Can remove and install ball joint with big ass hammer?

[alpine951]

Gotta do a ball joint. Do I need a pickle fork or can I wack it out and bang in a new one. Oh yeah, Do I need to worry about using one of those tools that prevents the spring from exploding or is the spring not an issue when doing ball joints on a 202?

[Pagz]

lol do not use a hammer!:D

I used a clamp type seperator last time i did mine.
you can use a jack under the lower arm to take the shock and spring tension while doing the lower and upper ball joints...be careful.

[1995c280]

that's how we do it all the time...let's see walk to the tool room and find the ball joint seperator (which will take 15min cuz you can't find sh*t) and then remove them or stay at my bay and with one swing (maybe two if i'm sore, LOL) of a 3lb hammer and it's out. i always put an pole jack under the control arm for safety cuz you only have the shock lower bolt that's holding the arm up with the spring still under tension! if your doing it on the ground then like paul had mentioned a floor jack will work!

takes literally 5 minutes to do both front ball joints if you've done them before.

Jason

[Pagz]

lol just make sure your using the hammer in the right spot;)

[rman]

i just wacked the shit out of my ball joint (and tie rod) wiht a huge mallet.

you gotta hit the right spot though, otherwise you are literally destroying the ball joint.

Oh, and it took me forever compared to if i had a separator/pickle fork

[alpine951]

Is the new one installed by banging it in with the hammer?

[rman]

Originally posted by alpine951
Is the new one installed by banging it in with the hammer?

no!

you throw it back in how it was before you knocked it loose, and you put the nut on there. MB uses a different type of ball joint, so i had one of the guys at the shop take a prybar and get levereage to apply pressure to the top of the ball joint while i blasted it with the impact wrench. Otherwise i would just be spinning the joint around with the gun.

[alpine951]

rman,

can you elaborate a bit more. Because the joint won't come out without force how is force applied to install the new one? Do you mean that by putting the nut on and tightening it it pulls the joint into the socket?

[alpine951]

Can anyone elaborate on this. I was hoping to put in the new ball joint tomorrow over the weekend. I don't want to get into it and be stuck withot a car because the suspension is in pieces.

From what some have said i should be able to remove the ball joint with a 3 lb hammer. Will this remove it from both the control arm and steering knuckle. I just may go buy a pickle fork for $10 just in case. Will a fork remove the joint from both the arm and knuckle without removing either from the car?


Will the joint just slide into the arm and knuckle or does it need to be pressed in with some special tool. I

[1995c280]

you only need to apply pressure when removing the old joint. losen the bottom nut first then hammer the joint out. then i take a pipe and stick it over the bottom of the joint and apply pressure down so it doesn't spin. while doin this i use a impact gun and remove the top nut and it'll fall out now. when installing the new joint put the nut on the top side of the joint, then hold the bottom side firmly with your hand (don't worry it wont spin if your holding it - i do it a million times a day). then take a impact gun and tighten the top nut. now put the hub/spindle back over the bottom side of the joint and install the bottom nut.

EASY EASY JOB!

Jason