Best tool for ball joints

[t100]

crowbar and BFH

 

[quattrojon]

Is it any different to the Trident one? I assume they're the same, there are a lot of identical looking ones out there. One difference is some have the rounded part of the slot polished. Mine doesn't.

It's had to put some real force on ratchets turning the pressure screw on really stuck ball-joint tapers, and it doesn't show any signs of wear.

Seems you can pay a lot or a little for what appears to be the same exact tool. I paid a little and i've never had a problem.

The Trident version looks more or less the same as the Franklin, probably both made in the same plant.

 

[mikeceli]

In the 30+ plus years that I've owned it I think I've used my pickle for twice. The day I bought it an old guy in the shop I was working at showed me how to pop them apart with a hammer and with those one or two exceptions I've never used any other approach.

The trick is to flex the tapered socket that the ball joint shaft goes into. If you hammer on the thinnest side of the part towards the heaviest you get the most deflection. If you use a large dead blow hammer they usually come apart with one or two hits. If you can't get at it from the correct angle you can usually hold a heavy hammer against one side while you whack the opposite side.

Thats how I was trained. never fails.

 

[Fubar]

I have three ball joint presses. One OTC, a Mac, and a hub shark kit. I use an impact gun on all three with the Mac seeing the most use (I use these for U joints also). I use them hard, no mercy, if they break....they break. No problems so far with any of them and the Mac is over fifteen years old....

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I have three ball joint presses. One OTC, a Mac, and a hub shark kit. I use an impact gun on all three with the Mac seeing the most use (I use these for U joints also). I use them hard, no mercy, if they break....they break. No problems so far with any of them and the Mac is over fifteen years old....

We're talking about ball joint separators, not presses.

 

[Fubar]

We're talking about ball joint separators, not presses.

Oh. People still use them???

Those destroy the boot and often times ruin the joint themselves. Obviously if you're replacing them, that's not a problem. But I never use forks. Take the nut off and whack the spindle right at the joint. The idea is to distort the shaft hole so as to pop the joint shaft out. Never failed yet....

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Oh. People still use them???

Those destroy the boot and often times ruin the joint themselves. Obviously if you're replacing them, that's not a problem. But I never use forks. Take the nut off and whack the spindle right at the joint. The idea is to distort the shaft hole so as to pop the joint shaft out. Never failed yet....

Uh... did you read any of the thread? The whole discussion is about different kinds of separators, not just pickle forks.

 

[Diesel_Crawler]

Works every time!

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/plasma/spectrum_625_x-treme/

 

[Fubar]

Uh... did you read any of the thread? The whole discussion is about different kinds of separators, not just pickle forks.

Yea, and I got this crossed with a thread in this same forum about the presses

So shoot me

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Works every time!

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/plasma/spectrum_625_x-treme/

I've had a few where the threads were rusty and the nut wouldn't come up, it just popped the taper and spun.

Solution:

And for those stuck track rods and lock nuts.. two pipe wrenches. One braced against the floor or chassis, the other to turn the rod/nut.

 

[Toolhorder]

Is it any different to the Trident one? I assume they're the same, there are a lot of identical looking ones out there. One difference is some have the rounded part of the slot polished. Mine doesn't.

It's had to put some real force on ratchets turning the pressure screw on really stuck ball-joint tapers, and it doesn't show any signs of wear.

Seems you can pay a lot or a little for what appears to be the same exact tool. I paid a little and i've never had a problem.

Moose where did you get that one you use?

 

[Toolhorder]

Forgot to mention. The newer version of the Honda one has a chain and round ring on it so if it pops and the tool falls it won't fall and hit you in the foot. It also has a sleeve that covers the ball joint threads.

 

[DIC]

BFH.... couple wacks

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Moose where did you get that one you use?

The first one, from eBay. It's the same as the OTC branded one. The second one is also from eBay, it's a Klann and is hard to find.

 

[goblue1998]

I replaced the drive shafts on a Honda Civic over the weekend. Had trouble separating the lower control arm ball joint.

AFTER I broke this:
http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-6985-tool-aid-61900.aspx

I bought this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=99849

The harborfreight tool was much better built and fit much better. It was also forged, where the first one I broke looked cast.

 

[tonydanzah]

I really want to try this

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[caper]

I've had a few where the threads were rusty and the nut wouldn't come up, it just popped the taper and spun.

