[arizonian]

For various reasons, I need to separate the lower left control arm from the steering knuckle. What has failed so far:

Wedge between control arm and knuckle.

Wedge between control arm and knuckle with heat.

Wedge between control arm and knuckle with heat and banging on castle nut.

Well, the hot wrench is my freind, so I'll seperate them thataway, then replace the balljoint.

What has failed so far:

Removing the front pivot bolt does not work due to lack of room between frame and cast iron motor/transmission "girdle.

Removing mount screws and jacking motor/tranny due to cast iron hitting body.

What am I missing? Why won't the ball joint separate from the lower control arm?

Slightly different problem, but related: Is the inner CV joint boot a dealer item only?

Many thanks in advance.

Bill

 

[danhasenauer]

Wow! I thought they only seized like that up here in the Salt Belt! I used a pitman arm type tool to separate that joint on my 96. Cranked on it until I knew it was exerting a lot of force, then heated and beat the whole thing with a BFH until it popped. Rented tool from Advance Auto Parts.

PS 96 LX's rock, almost every option out of the box. Mine has leather, car phone, moonroof and full size spare too. Wish it had an Arizona body!

 

[arizonian]

First problem solved!!

I beat the holy heck out of the wedge... and separated the body of the ball joint from the ball itself. Now I can put my freind the hot wrench to work getting the stud out of the hole. Can you say oxy-acetylene, class?

I might as well do the right side while I am at it.

'96 rocks! Some days I wish I had leather, than I think of the brutal summers here and am glad for cloth.

Bill

 

[MrBooMY]

I had this same problem on my car rescently. I was using the proper ball joint tool WITH a 200lb ft impact and it STOPPED the impact before it popped. I whipped out a propane torch and put the heat to it for a GOOD 45 seconds before it popped. It actually left little dents in the control arm from the tool it was putting so much pressure on the ball joint. It was a new ball joint as well, so I really didn't want to replace it. I still will soon enough, the heat melted a small hole into the boot on the ball joint.