A arm and ball joint Options

[Stltri]

Plan to replace a arm bushings. Started removing the front driver a arm but my ball joint spindle won’t budge from the carrier. Tried tuning fork, map torch, pbblaster, and two opposing BFH. It’s rusted in there. Anybody got alternative strategies? Perhaps I need a special tool although I don’t think the tie rod remover will work here?

[mepstein]

I’ve removed at least a dozen pairs from very rusty (east coast) struts. If you still have the rubber cover on your ball joint, you aren’t getting it hot enough. 8-10 minutes with MAP gas, spray with penetrating oil as it cools, hit the bottom of the ball joint with a big hammer to shock it and rinse and repeat.

I always remove the strut from the a arm with the ball joint and then work on the ball joint/strut removal off the car. If you have trouble getting the ball joint nut off the bottom of the a arm, the same removal technique as above and use an impact gun with a good ball joint tool.

[Stltri]

I’ve removed at least a dozen pairs from very rusty (east coast) struts. If you still have the rubber cover on your ball joint, you aren’t getting it hot enough. 8-10 minutes with MAP gas, spray with penetrating oil as it cools, hit the bottom of the ball joint with a big hammer to shock it and rinse and repeat.

I always remove the strut from the a arm with the ball joint and then work on the ball joint/strut removal off the car. If you have trouble getting the ball joint nut off the bottom of the a arm, the same removal technique as above and use an impact gun with a good ball joint tool.

Thanks for the pointers! So I was able to pry it loose after a lot of heat, prying, and pbblaster. But just when I thought I was free I got stuck pulling it completely out so I thought by loosening the rest of the bolts and in turn drop the arm out I can wiggle spindle out. Nope. Still stuck. Do I just hammer it out or use more heat and oil?

[Jack Standz]

I’ve removed at least a dozen pairs from very rusty (east coast) struts. If you still have the rubber cover on your ball joint, you aren’t getting it hot enough. 8-10 minutes with MAP gas, spray with penetrating oil as it cools, hit the bottom of the ball joint with a big hammer to shock it and rinse and repeat.

I always remove the strut from the a arm with the ball joint and then work on the ball joint/strut removal off the car. If you have trouble getting the ball joint nut off the bottom of the a arm, the same removal technique as above and use an impact gun with a good ball joint tool.

Thanks for the pointers! So I was able to pry it loose after a lot of heat, prying, and pbblaster. But just when I thought I was free I got stuck pulling it completely out so I thought by loosening the rest of the bolts and in turn drop the arm out I can wiggle spindle out. Nope. Still stuck. Do I just hammer it out or use more heat and oil?

Yes, heat, PB Blaster & all that. Be very careful with hitting on the a-arm if you decide to go that route even with a wood block to cushion the hits.

You can use an engine hoist by putting heavy washer/nut on top of strut (insert being replaced anyway), heavy chain, then wood block between a-arm and underside of hoist.

To remove the ball joint, carefully use cutoff wheel to cut the nut (can cut from center of underside of ball joint to the outside, you don't need to cut all the way through), then hit with chisel in the slot to unscrew it. Impact hammer/chisel works too sometimes.

Sorry, no photos of using this technique on a 911 front end that just would not let go after all these years (mid 70s? With original struts and ball joints). She really fought us.