The answer for when the stud is spinning in the bore is to put a jack under the control arm to use the weight of the car to seat the taper and then thread off the nut.

 

[dieseltech]

one smack with a good sized hammer on anything with a taper ,as for the pinch bolt type a pry bar works fine

 

[ourkid2000]

Great thread! More solid info from experienced people that I will use! I was always more curious how you actually get the ball joint itself out of the control arm? Maybe another thread should be started on that? Seems like a bit of a hassle to get them out.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I really want to try this

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Is that a wrench in between the hub and suspension link? I'll have to give that a try too sometime!

The answer for when the stud is spinning in the bore is to put a jack under the control arm to use the weight of the car to seat the taper and then thread off the nut.

That's what i do:

When the thread points down i give it a tap with a nylon hammer then i either jack up the hub and/or use a prybar to lever down on the ball joint. That usually works too. That said, i find that a good once-over with a wire brush and a shot of WD-40 tend to prevent it happening.



I'll upload the other pics/videos i have of the separators later, but here are some other pics for y'all:

Kent-Moore ball joint separator. This is good in confined spaces (IE some BMWs and Audis) where the thread points up. Put the nut on the end of the thread, so the very end of the thread pokes through the hole in the separator then tighten the pressure screw:

C-type ball joint separators:

In action, on a B6 Audi:

 

[walrus]

Looks like a craftsman ratchet? I can't figure how that works?

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Looks like a craftsman ratchet? I can't figure how that works?

Right you are.

Imagine taking a square and turning it into a parallelogram, you're just making the distance between the hub and the suspension link smaller, but the ratchet keeps the space the same, and forces the joint to pop.

 

[azotto]

My dad taught me the hammer method growing up. Only difference I see in his method was he used a 2 1/2 lb cross peen as a backer and the largest ball peen he had to strike. He always got them on the first try. Me, It takes me a couple of whacks

 

[superautobacs]

Is that a wrench in between the hub and suspension link? I'll have to give that a try too sometime!

That video has been around for at least 5 years on a Honda forum. The person wedged in either a 3/8" or 1/2" Craftsman ratchet handle and struck it with a BFH.


The C-type separators....
What's the pros and cons of those? Do they work better than the seesaw types?

 

[Moose-LandTran]

That video has been around for at least 5 years on a Honda forum. The person wedged in either a 3/8" or 1/2" Craftsman ratchet handle and struck it with a BFH.


The C-type separators....
What's the pros and cons of those? Do they work better than the seesaw types?

They all work on the same principle really, the C-type ones are just good in certain situations, where space is limited.

 

[walrus]

Right you are.

Imagine taking a square and turning it into a parallelogram, you're just making the distance between the hub and the suspension link smaller, but the ratchet keeps the space the same, and forces the joint to pop.

Thanks for that explanation, I get it cool trick for flat rate

 

[Scotto]

That video has been around for at least 5 years on a Honda forum. The person wedged in either a 3/8" or 1/2" Craftsman ratchet handle and struck it with a BFH.


The C-type separators....
What's the pros and cons of those? Do they work better than the seesaw types?

I just did the same thing on my WRX. Used a 1/2" ratchet handle. Worked fantastic.

 

[Professur]

In the 30+ plus years that I've owned it I think I've used my pickle for twice. The day I bought it an old guy in the shop I was working at showed me how to pop them apart with a hammer and with those one or two exceptions I've never used any other approach.

The trick is to flex the tapered socket that the ball joint shaft goes into. If you hammer on the thinnest side of the part towards the heaviest you get the most deflection. If you use a large dead blow hammer they usually come apart with one or two hits. If you can't get at it from the correct angle you can usually hold a heavy hammer against one side while you whack the opposite side.

I plum wore out a fork with a 2lbs hammer trying to free up a joint. Finally gave in,and drove it to a garage to have them do. The oldest guy in the shop naturally was the one to take it, didn't mind at all that I insisted on watching, provided I kept my pie hole shut while he was working. If I wanted to talk, there was a coffee can on his toolbox. Conversation was $5/min extra. He took one look at the mess I'd left he, didn't say a word, just turned and smiled at me, one hammer whack later the whole damn thing fell apart. Didn't cost me a dime, I was speechless.

I've still got that piece laying about somewhere, as a reminder ... always respect old mechanics. They didn't have the 40,000 tools we take for granted when they started. They used the most important one...the one between their ears.