Help!! Frozen Ball Joint
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Joined: May 2004
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Help!! Frozen Ball Joint
I have a 97 5.0 awd explorer. i noticed ther other day my front axle boot was leaking grease.i started taking everything apart to get the axle out when i noticed my lower ball joint is shot.my problem is i cant get my ball joint bolt to seperate from the bottom of the spindle. i don't want to heat it up because i was told that that weakens my control arm. what should i do,
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Joined: Aug 2003
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2 ways to convince it to move:
1) turn the nut over and screw it on so that it is equal to the threads for protection and hammer it up to break the bond. Rubber mallet or wood block won't work, use a steel hammer.
or
2) Use the floor jack and place it under the stud with the nut at the end of the threads as before and lift the A-arm up 2" to load the stud and it may pop free. If not hammer the spindle carrier downward to help separate it.
If the ball joint is bad then you won't need to worry about the threads as much. I just completed both of my lower ball jts last month and you might as well replace it since you have it all apart anyway. The ball jts are $34 at auto zone( get the greasable version) and rent the tool for free from Auto zone to press it in and out. If you need to remove the top ball jt stud remember to remove the pinch bolt completely because it blocks the stud from coming out. I beat on mine for a while before I realized that simple fact.
Cheers
1) turn the nut over and screw it on so that it is equal to the threads for protection and hammer it up to break the bond. Rubber mallet or wood block won't work, use a steel hammer.
or
2) Use the floor jack and place it under the stud with the nut at the end of the threads as before and lift the A-arm up 2" to load the stud and it may pop free. If not hammer the spindle carrier downward to help separate it.
If the ball joint is bad then you won't need to worry about the threads as much. I just completed both of my lower ball jts last month and you might as well replace it since you have it all apart anyway. The ball jts are $34 at auto zone( get the greasable version) and rent the tool for free from Auto zone to press it in and out. If you need to remove the top ball jt stud remember to remove the pinch bolt completely because it blocks the stud from coming out. I beat on mine for a while before I realized that simple fact.
Cheers
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