87 4x4 Steering Parts Hindering Ball Joint Replacement

go to autozone store and rent the right puller. they will refund your money when you return it. old john

I rented the ball joint puller but, what tool is available to pry the steering arm from the spindle?

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net wrote:

Got it. I removed the connecting rod from the steering arm (leaving the steering arm on the spindle). The machine shop guy was able to press the new ball joints into the spindle despite the steering arm.

Thanks for the suggestions.

jake292 wrote:

Basically you need to "break" it loose and a good smack that sets up a vibration in the metal can do the trick when a steady pressure will not. Set it on the jack again (resting steering arm on it under pressure) and give the arm a really strong whack of two (arm itself) neaxt to wear it contact hub assembly and be prepared for it to pop loose. (the bigger the hammer the better with a 2lb one or so being best

You are not going to pull it with a puller, use my method above. I know it looks like hammer mechanics but it is not. It works on the theory that when the metal is struck hard it set up a short sharp vibration in the metal the distorts and breaks the contact are between the parts. If you hit it correctly the to seperate masses with try to "vibrate" from the shock at different frenquecies and if the energy level (resonate vibration level diferentail) is high enough, the bond will break. This is why taking a hammer to something can do wonders sometimes. It will need one of 2 sharp heavy blows. For year I have easily seperated even the most subborn tie rod ends with no fuss or prying that can damage boots. My trick here is you take a 2 or 3 pound hammer and rest it against one side of the eye the end is through and hit the other side of the eye with one or two hard smacks with a 20 to

24oz hammer. It works every time It is all about the physics of impact/vibration energy transmission in metal parts.