I have read the posts from the past and tried everything I can to remove upper arm AND lower arm from the spindle to take to the machine shop for bushings pressed in. Both ball joints are stuck. Next I said ok forget it, i'll just take the whole thing (upper, lower arms and spindle) to the machine shop and let them deal with it. Now I can't get the upper arm disconnected from the frame. The lower arm is disconnected except for the lower ball joint. The upper is still completely connected. Obviously I have the castle nuts off both ball joints but is there a step I'm missing after that? I figure it is just really stuck.
By the way this is a 69.
Jeff

Do you have a spring compressor on the coil spring???

I hope for your safety you have the spring contained in some manner. Assuming you do, all you need is a ball joint separator aka "pickle fork" and a 3lb hammer. A couple of smacks and they will pop loose.

Did I mention you need to use a spring compressor? graemlins/clonk.gif

It is much easier to do this with the springs installed and under pressure. When I did mine I loosened the castle nuts about 1/2 turn. Used a small sledge and a pickle fork to break them loose, compressed the spring, and took it all apart. The pressure helps pop it loose.

We are woried about you.
:(
This is a very dangerous operation you are attempting. :eek:

Jack up the car and support it on stands. Throw the tires under the car to help keep it off you if it falls.

Remove both front shocks and stabilizer links.

Remove the caliper or wheel cylinder lines or just make a pair of hooks out of welding rod or coat hangars. You will need them at spindle removal time.

Loosen the upper ball joint nut just a few turns but keep it on the stud. Use a BFH to hit the outside of the spindle where the stud is. It will pop with a few good hard whacks.

Now loosen the lower ball joint nut just a few turns but do not remove it. Hit the spindle in the area of the stud and it will pop out with a few whacks. You should have a chain looped through the coil spring and around the subframe to contain the spring as it wants to fly out of there at MACH 1 speed and incredible force! Put a floor jack under the bottom of the lower ball joint and jack it up just enough to get the tension off the nut. Carefully remove the nut from the upper ball joint and remove the upper A-frame nuts, shims (note where they came from)and a-frame assembly.

Now, remove the nut from the lower ball joint and carefuly remove the spindle or just hang it up with wire. Do not let the brake hoses get any stress on them.

Here is the scaryest part :eek: ...the spring needs to be chained to the subframe as was stated earlier as it will want to explode out of there. You should slowly and carfully lower the hydraulic jack to get the spring out. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! graemlins/angry.gif

Once the jack is down and the sping is out, you can remove the 2 bolts holding in the lower a-frames.

I know I sound like your mother and all but IMHO this is by far the most dangerous part of automotive disasembly. Please feel free to ask for more clarification. smile.gif

-Mark.

Guys...
I'm fine. At the time of the initial post the spring were already SAFELY removed from the car (yes I chained them up to the control arm and used the jack). I am following the chilton manual which I think stinks and it said to remove the coils first.
Where can I get a ball joint separator? Local autoparts store or is it a special order piece?
Updates tomorrow...
jeff graemlins/beers.gif

You can get a pickle fork at any auto parts store or try Harbor Freight if there is one near you. There are two sizes, smaller for the upper ball joint and somewhat larger for the lower. Get both, you will need them!

You can get the balljoint pickle fork for free from auto parts stores like AutoZone. They'll loan it to you, ya pop the joints, then take it back. If you decide you like it and want to keep it, they'll let you know how much it is and you just pay them for the fork.
Neat deal!
;)

I'm still trying to find a store that sells the tools. I'll post when I get um and give um a try.
Also, I saw what I thought was a similar tool the other day at home depot buying home repair stuff. Is there anything generic I could look into?
jeff

Well, ya want the right size jaws. One that'll fit pretty close around the balljoint shaft.
There isn't a NAPA, AutoZone, PepBoys or Advance Auto Parts in your area? They all sell or loan them out. At least around here they do.
If the one(s) you saw at Home Depot will fit properly, pick one up!

Well, guess I just wasted $30 at advance auto parts. I bought a kit that came with 3 different size forks, and 2 heavy duty screw in handles one for a hammer and one for an air hammer. I got 1 of 4 off. Any body around Northern VA got an air compressor w/ air chisle attachment???? haha yeah right...
So now what do I do? I took a sledge to it and nothing. I can't take it to the machine shop either cause it is stuck to the car. This is UNBELIEVEABLE :mad: .
Jeff

:eek:
Holy crap! Get a bigger sledge?? I dunno now.

