I am replacing the lower drivers side ball joint on my 1986 F150. I have loosened the upper and lower nuts and I am using a pickle fork and BFH to separate the hub assembly from the ball joints. Unfortunately, other than opening a small gap, the joints will not come apart. The nuts are at the lower end of their threading, but I have left them in place to catch the hub assembly when it breaks loose.

There is a camber adjusting "wheel?" above the castle nut on the upper ball joint. Do I need to remove this to get the joint to come apart? If so, what is the best method of removal. This is my first attempt on this repair and on line details are a little vague other than "use a pickle fork".

Thanks!

 

I was able to get mine with the pickle fork inbetween the upper balljoint and spindle and using a sledge to wedge it in there until it popped appart.

 

Get a large cold chisel or screwdriver, and drive it in where the pickle fork is not. If you have the pickle fork on the bottom, put the other wedge on the top. And keep pounding. Sometimes you have to get mad at it and then it will come loose. Frontend work is a lot of fun isn't it?

Leave the sleeve alone on top, and you should actually get a center punch and put a tick mark on the sleeve and on the spindle to mark it's position. If you have one that's eccentric, it will affect the alignment if you don't get it clocked back in where it was.

 

1990 ball joint replacement - FSB Forums
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post12255931
Video: How to Install a Truck's Lower Ball Joint | eHow.com
Video: How to Press Out a Truck's Lower Ball Joint | eHow.com
http://www.off-road.com/trucks4x4/ar....jsp?id=198389

 

Thanks for the replies. I had a feeling that I needed to be a little more aggressive, but I wanted to confirm that I was on the right track first. (Might be adding an impact wrench to my Christmas list next year.)