Orca89 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Here it is... the one spot where the lower control arm is still attached to the car. I've hammered on it nine ways from sunday, and it hasn't budged. I've liberally doused it in PB blaster, and it just won't drop. Any ideas? Once it drops, I just have to get the ball joint out, then put the new one in, and bolt on the new control arm. Help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpearce1974 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 BFH and ball joint seperater! Also you can try putting a different nut on it and put jack on nut, then try lowering car on it! It works about 50% of time for me! Also you can try putting pressure on it with jack then beat it! You should be used to beating things by now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orca89 Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 You should be used to beating things by now! Oof, yeah... no kidding. I know why people want to be mechanics now, they get to beat the living S*** out of things... Well, my hands are now numb, but the rest of the arm is off of the car. It's got more dents than a golfball, but it's off. now I've got to get the ball joint out. Looks like it has to lift up and out, please tell me I don't have to take the whole assembly apart just to get it past the axel... I'm gonna go give it a shot... wish me luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpearce1974 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Oof, yeah... no kidding. I know why people want to be mechanics now, they get to beat the living S*** out of things... Well, my hands are now numb, but the rest of the arm is off of the car. It's got more dents than a golfball, but it's off. now I've got to get the ball joint out. Looks like it has to lift up and out, please tell me I don't have to take the whole assembly apart just to get it past the axel... I'm gonna go give it a shot... wish me luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TS John Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I does look like some diassembling is in your future there... Sucks... Do new front control arms not come with new ball joints? I just always assumed you could replace them all as one unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orca89 Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 I does look like some diassembling is in your future there... Sucks... Do new front control arms not come with new ball joints? I just always assumed you could replace them all as one unit. They're seperate parts, the upper control arms are all one piece, but when you replace the lower control arm, you have to replace the ball joint as well. Granted, mine was shot anyway, but it's a pain... I don't even have a socket big enough for the axle nut, so I'm stuck until my buddy gets off work... hopefully he has one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TS John Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Sounds like a pain. Still, better to replace it all at once than bit by bit and do all the disassembly/reassembly every time. You don't have an adjustable wrench you can use (albeit inefficiently) till you can undo it the rest of the way by hand? Or you're not in walking/biking distance from a hardware store? Both are key ingredients to pretty much every time I work on my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orca89 Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 I'm a fair distance from the hardware store, but I'm putting it back together sans new ball joint, driving over to my buddy's house, and taking it back apart. It's a bit of a pain, 'cause it's hard to muscle the control arm around while lying on your back with 3 inches of space above your nose... Anyway, back to work... oh happy day... :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kastigir Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Ball joint press. You can *borrow* one from Autozone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmgogo Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 pickle fork Just pulled mine today, took 30 seconds once i had the bolt off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpearce1974 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 pickle fork Just pulled mine today, took 30 seconds once i had the bolt off. But you is a manly man! Plus should have a manly BFH too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orca89 Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 But you is a manly man! Plus should have a manly BFH too! Indeed... BFH on the LFCA FTW(sorry, couldn't resist). My head is still ringing, as are my hands, but it's off. Unfortunately, The ball joint for steering is in bad shape as well... Guess I'll have to replace that a few months down the road... I just need to replace everything in the front wheel wells like I did the back... then maybe it'll actually cooperate when repairs are needed. Anyway, the LF wheel is centered again, the car gets aligned on friday, and I can finally stop driving with a crooked steering wheel... Now for that 3 page paper I was supposed to write yesterday when I was working on my car instead... Oh, and next time, I'm using a pickle fork and a mini-sledge. There's a BFH for you. I'd use a full sledge, but this ain't an F150 with a wheel well you can just about stand in when it's up on jacks. (we were replacing ball joints in one of those last night as well.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cranny Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 i got a trick for you noobs , lol. heres what you do. once the car is up on stands and supported. use your jack under the lower control arm not getting in the way of the balljoint and put a load on the suspension. once its jacked up , put a big wrench or similar matel tool big enough to fll the gap tight in between the lower control arm and the spindle. than simply let the jck down. POP. your welcome , lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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