LCA Ball Joint Stuck in Place

[TheCynicalCanuck]

So I'm trying to remove the passenger side lower control arm and I have all the bolts removed, the subframe connection bolts and the pinch bolt but I'm trying to remove the ball joint from the socket and it won't budge. I've gotten it about half way but I've been hammering on it for a good hour plus and it hasn't moved any further. Ideas?

[theWIFES_S70]

Pick up one of these if you can... They're about $20 at your neighborhood auto parts store.
Pitman Arm Puller


You can try to wedge in a large flat-head screwdriver or chisel in there, and pry it loose a little bit while you wail on it to free it. But if you can run to an auto parts store, it'll make things so easy. Good luck.

[TheCynicalCanuck]

Pick up one of these if you can... They're about $20 at your neighborhood auto parts store.
Pitman Arm Puller


You can try to wedge in a large flat-head screwdriver or chisel in there, and pry it loose a little bit while you wail on it to free it. But if you can run to an auto parts store, it'll make things so easy. Good luck.

Where exactly would you mount that too? There's no room above the ball joint cause the CV is in the way so I'm not really sure how that'd work.

[theWIFES_S70]

Opps, you're right... Sorry about that. Getting my suspension components mixed up...

You need a pickle fork.


Have you tried to wedge a screwdriver or a cold chisel in in between the space where the pinch bolt goes? All you'd need to do is get it to open a tiny little bit.

[TheCynicalCanuck]

That's what is going on

[theWIFES_S70]

Shove a screwdriver into this space, or a cold chisel.

ball_joint_p80.jpg (136.42 KiB) Viewed 3130 times

Don't go too crazy. You only need to crack it open a little. Seems like you've doused everything with PB Blaster or the like, which is good.

Are you reusing this ball joint or are you replacing it? (I see you have the coveted aluminum arms, jealous!) If you're replacing everything, tap all around. Even from the bottom a little bit. It's just a smidgen (or speckle?) of rust that's keeping it from falling. If not, well, you gotta take care of that ball joint since you'll be reusing... Pickle forks aren't good if you're going to reuse either.

[TheCynicalCanuck]

I unfortunately don't have anything to shove in there but I've tried using a pry bar and anything else long and narrow I have to pry it out and no dice. I'm not reusing it as the ball joint has gone lose.

Its all quite frustrating that it's half way out but won't move now, so I can't put everything back together.

[theWIFES_S70]

Tap up and down on the ball joint. All around. Have you tried to hit it loose by turning the rotor all the way towards the engine and getting your pry bar in top of the ball joint and tapping down and out? I wouldn't do that with a 20lb maul, but desperate times... Sorry man, I was there 2.5 yrs ago...

[erikv11]

Pickle fork is the tool of choice there. You should be able to borrow one for free from AutoZone or the like.

[polskamafia mjl]

With it that far out it should just slide out in my limited experience. The pickle fork normally would push down on the top of the stud that slides up into the steering knuckle. It looks like that stud is too far down for a pickle fork to work but spreading that gap open as suggested should be more than enough. I'm really surprised it's gotten hung up. Can you hammer straight down on the control arm itself near the ball joint to encourage it to slide out?

EDIT: Nvm, I was thinking of this when I said 'pickle fork:' https://tinyurl.com/y7xdrb2j

With an actual pickle fork you should be able to slide the two prongs in around the stud and use it as a pry bar to push down.