ball joint and tie rod end removal

[chrismoore701]

I am tearing my fram down and got into the front suspension last night. 79 stepside and I do not think anything has ever been removed. I am having a hell of a time getting the castle nuts off because the cotter pins are rusted. Any ideas. I am just breaking them off and smashing them flat with a punch and getting the nuts off with an impact. Just takes alot of work to smash the cotter pins. and what is the best way to get the springs out. I was going to wrap the upper and lower control arms with a ratchet strap and partially lossen the bottom ball joint then release the strap.

[cparman]

sometimes, if you look carefully you can get a pick, and get 1/2 of the cotter pin out, then get the other. A little patience, and it will be a bunch easier to get apart

[kev2809]

on my 67 i squeezed the tips together, put a punch in the "loop" end of the cotter pin, and hammered it in until they broke apart. then with some pliers, i wiggled them out 1 at a time. as far as the springs...what i did (not sure if its the correct way), but i jacked up the lca while the front end was on jackstands, then took everything apart, and slowly lowered the jack down and it just fell out. good luck. and becareful with those springs, i was sweating bullets when i did mine, those things could shoot out and tear your face off lol

[vegaschevy]

sometimes if they are really stuck a big impact gun will just spin the nut off and allow you to pull them out or drill them out