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Ball joints in upper control arms

P

peakandscoot

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I bought the socket and sprayed and soaked in penetrating oil overnight but even with a cheater bar oi cant seem to break the ball joint free. I know its been together for 55 years but its been in the garage for 50. Does any one have an experience removing and whats the trick?
 
I have put in alot of those in my day. Make sure the socket is on the ball joint nice and tight, because the best way I have found is the way you're doing it. I have had to use cheater pipes 4 or 5 feet long with another person on it to help pull and steady the socket. It will come loose, you just have be patient. Spray it with penetrant and hit it a few times with a 2 or 3 pound hammer in between tries with breaker bar to help loosen the threads. It will come, believe me. You just have to be meaner than it is, LOL. Usually once you get it turned a couple full turns a 1/2 inch impact will get it the rest of the way. And make sure it is completely bottomed out when re-installing. Good luck. Marv.
 
I've done a lot of these too but I use a good impact wrench. After a good cleaning and soaking the snot out of them, the impact goes on. They generally move a bit and stop. At that point, the impact gets reversed and then when it stops, reserve the impact again. Usually, they will move a lot more and stop again. Repeat the process until they come out. Use plenty of lube until done.
 
Check and make sure previous owner didn't tack weld them.
I use a torque multiplier on them when they are really stuck
 
Coffee usually helps when the output is weak.....
 
20161016_171441.jpg
 
Yeah, Torque Multiplier. Used these at my job. Great piece of equipment if you can get your hands on one for a decent price! I also like to use heat to reduce the fit on the
ball-joint before spinning them out. They've been in there for a long time! Anything to break up the rust in the threads. Good luck!
 
I've actually used a grinder and ground the top of the ball joint off and taken the guts out of it.
I leave the flats. Then heat and oil.
This seems to let the heat work better.
But I have the UCA out of the car for a complete front end rebuild.
 
A big, quality impact and a bit of heat and they'll come right out.
 
Impact, one thread at at time. Going in seemed to be almost as hard as coming out. Not getting them cross threaded (and convincing yourself they are not cross threaded as they go in so damn hard) is tricky.
 
Is the UCA in the car or on the bench? It always seems easier to do when it is mounted in the car. Besides that, no secret tricks. Just keep at it with the pipe. If it isn't tack welded it will break loose. I have popped them loose with the pipe then hit them with the impact and sometimes they move verrrrrrrrry slow.
 
Those threads are really shallow and easy to cross thread.

However, on all the ones I've done, they all screw in by hand at least a full turn when putting them back in.

If not, something is wrong.

Someone tack welding them is not unheard of, but you should be able to see the blobs.

If there aren't any, Cranky's impact fwd/rev cycle should eventually get it.
 
Thanks for all the support. They are out of the car because of fresh paint. I know they are not welded. I will keep working with them and find a friend with a torch.
20161011_135601.jpg
oil cheater bars and heat.
 
So you don't have the weight of the car to work against.

I'd still put the UCA in a vice and try an impact.

That impact motion works all sorts of rust particles out of the way, and the fwd/rev alternation gives it more room to move with every switch.
 
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