Need help with lower ball joint

[67pete300]

Trying to get started with my disc brake upgrade and for the life of me can't get the lower ball joint broken loose. I've been pounding on it mercilessly and the two pickle forks I have can't seem to get any purchase on anything solid.

Everything is being replaced (except the control arm.) Can I just remove the whole lower control arm and destructively remove the ball joint from the bottom?

Suggestions welcome. Never done this before. And yes I've searched hi and low for answers. I haven't tried renting or buying a special ball joint separating tool yet. But beating on the spindle and pickle fork seem to be common solutions that work for others...

[ezz16]

Went through the same thing even made a spreader bolt to apply more pressure. but every one I know said get a bigger hammer I did and about 8 solid hits later it dropped. are you hitting it directly with that big hammer?

[grubsster]

I also had a hard time breaking my lower ball joint loose. The fork was going all the way in. What I did was take a 1 inch open end wrench and wedge the pickle fork in between it and the control arm. A few good wacks with the 3 pound sledge and it popped loose. Hope this helps.

[luvbowties]

In top picture, is weight of lower a-frame supported by jack? If so, remove jack(jack up elsewhere to let a-frame hang loosely in the air) and wham w/big hammer, at 90-degrees directly beside where b-jnt goes thru the hole. This way, spring tension will "be on your side" & help you more as you hit.
HTH,
sam

[rvrfoot]

Lower the jack put a load on it. Then hit it with a hammer.

[67pete300]

Thanks for the feedback. I finally managed to pop it loose with. New 4 lb hammer that I could swing better than the big sledge and the perfect angle on the pickle fork.

Got the control arm shafts out thanks to my buddy who had the right sockets.

Next challenge is upper ball joint rivets...

[rvrfoot]

Grind them off.