jwillman

I am doing a front spring and upper A arm ball joint rebuild using the 928MS kit.

I sparyed the lower nut on the upper ball joint down with PB blaster and let it sit a bit but when I try to remove the nut the entire ball joint pin spins.

I tried loading the front hub with a jack under the brake disc as well as wedging a seperator fork in between the A arm and lower hub arm trying to pinch the ball joint pin so I could apply some torque but no joy.

I am likely missing a trick and before I break something hoped someone can share a tried and true method.

Thanks

Leon Speed

Hmm.. loading the ball joint with a lever should work. The end goes under the arm when it is attached to the frame and the over the ball joint. Then push down to load the ball joint. When that doesn't work, only thing remaining is to grind the nut off. Unless you have a nut splitter. BTDT.

Ducman82

i used the pickle fork "wedge" idea to get mine off.

jwillman

Thanks guys. I will let the PB blaster sit some more and give the wedge another try. Went through this recently with the lower ball joints and did not have enough room to get a borroed nut splitter into the space. I need to reuse the pin so cant be to aggressive with the nut removal techniques.

ckabee1

I had to use a big crow-bar to lever the upper a-arm down to get enough bite to remove and reinstall that nut.

Dan87951

Try a little heat combines with loading the ball joint. It works for me everytime. If not tear the upper boot off and use vice grips to pinch it and holt it to keep it from rotating.

WallyP

What about using a thin cutting disk on a Dremel or die grinder to cut a screwdriver slot in the bottom of the pin?

Jerry Feather

I have never tried this, but I wonder if tightening the nut down to pull the tapered pin back into its seated position will let the taper itself hold the pin while you then loosen the nut all the way off. Then use the fork to pull the pin out of the taper? There is a certain amount of grab to a taper fit; and probably more grab the less the taper is. You will probably have to seat the pin in the taper hole, perhaps with a hammer of mallet, before you can get the nut to tighten. Just an idea. Jerry Feather

Mrmerlin

if you have a long (about 3 feet) prybar fit it into the top of the A arm,
and with your helper have them load the bar so the pin is pushed back in BUT

FIRST spray some brake cleaner into the A arm/ pin to clean out the PB blaster,
this way the pin will grab when its loaded.

Then simply unscrew the nut if the pin is now tight in the A arm leave the nut on a few threads and with the same long pry bar simply pry the nut upwards till the pin comes loose
NOTE using the pickle fork on the upper A arm will usually damage the groove that the boot cover rides in

jwillman

I got the nut off. I used a 2 ft pry bar with the bar run through the top of the A arm and the end under the Arm frame mount to apply down pressure to the top of the A arm and then was able to get the nut off with a rachet. Would have been easier with a helper!

Thanks all and Merlin, again