Can't remove ball joint, '89 Subaru GL Hatch

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Trying to remove ball joint from an '89 Suby GL hatch, won't come loose
from either the top or the bottom.

Using instructions here:

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1e/73/70/0900823d801e7370/repairInfoPages.htm

and tried methods for Sedan Coupe, Loyale, XT, Wagon and Brat
and Legacy and Impreza sections.

The ball joint is 'upside down', that is, the ball part is mounted in the
steering knuckle and the stem (bolt) is in the lower control arm. I can't
get anything in to pry open the steering knuckle because the lower control
arm, brake line and sway bar are in the way. So I figured I'd press the
stem out, but that doesn't work either. I tried heating the bushing on the
control arm but that didn't help. A ball joint seperator was no help
either.

I put so much pressure on the press the bottom of the bolt mushroomed out
a little.

Any ideas?

 

[Comboverfish]

Trying to remove ball joint from an '89 Suby GL hatch, won't come loose
from either the top or the bottom.

Using instructions here:

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1e/73/70/0900823d801...

and tried methods for Sedan Coupe, Loyale, XT, Wagon and Brat
and Legacy and Impreza sections.

The ball joint is 'upside down', that is, the ball part is mounted in the
steering knuckle and the stem (bolt) is in the lower control arm. I can't
get anything in to pry open the steering knuckle because the lower control
arm, brake line and sway bar are in the way. So I figured I'd press the
stem out, but that doesn't work either. I tried heating the bushing on the
control arm but that didn't help. A ball joint seperator was no help
either.

I put so much pressure on the press the bottom of the bolt mushroomed out
a little.

Any ideas?

I presume that you have the knuckle off completely now? Otherwise I
don't understand the 'press' comment, unless you managed to get a
conventional on-car balljoint press mounted around all that shit in
the way.

You may want to try using an air hammer with (literally) a hammer head
shank attachment. Strike the cast iron around the pinch collar area
with the air hammer while attempting whatever pressing it is you are
doing. Also drench the area with penetrant beforehand.

Toyota MDT in MO

 

[johninKY]

You did remove the pinch bolt? What has always worked for me is a dull
cold chisel. Insert chisel in that parting in the hub and hit with
hammer. this spreads the hub enough for the joint to be removed. Don't
go crazy with the hammer. Too much pressure and the hub will crack.

 

[BlackHawk 96]

That is exactly the time you want to take that air hammer and put it
right on the end of the bolt you are tightening to press out the stem
(after you have heated up the bushing that the stem is in). if that
doesn't work, you can try to get some MASS "behind" (opposite the air
hammer) the bushing. I'm thinking an 8 lb (or as big as you can get)
sledge hammer resting on the "back side" of the control arm. You may
have to shorten the handle of the sledge. Handles are cheap. Having a
helper hold the sledge or whatever weight you can fit in there would
be really helpful. Another way you might be able to get some weight on
that bushing is by having a helper stand a heavy bar on the back side
of the control arm. Hopefully, with all that going on, you won't
break your press.

As a last resort, you can cut that sucker off with a torch and do the
stem removal on a bench vise with a sledge hammer.

BTW, this is mostly speculation as I haven't done what we're talking
about here. I'm just using general mechanical common sense.

GOOD LUCK! BlackHawk

 

[Marsh Monster]

Trying to remove ball joint from an '89 Suby GL hatch, won't come loose
from either the top or the bottom.

Using instructions here:

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1e/73/70/0900823d801...

and tried methods for Sedan Coupe, Loyale, XT, Wagon and Brat
and Legacy and Impreza sections.

The ball joint is 'upside down', that is, the ball part is mounted in the
steering knuckle and the stem (bolt) is in the lower control arm. I can't
get anything in to pry open the steering knuckle because the lower control
arm, brake line and sway bar are in the way. So I figured I'd press the
stem out, but that doesn't work either. I tried heating the bushing on the
control arm but that didn't help. A ball joint seperator was no help
either.

I put so much pressure on the press the bottom of the bolt mushroomed out
a little.

Any ideas?

