Removing Universial joints on front suspension

[Alf]

Hi all,

How can I remove the universial joints or do I need to get it pressed out? I even struggle to het them of the steering stem.

tx

 

[slickerthanyou]

Hi all,

How can I remove the universial joints or do I need to get it pressed out? I even struggle to het them of the steering stem.

tx

Well there not universal joints , just pressed in ball joints and tie rod ends. Using a tie rod fork usually splits the boot, What i use is a c-clamp i made just for this, but i also have taken a rubber mallet and gave it a few wacks with the castle nuts unscrewed about five turns or so, not really recomended but in a pinch it does work.

Also some A-arms have pinch bolts style too which all ya do is remove the bolt and they pull right off

 

[Larry's Shee]

Welcome!! I:I Universal joints ar on drive shafts. So you are talking about either the ball joints or tie rod ends. Remove the nut or on top joint the bolt and smack the side of the spindle with a hammer. Use a pickle fork as last resort as this will probably tear the boot.

Best thing to do is either buy a clymers manual, or there is a linc to down load.

 

[Blaner]

they can be troublesome, i use a ball joint puller which i grinded a little to fit better, be careful though when hammering...ALWAYS put a nut on the thread first but DONT use the castle nut, they are not as strong due to their shape, use another dummy nut or turn the castle nut upside down.

Also make sure the nut is on far enough, if not, the threaded bolt end will bend due to the holes thru it which make it weaker..

Bottom line: Hit with caution. check for damage every 3 blows or so. make sure the thread doesnt collapse or else you cant get the nut off again and the whole ball joint turns!

 

[Whitty21]

pickle fork is your best bet, tap around the outside of the spidle where they connet to try and loosen it up a bit

 

[blasterdemon7]

I had a hell of I time with mine. I ended up puting a scissor jack in between the a arms and cranking some good pressor on it. After doing that, one hit to the spindle popped them right out.

 

[Blaner]

that a good idea DD7! il log that in the memory bank

 

[Alf]

the manual talks about universial joints so i used the term to prevent confusion on the forum. tx though, i have tried to wack it a few times but no luck, i damaged the tread on one ball joint. will be patiant on this job. tx for advice.

 

[JonS]

i use a pickle fork when i do my ball joints. works well with a few stout taps from a 2lb sledge hammer on the spindle. comes apart fairly easy.

 

[DirtDiggler]

you should spray all the parts with PB Blaster brand penetrating lubricant . Let it soak for a couple days and then use a hammer to whack on the side of the spindle and it will jump right out , works great . The PB Blaster works its way between the spindle hole and ball joint shaft and helps loosen the bond . Give it a try .

 

[Blaner]

ok, for the damaged thread, get yourself a set of those little files, use the triangular one and carefully work the damaged section and file away the marks till you get it looking good and the nut turning easy. if the thread is bent...well that is a little more tricky...

 

[DirtDiggler]

you can also get a thread chaser , its basically a threading die , start it on the bad threads and clamp the lower portion of the joint with vice grips and re-thread the joint . I've tried the file trick , not a lot of luck to be had there.

 

[Blaner]

yes a thread die is your tool of choice but if you cant get hold of one, file is option B