Need help separating UCA and steering knuckle

[vegask]

You are on the right track with the 2 jaw puller.

1) Set the two jaw puller back up and tighten it so there is pressure being put on the ball joint.

2)
Option 1, Hit the steering arm on the flat spot as hard as you can. It should pop.

Option 2, Get an air chissel/hammer with a flat blunt tip. Hit the flat section of the steering spindle with the chissel there.


If those fail.. Get a cut off wheel and slice through the ball joint. Then unbolt the bottom of the spindle and set it up somewhere so you can hammer the remaining ball joint stub out of the steering spindle. I had to do this on a friends 4runner when we put his total chaos LT kit on.

But seriously, if you own a compressor, go buy something like this. They are life savers. I was able to remove wheel bearings from a classic bronco when my 20 ton press failed.

Cheap:
Medium Barrel Air Impact Hammer

Not Cheap:
https://www.amazon.com/Ingersoll-Ra...TF8&qid=1480959909&sr=1-3&keywords=air+hammer

 

[Drunner97]

How big of a hammer are you using? I find 2-3 whacks with a 4 lb sledge gets it every time, although you can use a carpenters hammer in a pinch, just have to give it a bit more swing and aim better.

 

[RonJR]

Back on the farm we used to loosen up stuck/rusted nuts with the Forney welder and a carbon arc torch. Set the welder to its highest current setting (turned off), plug in the carbon torch, and put one carbon electrode on each side of the nut (in this case the steering knuckle where the ball joint goes through). Turn on the welder, which will put about 200 amps through the stuck nut/knuckle and get it really hot in a hurry and expand it away from the bolt or in this case ball joint shaft. I never saw a stuck nut that could resist this approach.

(Note, you do NOT want to generate an arc, so make sure both electrodes are making good contact to the knuckle before you flip the switch. Wear appropriate goggles and gloves if you do this.)

So, if you've got a buddy with a good arc welder and the carbon torch attachment, that may do the trick. It's safer and probably more effective than using a flame torch to heat it up.

 

[techoguy]

I finally got it! Thanks everyone for the suggestions and help!

I was using two different 4lb sledge hammers and two carpenter hammers. Each made a different noise so figured each must be vibrating it slightly different. I was about to give up and find a torch and it finally poped! I had been hammering on off and on for the last 3 days with PB Blaster between each series of wachs. I tried the puller one more time and had it tightened to probably 100ftlbs and hit it with a hammer a couple more times and it finally let go!



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[techoguy]

Back on the farm we used to loosen up stuck/rusted nuts with the Forney welder and a carbon arc torch. Set the welder to its highest current setting (turned off), plug in the carbon torch, and put one carbon electrode on each side of the nut (in this case the steering knuckle where the ball joint goes through). Turn on the welder, which will put about 200 amps through the stuck nut/knuckle and get it really hot in a hurry and expand it away from the bolt or in this case ball joint shaft. I never saw a stuck nut that could resist this approach.

(Note, you do NOT want to generate an arc, so make sure both electrodes are making good contact to the knuckle before you flip the switch. Wear appropriate goggles and gloves if you do this.)

So, if you've got a buddy with a good arc welder and the carbon torch attachment, that may do the trick. It's safer and probably more effective than using a flame torch to heat it up.

This sounds very interesting. I'd love to see this done. If done right seems like it would be safer than a torch.

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[techoguy]

How big of a hammer are you using? I find 2-3 whacks with a 4 lb sledge gets it every time, although you can use a carpenters hammer in a pinch, just have to give it a bit more swing and aim better.

I was using a 4lb sledge with both hands on it with quarter body swings sticking it straight on. Probably hit it easily over 100 times. Can't beleive it was that hard to get lose!

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