James Neville
Member
I would just like to state that I am in no way a mechanic, as was proven to me over the last two days trying in vain to replace my lower ball joints.
My ST is an '03 rwd xlt, which I have done a lot of mantenance to myself, upper ball joints and control arms, new shocks, sway bar links, inner and outer tie rods. But these lower ball joints are something else.
I've taken everything off of the knuckle except I CAN NOT get the knuckle/spindle off of the ball joint thread.
I've rented all the tools I (think?) I need. I've got the press to get the B/J out and the new one in, I have a pickle fork that I've been trying to separate them with. When I got tired of that I went to Harbor Freight and bought their B/J separator and swiftly broke it within 5 minutes. (not surprised with a $20 tool) I've beaten the thread from underneath, whacked the knuckle, whacked the LCA, and this thing will not come out. All the while I've been spraying all kinds of penetrating fluid into the boot (which is pulverized now).
The only things I have hesitated to try are jacking up under the ball joint thread and see if that pressure will pop it out, and I haven't used a torch on it because I heard some B/J's will blow up on you if you're not careful.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated as I'm about to loose it and I'd like to finish this without having it hauled to a mechanic..
My ST is an '03 rwd xlt, which I have done a lot of mantenance to myself, upper ball joints and control arms, new shocks, sway bar links, inner and outer tie rods. But these lower ball joints are something else.
I've taken everything off of the knuckle except I CAN NOT get the knuckle/spindle off of the ball joint thread.
I've rented all the tools I (think?) I need. I've got the press to get the B/J out and the new one in, I have a pickle fork that I've been trying to separate them with. When I got tired of that I went to Harbor Freight and bought their B/J separator and swiftly broke it within 5 minutes. (not surprised with a $20 tool) I've beaten the thread from underneath, whacked the knuckle, whacked the LCA, and this thing will not come out. All the while I've been spraying all kinds of penetrating fluid into the boot (which is pulverized now).
The only things I have hesitated to try are jacking up under the ball joint thread and see if that pressure will pop it out, and I haven't used a torch on it because I heard some B/J's will blow up on you if you're not careful.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated as I'm about to loose it and I'd like to finish this without having it hauled to a mechanic..