=========
=========

Remove the brake line, sway bar, and detach the Lwr Cntrl. Arm from
the frame......

then use a chisel to open the gap in the spindle.....

(i'm ass u me ing.....you have the "pinch bolt" type
ball joint in the spindle...?? !! ??)


anywhooooo..........


IF....as you say..all those parts are in the way.....
take'm the fk outta the way...
me...i would'nt even hesitate if it was that big a pain
in the arse.

Then.....you can flip that cntrl arm upside down and use a
a bigarse 5 lb hammer to SLAM that stud out of the arm.
(brace the arm on both sides of the balljoint...a vise works
nicely)




anywhoooooo.....
that's what i'd do, if my $300 SnapOn air hammer didn't do
the trick with the pickle fork adaptor.

after all......the book only gives .3 to bleed the brakes....
and .3 to change out the sway bar bushings.....so what's the
big deal aye.





~:~
marsh
~:~

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

=========
=========

Remove the brake line, sway bar, and detach the Lwr Cntrl. Arm from
the frame......

then use a chisel to open the gap in the spindle.....

(i'm ass u me ing.....you have the "pinch bolt" type ball joint in the
spindle...?? !! ??)

THAT'S A VERY GOOD ASS-U-MPTION! (oops...CL off!)

anywhooooo..........


IF....as you say..all those parts are in the way..... take'm the fk outta
the way...
me...i would'nt even hesitate if it was that big a pain
in the arse.

Then.....you can flip that cntrl arm upside down and use a a bigarse 5 lb
hammer to SLAM that stud out of the arm. (brace the arm on both sides of
the balljoint...a vise works nicely)

This is pretty much exactly what I was thinking...and at this point it
probably wouldn't have taken as long!

anywhoooooo.....
that's what i'd do, if my $300 SnapOn air hammer didn't do the trick with
the pickle fork adaptor.

Pickle fork didn't do sh!t...

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

I presume that you have the knuckle off completely now? Otherwise I don't
understand the 'press' comment, unless you managed to get a conventional
on-car balljoint press mounted around all that shit in the way.

See the pics in the like under Legacy and Impreza. That's what I used
(Pitman arm remover...?)

You may want to try using an air hammer with (literally) a hammer head
shank attachment. Strike the cast iron around the pinch collar area
with the air hammer while attempting whatever pressing it is you are
doing. Also drench the area with penetrant beforehand.

Toyota MDT in MO

Did the penetrating oil thing...

 

[jor]

Trying to remove ball joint from an '89 Suby GL hatch, won't come loose
from either the top or the bottom.

Using instructions here:

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1e/73/70/0900823d801e7370/repairInfoPages.htm
and

tried methods for Sedan Coupe, Loyale, XT, Wagon and Brat
and Legacy and Impreza sections.

The ball joint is 'upside down', that is, the ball part is mounted in the
steering knuckle and the stem (bolt) is in the lower control arm. I can't
get anything in to pry open the steering knuckle because the lower control
arm, brake line and sway bar are in the way. So I figured I'd press the
stem out, but that doesn't work either. I tried heating the bushing on the
control arm but that didn't help. A ball joint seperator was no help
either.

I put so much pressure on the press the bottom of the bolt mushroomed out
a little.

Any ideas?

Here's a couple of photos of how I take them out (this is a 4X4 Chevy).
jor

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

Trying to remove ball joint from an '89 Suby GL hatch, won't come loose
from either the top or the bottom.

Have you tried the trick with two hammers, where you hit the arm
holding the ball joint on the left and right sides simultaneously,
pretty hard, while the ball joint puller (pusher?) is applying
pressure? Whack, whack, tighten the puller a bit, whack, whack,
tighten some more, and eventually the ball joint comes out joint pops
out, probably with a bang. This was the only thing that worked for me
with stuck ball joints, and I've read of people doing this with the
hammers alone.

 

[Mike Romain]

Hachiroku ãƒãƒãƒ­ã‚¯ wrote:
I can't

get anything in to pry open the steering knuckle because the lower control
arm, brake line and sway bar are in the way.

Any ideas?

Yup, I would simply turn the steering wheel all the way to the side so
the pry joint turns with the knuckle and becomes accessible and then pry
it's ears open so the ball joint will fall out.

