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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Removing stubborn ball joints
Posted by: Rleog Apr 17 2010, 10:00 PM
Anyone have any tricks for freeing up the ball joint nuts?
Posted by: r_towle Apr 17 2010, 10:05 PM
Take the cotter pin off the bottom and the locking plate.
Use a pipe wrench to remove the round nut that holds it in place.
Pull the a-arm down and pull the whole strut out of the car.
Then use a ball joint fork to get it off.
Rich
Posted by: Dave_Darling Apr 18 2010, 01:56 AM
Air chisel. You should be replacing the nut anyway, so it doesn't really matter if you booger it up removing it.
--DD
Posted by: 914Sixer Apr 18 2010, 06:30 AM
Soak every joint with PB Blaster or similar substance for a day or so.
Posted by: Rleog Apr 18 2010, 07:01 AM
I'd been soaking with PB Blaster for awhile now, then going at it with hammer and chisel without success.
Don't know why I didn't think of the pipe wrench..duh. Got a grip on each nut with a BFPW but they wouldn't budge, even with smacking the end of the PW with a hammer.
Think I'll go purchase an air chisel and add that to my tool cache.
Thanks for the suggestions. It'll come.
Posted by: J P Stein Apr 18 2010, 07:32 AM
I use a 2-2 1/2 foot cheater bar (2 inch pipe) on the pipe wrench handle.....the same for install. Gimme a large enough lever & I'll move the world. 
Posted by: matthepcat Jul 30 2011, 06:31 PM
I am having a hell of a time trying to get one of my ball joints off! 
Driver side came off with PB blaster, a wrench and a breaker bar.
I gave up on the passenger side....PB blaster, wrench, heat and 4 feet of breaker bar will not break it loose. 
I read some people had to actually cut it off, but I don't see how you could do that without cutting the a-arm.
This is stopping forward progress to my 5-lug conversion.
Maybe weld a socket onto the nut? 
Matt
Posted by: matthepcat Jul 30 2011, 07:51 PM
After hours of traditional methods, anger lead me to the grinder. 
Gotcha bitch! 
Who says anger doesn't solve problems?
Posted by: JimN73 Jul 30 2011, 07:56 PM
did it last week. Two hits with a 4 pound hammer did the trick.
Posted by: nathansnathan Jul 31 2011, 09:22 AM
I got both mine off with this balljoint socket and a 1/2 inch pneumatic impact gun after soaking in liquid wrench. My nuts are undamaged and I see no reason to purchase new, probably not as well made nuts.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/65-89-porsche-Ball-joint-socket-tool-911-912-930-914-/150398593066#ht_500wt_956
Posted by: matthepcat Jul 31 2011, 10:04 AM
I have heard those are not great for removing very stuck ball joints, that is why they call them installation sockets.
I got both mine off with this balljoint socket and a 1/2 inch pneumatic impact gun after soaking in liquid wrench. My nuts are undamaged and I see no reason to purchase new, probably not as well made nuts.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/65-89-porsche-Ball-joint-socket-tool-911-912-930-914-/150398593066#ht_500wt_956
Posted by: Gint Jul 31 2011, 10:19 AM
They work better than anything else if you use an impact wrench and keep the socket up tight against the nut. Zip... off.
Posted by: 76-914 Jul 31 2011, 11:43 AM
I agree with Rich. Careful with the pipe wrench, though. Have you ever noticed that the jaws aren't parallel with each other. So as the torque increases so does the inward force thus mashing. So when working with a relatively thin metal such as the ball joint nut that force can transfer to the ball joint which can work against you. Also, the teeth on both the heel and hook jaws should be sharp and angular. This is where the wrench gets it's "grip". Jim hit the nail on the head. Impact! A quick strike with a 3 or 4 lb hammer against a 14" pipe wrench will work better than a 24" pipe wrench. Kinetic force is a wonderful thing.
ps If need to avoid any maqshing then adjust the wrench until the jaws just grip with the back couple of teeth. But be careful; this is also the point where it will slip and bust the shit out of your knuckles
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