[53LEDSLED]

i already took one out but it was a pain. i used a cuf of saw a drill and a hamer, im sure thiers an easyer way, or maybe not.

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

A pickle fork is the standard tool to remove ball joints from spindles.

[53LEDSLED]

do you thing an impact hammer with a similar tool would work

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

Yes, air impact pickle forks are made.

[trees]

I have seen several salvage yard parts getters loosen the nut about 1/4 inch and take a big hammer to the spindle part that receives the ball joint. Two or three sharp blows usually lets the spring pressure pop it right out. I never worried about this since I was replacing the ball joints. I have caught myself doing the same thing when making some changes and want to reuse the ball joint. I feel better about this since reading in Motor Manuals that this is the recommended way. If I don't care about the ball joint, I quite often resort to the pickle fork when it is not easy to get a good rap with a hammer.

Trees

[Chev283]

If you're just talking about removing them from the spindle, I do it the same way as Trees. I take the castle nut completely off first and put it on upside down, except for the bottom 1/4" of threads so that when I hit it with a hammer, the castle nut doesn't get crushed. When you're doing the lower ball joint, support the spindle on something solid but don't support the lower control arm. It needs to move when you hit the ball joint with a hammer. When you remove the upper ball joint, support the spindle in the opposite direction so that the upper control arm can move up when you hit the joint with the hammer.
I use about a 5lb lead hammer for this so that it gets a good smack, or maybe three or four good smacks. You may have to remove any calipers or sway bar connections first so that you can get a good swing on it. The forked removal tools will ruin the boot on the ball joint, so I don't use them.

If you are talking about removing the joints from the control arms in order to replace the joints, I drill the center of the rivets out with about a 1/8" drill bit and then smack the head of the rivet with a good steel chisel and hammer until the head comes off. If you've got air tools use the air hammer to chisel the head off after you have drilled it out. Pretty easy either way, but make sure the car is supported safely first.

[troy-curt]

Yep that's the way I have always done it to.

Troy
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[4 Jaw Chuck]

You can also whack the sides of the socket with two 5 lb sledge hammers at the same time, the tapered pin will pop right out.