I decided today was the day to tear into the driver's side ball joints which needed to be replaced (just the lower, but I'll do both while I have it apart).

The spindle almost could not have been harder to get off. I banged and oiled until the neighbors complained, banged and oiled some more, and then finally broke down and bought a gear puller. I had so much tension in the gear puller that I was standing as far away as I could with a cheater bar, paranoid that it was going to fly apart and kill me. It did finally break the spindle free without killing anyone.

Now comes the question - everything that I've read says that once I'm down to just getting the knuckle off, I'm to pound on the upper ball joint stud to break it free. Wouldn't breaking it free mean that the ball joint doesn't have to be pressed out of the knuckle once I have the knuckle off? I've looked at the new ball joint, and the stud is integral to the joint. Pushing the stud down would remove the ball joint from the knuckle.

BTW, I broke the gear puller trying to push the stud down. Banging and oiling it didn't do squat. Everything that I've read also says that the camber adjuster doesn't have to be removed in order to remove the stud - is this right? Should I remove the camber adjuster before trying to push the upper stud down?

I've read the Haynes manual, and also the step-by-step on off-road.com.

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

andym, I've found that the best tool for separating the lower joint is a large tie rod "fork" and a 3lb sludge hammer, not a puller. Actually, once the nut is removed from the upper ball joint, pounding on the shaft with the sludge will pop it loose ... damaging the treads is not a concern, because part will be replaced anyway. Once I removed the yoke containing the ball joints, I took it to a machine shop and had them install the new parts for $30 bucks. Use a good penetrating oil like "Kroil". John