[adam83]

I have the castle nut undone, and Im banging on the ball joint stud with a hammer, but I can get much leverage. Is there a better way to get this ball joint out? Im not getting anywhere..

[adam83]

So, the ball joint is still stuck to the spindle. Im gonna use a sawzall to cut it out. I have a jack underneath the lower control arm to keep upwards pressure on it, so i think once I get it cut the spindle shouldnt drop at all, but I could be wrong... this is my first time doing this. BTW, MERRY CHRISTMAS everybody!

[LATECH]

You need to put a floor jack under the lower control arm hold the weight of the car on that corner. Then with the nut off , whack the top of the spindle next to the post or stud of the ball joint. It will loosen, then you can remove the upper ball joint with your press tool. You can hammer it out and hammer a new one in without the tool, but you will have to remove the upper a arm from the car, which isnt too hard. Keep track of the shims on the control arm shaft and place them back in the original place they are from so as not to affect the alignment.Lay it in a vise and hammer the old one out and the new one in.Dont hammer on the new joint but instaed hammer on the part of the control arm that wraps around the joint while supporting the joint squarely on the jaws of the vise.after it seats you can place the boot on and reinstall.
Dont hack on it with a sawzall, there is nothing to gain by doing that, you will just add one more unecessary problem to the equation (how to get the sawed off part out of the spindle wich is now flopping around as it is not being held in place by anything now)

[1ownerT]

Originally Posted by adam83

So, the ball joint is still stuck to the spindle. Im gonna use a sawzall to cut it out. I have a jack underneath the lower control arm to keep upwards pressure on it, so i think once I get it cut the spindle shouldnt drop at all, but I could be wrong... this is my first time doing this. BTW, MERRY CHRISTMAS everybody!

Some auto parts stores have tool loaner programs, pick up a pickle fork.

The upper ball joint on a 68 GTO is held in by rivets if original, if they have been replaced before they are bolted to the upper arm, beating on it with a hammer to remove/reinstall it, is unnecessary. Drill out or cut off the rivet heads or unbolt and bolt in the replacement. Removal of the upper arm from the car is not necessary either unless you are replacing the cross shaft bushings.

[LATECH]

Originally Posted by 1ownerT

Some auto parts stores have tool loaner programs, pick up a pickle fork.

The upper ball joint on a 68 GTO is held in by rivets if original, if they have been replaced before they are bolted to the upper arm, beating on it with a hammer to remove/reinstall it, is unnecessary. Drill out or cut off the rivet heads or unbolt and bolt in the replacement. Removal of the upper arm from the car is not necessary either unless you are replacing the cross shaft bushings.

Thats right. the upper is a riveted job. The lower would be a press in one. Good looking out there 1owner T .I just did one here a few weeks ago,my memory is shot.

[adam83]

Yeah, it is rivets. I have the car frame on a large blocks right behind the front wheels, then I have the jack pushing up on the lower control arm. I have the castle nut mostly off, I have drenched the ball joint bolt in pb blaster and let it sit over night. I'm hitting this thing repeatedly and pretty hard and it's just not coming out. I figure it be easier to cut it, then hit the leftover bolt outta the spindle from above with more leverage. I am removing the whole upper control arm, both sides, to replace the bushings and ball joints.

[matts37chev]

if you cut it with a saw between the spindle and the a-arm it will not change anything
the ball joint has a taper, and it will still need to come out the same way,it will not just fall out because its no longer hooked to the a-arm.

[35terraplane]

Originally Posted by adam83

Yeah, it is rivets. I have the car frame on a large blocks right behind the front wheels, then I have the jack pushing up on the lower control arm. I have the castle nut mostly off, I have drenched the ball joint bolt in pb blaster and let it sit over night. I'm hitting this thing repeatedly and pretty hard and it's just not coming out. I figure it be easier to cut it, then hit the leftover bolt outta the spindle from above with more leverage. I am removing the whole upper control arm, both sides, to replace the bushings and ball joints.

Sounds like another one. ask for help, gets good help, get a pickle fork, doesn't listen and does it his way and makes twice as much work.

35terraplane

Sometimes too much to drink,

is still not enough.

[LATECH]

Originally Posted by matts37chev

if you cut it with a saw between the spindle and the a-arm it will not change anything
the ball joint has a taper, and it will still need to come out the same way,it will not just fall out because its no longer hooked to the a-arm.

Matt is correct. The taper will not let you drive the old piece out from above. It will only go out from the bottom up due to the taper.
If you get a pickle fork you can get it loose as 1 o T said.I seldom have to use one but I do from time to time.
Learn by doing, just learn the correct way by doing it correctly.Bravo on your willingness to do the job.

[adam83]

I must have been in a hurry cause I was going to write that I was gonna head up to autozone and grab the fork later. But, now that you mention the taper in the balljoint, Im glad I have not yet cut it!

[rusty 87]

You don't need the jack under the control arms if you're supporting the front end with blocks. Let the spring pressure help you out. Don't completely take the nut off as you have done. Get a BFH and beat the top off the nut until the spring pops the ball joint against the nut. Keep your face out of any possible flying objects. I have always done it in this manner and it has always worked. Using forks require too muck work.

[1971BB427]

The nut stays on while using the pickle fork, but not tight. Loosen the nut about 1/4" then stick the fork between the arm and the spindle. If you have the frontend jacked up the spring will help you break it loose. Once it pops, then put the jack under the lower arm and raise it to support it while you loosen the nut.
After the nut is off and the arm is free, then get a air chisel, die grinder, or just a plain old chisel and hammer to chop the heads off the rivets. After the heads are off use a drift punch to drive the rivets down releasing the ball joint.
Most new joints will require the holes to be opened up for the new bolts, as they are usually 5/16" bolts, and the rivets are 1/4".

[freedom53]

you could use the" farmer" method - hold a bfh on one side of the spindle where the stud goes thru and beat with another bfh on the opposite side. leave the castelleted nut on loosely and when she lets go the spring will separate the two. Jack up on the lower control arm to release spring pressure and remove the nut. Be careful lots of pressure from the spring.

[adam83]

Im still having a hell of a time with this. I've been beating on it with a hammer, and the fork I got is not helping. It would probably help if the car was on a lift, but It's not. I'll go back and continue to do everything that was suggested and hopefully when I come back to this post I'll have gotten it off.

[35terraplane]

Originally Posted by adam83

Im still having a hell of a time with this. I've been beating on it with a hammer, and the fork I got is not helping. It would probably help if the car was on a lift, but It's not. I'll go back and continue to do everything that was suggested and hopefully when I come back to this post I'll have gotten it off.

Try turning the pickle fork over.

Bob