doesn't work, use two hammers, and use one of them as an "anvil" on the opposite side. Of course, you'll have to work from the sides if you do that.

If you're going to remove the lower control arm, you don't need the spring compressor for this step of the process. I usually let the car rest on some leftover pieces of 6x6 or whatever I have laying around, and I put them under the control arms as close to the spindle as possible. I feel safer that way, not having to rely on the spring compressor while I'm pounding on the spindle.
And yes, you will notice that it takes some good aim... don't hit the nut on the ball joint, or you might bend the bolt.

Keep in mind that you still have to get the nut off after the joint is loose. This can be a real pain if you've messed up the threads from hitting it. I like to put the castle nut flush with the top of the joint and hit it hard and keep something under the lower control arm with a little gap just in case.

GOOD LUCK and don't forget safety glasses.

Keep in mind that you still have to get the nut off after the joint is loose. This can be a real pain if you've messed up the threads from hitting it. I like to put the castle nut flush with the top of the joint and hit it hard and keep something under the lower control arm with a little gap just in case.

I always turned the nut over and put it back on flush. Just cheap insurance that you don't screw up the threads and then not be able to get the nut off.
It also insures that you don't pinch the nut at the castles for the cotter pin.

Keep in mind that you still have to get the nut off after the joint is loose. This can be a real pain if you've messed up the threads from hitting it.

Ummm
Dont hit the nut, or the stud, ever. Keep the nuts on correctly... just loose. The castle side is not as strong, so should not be reversed for this procedure.

Hit the cast iron knuckle/spindle, at the taper where the stud goes thru, as others stated.

If the anvil trick doesn't work, there is a puller/press tool made to seperate them from the knuckle (I'm not talking about a ball joint press or a pickle fork).

Thanks,
I will try these procedures tomorrow and hopefully get them loose.

Ummm
Dont hit the nut, or the stud, ever. Keep the nuts on correctly... just loose. The castle side is not as strong, so should not be reversed for this procedure.

Hit the cast iron knuckle/spindle, at the taper where the stud goes thru, as others stated.

If the anvil trick doesn't work, there is a puller/press tool made to seperate them from the knuckle (I'm not talking about a ball joint press or a pickle fork).

I was not suggesting to try and drive it out by hitting the stud. Sorry that I did not make that clear. However, I have sometimes missed and hit the stud from the side. That's why I flip the nuts.

BTW, I got them loose today. Thanks for all the suggestions.