How to remove lca and ball joint

[Skeazzy]

How do you remove the lower control arm thats connected to the ball joint? I don't really care if it ruins the ball joints as I have Moog's being shipped as we speak. My car is insanely rusted as it spent most of it's life in Seattle (Assuming). I've tried beating the Sh*t out of the ball joint but it won't budge. I got one of the lca's removed a couple days ago but I totally forgot how I did it. I looked on youtube and found a couple tutorials but my hubs are completely disconnected from the car.
Skeazzy

[Grumpys93]

I usually put a jack under the spindle and jack up the spindle til it has tension on it. Then I take the nut off the ball joint. Then I simply take a big hammer and beat the living piss out of the lower control arm right where the ball joint sits in until it pops out. I will usually spray some PB Blaster around the ball joint. But if you hit on the size of the LCA, and with a little pressure, it usually pops out.

[oni_cb7]

Just used this to separate my lower balljoint...



It didn't damage the balljoint at all.

[cb7 calling]

Loosen the bolt. Jack up the strut enough to slide a 1/2 inch ratchet between the lca and the knuckle. Lower the Jack and keep your hands clear. It will pop the joint if the object in place is the right size.
Edit, that's the best way, and good to know if you need to save the joint. If you don't care the fastest is a tie rod end separator. Or fork as I call it. Honestly though I wouldn't use a fork anywhere but a junk yard.

[Skeazzy]

Thanks everyone for all the quick responses.
The only problem is that my hubs are disconnected from my car and are on the shop floor...

[lbus9168]

is the entire setup disconnected?

[Skeazzy]

is the entire setup disconnected?

Yes. Al I have is the lcas and the hubs right now on the floor and I need to separate them.

[lbus9168]

If you dont care about your balljoint, id take the bolt completely off, Position It so that as much Pressure as possible is placed on the Balljoint hinge, and whack it to death until it either comes out or breaks off of the LCA.

Then, you need to remove the ball joint out of the knuckle. Again, more whacking.

You can use a shop press if you want but i just use a hammer and take my frustration out, haha.

[oni_cb7]

Loosen the bolt. Jack up the strut enough to slide a 1/2 inch ratchet between the lca and the knuckle. Lower the Jack and keep your hands clear. It will pop the joint if the object in place is the right size.
Edit, that's the best way, and good to know if you need to save the joint. If you don't care the fastest is a tie rod end separator. Or fork as I call it. Honestly though I wouldn't use a fork anywhere but a junk yard.

That's not 100% correct. I used the fork I posted and my balljoint was never messed with. It put no weird pressure on it and nothing tore.

[cb7 calling]

That's not 100% correct. I used the fork I posted and my balljoint was never messed with. It put no weird pressure on it and nothing tore.

That's not the fork I was talking about. Your picture is of a ball joint tool I believe. The tie rod end seperator is s fork that you hammer in and wedges the joint apart.
It is true though, I'm never entirely correct.

[Fleetw00d]

I use a small gear puller. It has two arm that grab the top side of the arm above the ball joint. Put the castle nut on so that it extends beyond the end of the ball joint stud to keep the screw of the puller from sliding off. Then simply tighten the screw to push the stud out of the arm. I sometimes have to get the screw real tight, then rap on the end with a hammer to pop the stud loose. Does no damage to anything, should work just fine with the parts out of the car.

Never pass up the opportunity to buy a new tool!