Replacing tension struts and ball joints today

[romeokc10]

Sorry you're having trouble, this is why I don't bother to screw around with front end components on any vehicles. Without the right tools you'll get yourself in a bind where you can't go back, IMHO it's easier and cheaper to pay my Indy mechanic and let him deal deal with that crap...lol!

[Bargain Bucket]

I had this issue. Like others have said, refit the arm (and put the nut back on the balljoint) and hit the hell out of the arm with a sledgehammer. I found it best to support the other end of the arm on an axle stand. The ball joint WILL come out like this but you do need to hit the arm VERY hard with a BIG sledgehammer.

[garrett.fell]

Originally Posted by garrett.fell

View from below with the tension strut removed.

Okay - I have an idea. I am going to run to the hardware store and get a couple studs that will screw into the two holes you see - maybe 3 inches long or so. Get a couple nuts for it as well. Take a small piece of angle iron (maybe 3-4 inches long?) and put three holes in it.

2 small ones to run the studs through - and one big one in the middle to run the big stud through.

Secure the angle iron to the studs with a couple nuts, then, use the original nut on the big stud to "pull" the joint out of the socket?

Worth a shot I guess.....

[garrett.fell]

Originally Posted by Bargain Bucket

I had this issue. Like others have said, refit the arm (and put the nut back on the balljoint) and hit the hell out of the arm with a sledgehammer. I found it best to support the other end of the arm on an axle stand. The ball joint WILL come out like this but you do need to hit the arm VERY hard with a BIG sledgehammer.

I just loosely re-installed the big-end in it's original position with the long-bolt and nut. You think releasing it from there makes a difference? Seriously willing to try anything at this point.....

[garrett.fell]

Okay. Maybe hitting it here is the right way to go. I was hitting it closer to the joint itself.

[garrett.fell]

Yeah baby!!!! Thanks for the tip!!!!

[Bargain Bucket]

Well I guess that's one way of supporting the other end of the arm. You may damage the long bolt though when you sledgehammer the arm. That's why I supported that end of the arm on an axle stand. That and the fact that I couldn't get a good swing with the sledgehammer with the arm in that position. Took about 5 hard bangs with the sledgehammer (and I mean a sledgehammer with a 4 foot handle) to get the balljoint out. That's after I'd spent an hour with pickle forks, air tools etc trying to bash the joint out from the top.

[Bargain Bucket]

Yay - good result.

Wear some safety shoes though dude. You could be in a world of pain with a mis-placed hit

[garrett.fell]

Originally Posted by Bargain Bucket

Yay - good result.

Wear some safety shoes though dude. You could be in a world of pain with a mis-placed hit

Bad habit - I know. Just ask me about the time I accidently kicked a drill that was laying on the floor and broke the little drill bit off in the top of my foot.

.....or the time I was welding and got some splatter on the top of my foot.

[garrett.fell]

Well - I am done! The first side took me many hours - but after I learned the proper technique with the BFH I had the other side done in maybe 20 minutes! The secret as suggested in this thread is to get the arm horizontal with the big-end supported by a jack stand - then you have plenty of swinging room with the BFH to really clobber it!!!

Thanks for the help. I can't wait to take it for a ride now!

As you can see - the old bushings were pretty much smoked after 110k miles! Hard to tell what kind of shape the ball joints were in though. I replaced them as well.