You need to cut the steering both ways on some vehicles so you can get a
wrench on the parts, it is not unusual.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Hachiroku ãƒãƒãƒ­ã‚¯ wrote:
I can't
Yup, I would simply turn the steering wheel all the way to the side so the
pry joint turns with the knuckle and becomes accessible and then pry it's
ears open so the ball joint will fall out.

This was my second thought, Sunday morning...

I hit the thing with a drift wedge so hard I thought I was going to knock
the steering knuckle off the car...

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Have you tried the trick with two hammers, where you hit the arm holding
the ball joint on the left and right sides simultaneously, pretty hard,
while the ball joint puller (pusher?) is applying pressure? Whack, whack,
tighten the puller a bit, whack, whack, tighten some more, and eventually
the ball joint comes out joint pops out, probably with a bang. This was
the only thing that worked for me with stuck ball joints, and I've read of
people doing this with the hammers alone.

I did try this and then stuck the 'pickle fork' under the BJ and tried
prying it out...No Go...

I didn't try the hammer bit. There ain't a lot of room and the sway bar
and the brake hose take up a lot of real estate under there...

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Trying to remove ball joint from an '89 Suby GL hatch, won't come loose
from either the top or the bottom.

Using instructions here:

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1e/73/70/0900823d801e7370/repairInfoPages.htm
and

tried methods for Sedan Coupe, Loyale, XT, Wagon and Brat and Legacy
and Impreza sections.

The ball joint is 'upside down', that is, the ball part is mounted in
the steering knuckle and the stem (bolt) is in the lower control arm. I
can't get anything in to pry open the steering knuckle because the lower
control arm, brake line and sway bar are in the way. So I figured I'd
press the stem out, but that doesn't work either. I tried heating the
bushing on the control arm but that didn't help. A ball joint seperator
was no help either.

I put so much pressure on the press the bottom of the bolt mushroomed
out a little.

Any ideas?

Here's a couple of photos of how I take them out (this is a 4X4 Chevy).
jor

Hmmm...can't get a clamp in there while it's on the car...

Looks like I'll have to take that side of the steering gear apart...

 

[Bruce L. Bergman]

I did try this and then stuck the 'pickle fork' under the BJ and tried
prying it out...No Go...

I didn't try the hammer bit. There ain't a lot of room and the sway bar
and the brake hose take up a lot of real estate under there...

You are wise to be leery, Timothy... (Bonus points for the quote.)

You don't go for the Big (bleep)ing Hammer with sensitive stuff in
the general area, because as sure as Murphy codified the Laws, the
hammer head will bounce off what you are trying to hit and be
magically attracted right to the stuff that shatters with a tap and
costs tons to fix. Or worse, you only bruise the brake hose and don't
notice it - and it only fails when you stab the brakes hard on the
first real panic stop. Not a real comforting feeling when your foot
sinks to the floor...

That's why they invented the Pickle Fork prybar and made the round
end hammerable, you keep the hammer well out of the danger zone.
That, or the air chisel, because it tends to stay where you put it.

--<< Bruce >>--

 

[Mike Romain]

This was my second thought, Sunday morning...

I hit the thing with a drift wedge so hard I thought I was going to knock
the steering knuckle off the car...

You do realize this joint 'falls out' in a 'downward' direction when the
clamp ears are simply spread apart?

This means you have to pry or have the bolt out of the bottom part first.

I think maybe you are mixing up directions on that webpage...

Quote:

#5 Loosen and remove the castle nut.

#6 Separate the ball joint stud from the lower control arm using a
suitable tool.

End Quote.

A 3' or 4' crow bar is a 'suitable tool' and would pop it out by prying
down on the control arm and up on the knuckle. Pushing 'up' on the bolt
will only mushroom the bolt so you now have to cut the bolt end off or
it won't fit....

Then you cut the tires to the side to give swing clearance and hammer a
screwdriver or cold chisel into the crack in the knuckle after the clamp
bolt has been 'removed' completely and the sucker (ball joint) will fall
out.

I have done one of those type and found it dead easy to do.