spindle removal

[SRVBLUES64]

I have been beating this thing to death, the top came out but the bottom not so lucky. Im trying to replacing my spindles with lowering spindles and disc brakes. the drums are still on and hanging by the bottom control arm and tie rod. Should I have the drum off and dismantled? Any tricks, Ive beatin this with a sledge hammer 3 or 5 pound help

[ol_skool_chevy]

heat it up with a torch.....it should pop off with very little heat

[protrash64]

The last set I did I had to put a jack under the drum and let the weight sit on it while using an air hammer to wedge a pickelfork between the spindle and control arm.

Place jackstands under the frame if trying this!!! Mine came off with a very loud pop.

[lolife99]

BFH is needed.
8 lb. or 16 lb. hammer with a short handle.
(I bought a long handle sledge hammer and cut the handle off. Ive had it for years)
The coil spring should put enough pressure on the joint to make it pop.
Back off the lower balljoint castle nut,... but don't remove it.
Remove the outer tie rod, so you can swing the spindle left and right.
Hit the front side of the lower balljoint area,... and then hit the back side.

[rideblue00]

They make a tool for that. No hammers or heat needed. I made my own. Its called a jack screw. Take a piece of 1" or 1 1/2" schedule 80 water pipe. Find a 3/4" bolt and nut. Weld the nut to the pipe and put the bolt in it and use it to "jack" the ball joint out. !BEWARE! that if you get it crooked in there and start jackin it apart, it may fly out under pressure. I left my upper ball joint and nut in place on the spindle and placed the pipe end over that nut. And the other end i welded a small pc of that pipe to the bolt head. The bolt head then rides on the ball joint threaded end and forces it out. This allowed the jack screw to "not" slip out of place.

Oh yeah, i already had my springs removed.

[Rich 5150 69]

I just lowered my car down with the jack as low as I could get it, laid a block just to the outside off the splindle, with the spinle nut loose but not off, used a six foot wrecking bar on the block as a fulcrum against the spindle nut and stood on it. it was done.

[1320warrior]

Protrash64, your method worked perfectly! Only wish I would have tried it 2 hours earlier, my forearms wouldn't be throbbing from the BFH!!
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[chevy_mike]

Originally Posted by rideblue00

They make a tool for that. No hammers or heat needed. I made my own. Its called a jack screw. Take a piece of 1" or 1 1/2" schedule 80 water pipe. Find a 3/4" bolt and nut. Weld the nut to the pipe and put the bolt in it and use it to "jack" the ball joint out. !BEWARE! that if you get it crooked in there and start jackin it apart, it may fly out under pressure. I left my upper ball joint and nut in place on the spindle and placed the pipe end over that nut. And the other end i welded a small pc of that pipe to the bolt head. The bolt head then rides on the ball joint threaded end and forces it out. This allowed the jack screw to "not" slip out of place.

Oh yeah, i already had my springs removed.

This is how I do it if no springs are installed OR I don't want to damage the ball joints. I load it with the "jack screw" and then just a minor hit with the hammer on the spindle. Pops loose every time.