removing tie rod ends. HELP

[menlatin]

So i'm beating them with asledge hammer and all its doing is flattening the punded surface. Is there some trick to removing these???

[menlatin]

never mind.found the tool. Now what about the ball joints? if i use that same tool it looks like it'll damage the control arm. I also heard from someone about grinding the ball joints out. Is that the correct way? I've not done this before and have no one to help me, so you guys are all i have. And the service manual is crap.

[LONGHAIR]

The big hammer is the way to go............You are just hittind the wrong place.
You don't hit the tierod end itself. You smack the part of the spindle that has the HOLE. You hit it from the side (90degrees) from the tierod end itself. It can help to apply some pressure to the tierod, but it is not absolutely necessary. Don't use one of those picklefork wedge things.....they destroy the boots. Ball-joints are the same way...Hit the part that contains the hole at a 90degree angle..it will jump apart.

[Brainchild]

You have to grind the rivets that hold the ball joint to the a-arm in order to remove the upper ball joints.

[LONGHAIR]

........to remove it from the A-arm, not to remove it from the spindle.

[menlatin]

oh i dont care about the boots. They're 35 years old. I just want it off. I'm grinding the ball joint rivets right now. I have a problem when removing the lower arm though. cause one side of the arm is off the shaft and the other part is about to finish ripping it self off, so it seems that as soon as i get the ball joints loose from the spindles, the spring is gonna shoot in a random direction. I have a jack under the arm, but i dont think its balanced. think it'd be ok just to cut he spring in half (once again 35 years old and being replaced), and let the arms fall together?

[DennyB]

Originally Posted by menlatin

oh i dont care about the boots. They're 35 years old. I just want it off. I'm grinding the ball joint rivets right now. I have a problem when removing the lower arm though. cause one side of the arm is off the shaft and the other part is about to finish ripping it self off, so it seems that as soon as i get the ball joints loose from the spindles, the spring is gonna shoot in a random direction. I have a jack under the arm, but i dont think its balanced. think it'd be ok just to cut he spring in half (once again 35 years old and being replaced), and let the arms fall together?

Chain the spring to the frame so it can't do far.
If you cut it it still may bounce out.

[Sublvr72]

one tool two words...

PICKLE FORK

get one!

if you use a tool right you don't destroy anything (ie. tie rod end boots)

[Joe67]

Originally Posted by Sublvr72

one tool two words...

PICKLE FORK

get one!

if you use a tool right you don't destroy anything (ie. tie rod end boots)

Yep - a few bucks can go a long way.

Have the lower ball joints pressed out and the new one's pressed in at a local auto parts store.

[ChevyCruizer]

I have seperated hundreds of ball joints and or tie rod ends and i prefer a good ball peen hammer. Just make sure you leave the nut on the ebd threads because if you miss you will mess up the threads. I have only had to go with the pickle fork a handful of times.

[LONGHAIR]

Use 'em if you want, but I'm still against the picklefork thing. The do destroy the rubber boots, there is no way around it. They are between the parts you want apart.
BFH is the way to go..........

[Joe67]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

Use 'em if you want, but I'm still against the picklefork thing. The do destroy the rubber boots, there is no way around it. They are between the parts you want apart.
BFH is the way to go..........

The tie rod ends I have purchased include new boots

Hammers will work. Since you are replacing them it doesn't matter if you wrech the stud...

[menlatin]

Hell the spring worry was just dumb. They just fell down when we poped the ball doint out of the spindle.
But i was noticing that my steering gear box has a big problem. I can turn it about 15-20 degrees with out it putting any pressure on the other steering components. Now this has been a problem since i've had the truck. Does the gear box need to be replaced? or is there some kind of adjustment you can do to tighten it up?

[ChevyCruizer]

Originally Posted by menlatin

Hell the spring worry was just dumb. They just fell down when we poped the ball doint out of the spindle.

You got lucky then. I have seen some real damage because the "mechanic" did not compress the spring to relieve the pressure. I usually have the truck supported with jack stands then i put a big old hydraulic jack under the spring pocket and relieve the pressure. Then i do the hammer thing to get the joints to pop then slowly let the jack down. Like i said "you got lucky" this time.

[LONGHAIR]

Yeah, always support the lower A-arm when you knock them apart. It is usually the stock springs that are loaded a lot. Shorter lowering springs don't have as much pressure. It is still a very good idea to support it. I generally don't take the nut off.........I just loosen them up most of the way. That way when it jumps apart, the nut retains things.

[DennyB]

If the steering gear is that loose then it needs to be replaced.
Even if they are only a little loose tighting them up is only a tempory fix due to the tolerances of the gears.
I find that rebuilt steering gears dont seem to hold tight as long as new ones.
If you plan on keeping the truck for a long period of time, I would recommend a new unit if you can find one.

[ChevyCruizer]

good point longhair. i take the nut all the way off and then screw it on only finger tight. if you only loosen it with the wrench / socket a little it is sometimes hard to get off after you get it to pop. when it pops apart the ramp of the joint becomes loose in the spindel and then (if you didn't loosen it all of the way) it just spins and spins as you try to wrench off the rest of the threads. then you have to try and apply enough pressure up or down on the joint to hold it still why you try and get the rest of the nut off.

[LONGHAIR]

Exactly ChevyCruiser, and if the does happen you just raise the jack a bit and put some pressure back on the taper.

I generally remove them with an impact, so they are all of the way off, and then put them back..........more than a few threads though. I have had the spring pop hard enough to pull the threads out of the nut if it is not on far enough.

[menlatin]

ok, new problem. My pickle fork is not thick enough to seperate the lower ball joint from the spindle. Got 2 from auto zone and still not think enough. what else can i do?

[Joe67]

Originally Posted by menlatin

ok, new problem. My pickle fork is not thick enough to seperate the lower ball joint from the spindle. Got 2 from auto zone and still not think enough. what else can i do?

Same issue I had disassembling a front suspension setup I had.
I agree with the spot to hit with a hammer, but I use a piece of plywood or something between the spindle and the hammer, unless you don't mind some nice marks in your spindle

[Sublvr72]

get a bigger one our use the jack and sledge hammer method...

[LONGHAIR]

Are you kidding?...............

[cysko9]

anyone got any pictures of this? im having difficulties.

[ChevyCruizer]

i usually do not have to use a sledge, but i do use a real substantial hammer. i made this picture real fast for you.

[cysko9]

right on the surface facing me?