Maybe try putting a torch to the spindle ends and expanding them, then try the Fork & Sledge game again.
Good luck!!!!

Why are the studs in so tight anyway? Am I going to have this much trouble reinstalling the spindle?
I'll try the torch thing
Could I cut the stud off then drill it out?
I bought the replacement bushing/ball joint kit from energy suspension but I think I have to reuse parts. I won't understand until it comes out.
jeff

Ya have to wack "JUST THE SPINDLE" right below where the stud go's in. "Several" times maybe :eek: How quick you rap it don't matter so be cool. :cool: Make sure car is up on jack stands pushing lower arm upwards(this relieves pressure off the stud to pop out graemlins/beers.gif

OK - Now I think I get it. Somehow, you have the springs out but all the control arms and spindles still together. Man, you have quite a situation there. You need to separate all those ball joint studs first before removing the spring, control arms and spindle.

You need to get the horse before the cart.

Can you put it back together and start over?

-Mark.

I had a couple ball joints that were pretty stubborn. You really have to carefully position the pickle fork to get proper force. The rubber boots seem to always get in the way and keep the fork from working metal against metal. I actually had to use a larger slege (10lb.?)on one ball joint to separate it. You may have to really pound on the fork! It seems somewhat easier if the coil spring is left installed- the force helps separate the joint.

You could also try to make a homemade separator using two bolts and a threaded sleeve. It fits betwen the balljoint tips and pushes them from the spindle.

An earlier post indicated that it is helpful to have the coil spring in place to add pressure to help pop them out. I think you said you have removed the springs already? Possibly consider reinstalling the springs and go from there? Another option would be to use a tie rod puller. It would work like any other puller, pulling the spindle off the stud (pushing the stud out through the spindle hole).

The only thing that is holding this all together is an interference fit, between the tapered stud and tapered hole in the spindle. Is there excessive rust on the spindle and ball joint-posssibly fusing them together? You may try smacking the spindle on the ouside of the balljoint area to help break it free.

Maybe consider rigging a bottle jack to fit inside between the control arms?

::DYNOMITE::

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid51/padbb470a1336857abd11ec0759b768ae/fca623ec.gif

Okay, I would say the sledge is a 10lb one.
After posting I went back to it again and got the 2nd upper one.
Here is the situation. My drivers side coil spring is out and I got the upper ball joint on this side out. My passenger side spring is still IN the car and yes a chain is around it. I also got the upper joint on this side apart but not the lower one.
I'm going to try heating next but get this... trying the lower one again after just ripping off the already poor lower boot I began hitting the fork with the sledge... al-of-a-sudden, BOOM the fork fell to the ground after moving in a bunch. I thought I must have did it, until I realized that nothing had moved except ONE ARM OF THE FORK HAD BORKEN OFF COMPLETELY (I guess I have to much torque and need a high performance pickle fork haha).
Man I hope this thing works out SOON because I have an interview Friday
Thanks everyone for baring with me,
jeff

Don't heat the spindle beyond around 220 degrees F.
If you spit on it and it sizzles, that's it.
You don't want to remove the heat treat.
David

It's a good thing you said that David. I didn't think of that when I mentioned it. A temp as low as that will damage heat treating? I figured it would be closer to 1000 degrees from what I remember from machine shop.

Update: dodo doodooood ododo ( <-like from the news)...
I have now gotten 3 of the 4 joints apart. The joint with the spring still attached is stuck. I got the joint without the spring attached separated so I'm in the process of removing the spring from the other side to hope for the same luck. If not I called my machine shop guy and he said bring her in spindle and all.
Do I need to take the upper A arm into the shop as well?
Jeff

If you are in a hurry to get the car back together I would take in all 4 arms. You will need a press to remove/install the lower ball joint and all the bushings. The upper ball joint bolts in place, but it you are replacing the originals, you will have to gring/drill out the rivets holding them in.

I did all of this at home by "renting" the ball joint press for the lowers from Auto Zone, and pressing busings out/in with some all thread and a few washers and nuts. It would be much quicker to have a shop do it, I just wanted the satisfaction of doing it myself and saving some $$$