doe70 Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 gday, does anyone have any unique ideas on how to get a ball joint to release from steering arm. im trying to take out power steering front ram but cannot get this thing to release, tried bashing with two hammers, supporting arm with jack and hitting down onto pin/nut, didnt want to but might need heat. any tricks of trade appreciated. cheers ellis Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30259-removing-ball-joint-from-steering/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
39 Baby Mack Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 I'd soak the hell out of it with PB Blaster with the nut loose, then smack the side of the arm where the tapered part of the ball joint fits into.Between alternately doing this and using an air hammer driving down on the stud it should come loose.I definitely wouldn't use any heat!Ron Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30259-removing-ball-joint-from-steering/#findComment-168947 Share on other sites More sharing options...
doe70 Posted March 2, 2013 Author Share Posted March 2, 2013 Ive soaked it with crc on and off for two days, i dont have an air hammer and in fact am not sure what one is, have heard of them but. i borrowed a ball wedge from local mech but was a fraction too small. have tried belting arm from all angles/sides but without luck. the ram behind axle, when i tried to remove nut from ball - broke two of my half inch drives, i gave up and took whole bracket off instead. ill resoak again o/n and have round 12 with it - see if it gives in morning. i know heats a no no but am running out of puff. cheers Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30259-removing-ball-joint-from-steering/#findComment-168956 Share on other sites More sharing options...
41chevy Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 39 BabyMack solution is Standard procedure, that or the correct "pickle fork" or wedge to remove it. Paul Quote "OPERTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK" Thomas Edison “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit, what a ride!’” P.T.CHESHIRE Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30259-removing-ball-joint-from-steering/#findComment-169110 Share on other sites More sharing options...
doe70 Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 i kept at it for hours and no go, so undid arm and put it in a 20t press, bang out it shot.. i shoulda done that in the first place.... cheers Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30259-removing-ball-joint-from-steering/#findComment-169785 Share on other sites More sharing options...
39 Baby Mack Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Glad you got it out!Ron Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30259-removing-ball-joint-from-steering/#findComment-169806 Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKS Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Whats wrong with using a little heat? Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30259-removing-ball-joint-from-steering/#findComment-169832 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mack Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Whats wrong with using a little heat?if you can measure "little"....!!!!standard industry practice is not to apply heat to any steering component, there are specs in some manuals that allow up to a certain temperature which can be measured with special pencils, but generally most will not know how much they are applying. Heat from a gas axe tends to be concentrated and creates metalurgy differences in isolated points that may tend to crack or become brittle. I've seen views from electron microscopes of heated parts discected and it is certainly obvious. More of a standard practice in airliner maintenance but the science is the same.if I inspect a vehicle and find evidence of such burn marks I fail the vehicle and it then is out of service pending repair or replacement of parts. I have heard of the same being done by DOT road side inspectors.will you have a failure of a steering part at 60mph after you heat it up?... probably not, but it has happened and therefore is no longer a practice... our machine shop has the capability to bake and return to service some items we repair that have received heat beyond the manual, an example would be spindles where the inner bearing was excessively heated or someone use a gas axe to melt the rollers off, but it is an engineered repair not someones best guess.hope that explainsBC Mack Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30259-removing-ball-joint-from-steering/#findComment-170049 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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