Removing Upper & Lower Ball Joint Studs From Spindle....

[Les Gibson]

Since it's Friday and I figure everyone can enjoy a good laugh at my expense, I need some advise/instruction....
I'm prepping my Dart drag car to replace the OEM front suspension/ K frame with one of Tory Shelllehamer's kits. I'm at the point where I'm trying to remove the spindles from the upper and lower ball joints as I will be using my existing spindles with Tory's kit. I also don't want to trash any of the OEM parts and pieces as a buddy of mine wants them. I will admit that after many years of Mopar experience this is my first attempt at OEM suspension removal. I have tried using a pickle fork to no avail. I have removed the torsion bars already along with the shocks and have disconnected the steering.
Can someone who has done this please let me know where I have gone wrong....

 

[doug 371]

you need a bigger hammer

 

[JBurch]

Here is one way...........big hammer, in the range of about 3lb mash hammer, also a large drift......back the retaining nut off about half way, turn the spindle full right or left, set the drift up against the spindle in the area of where the ball joint goes thru, give it pretty much a kill shot with the hammer, do this until the ball joint comes out of the spindle, move on to the next ball joint, repeat process

The idea is you are trying to upset the grip of the taper
Hope this makes sense to you

 

[RAT ROD AL]

Hit that sucker hard till it falls out.

 

[Les Gibson]

Hit that sucker hard till it falls out.
View attachment 1715891383

It appears that I need to break out the BFH!

 

[pishta]

This has made it as easy as turning a wrench.....POP! Will this work in your app?

 

[WV64Signet]

Just pulled mine off...

Used this. Wear gloves and eye protection because when it "went" it went. The angle of insertion is a bit off as the angle dictates.

Be sure to support the assembly before working it off

 

[dadsbee]

Flip the castle nut over, fill the gap, try to remove the nut until you have it as tight as you can without stripping and give it a wack.. Upper arm has the pinch bar prop'd under it to align the upper and lower geometry.

 

[AJ/FormS]

If you have an air impact hammer, just put a lil tension on the joints (like said with the nuts slightly loosened), then tickle the area adjacent to the stud.Usually that is all it takes.
I my experience;
The hammer is not used exclusively to force the parts to co-operate, but more often is used just to convince them that brutality is imminent if they don't.
If you have to use force, then the arms have to be supported to the floor by a solid metal something, so that the force of the hammer blow, is not absorbed by the flexing or moving of components

 

[pishta]

That HF part really works great. its 2X what I paid for it now but its never failed me and it takes about a minute to get a side off. No supports needed just clip it in, run the bolt snug and start ratchetin'. about 3 strokes and itll pop...LOUD!

 

[MOPARMAGA]

This has made it as easy as turning a wrench.....POP! Will this work in your app?
View attachment 1715891402

100% agree with this. My car apparently had not been taken apart in decades so I found out to be careful since mine has flown off a few times, but not on everything I've used it on.
Ps leave the nut on at the end so dumb stuff like I do doesn't happen lol

 

[MOPARMAGA]

Since it's Friday and I figure everyone can enjoy a good laugh at my expense, I need some advise/instruction....
I'm prepping my Dart drag car to replace the OEM front suspension/ K frame with one of Tory Shelllehamer's kits. I'm at the point where I'm trying to remove the spindles from the upper and lower ball joints as I will be using my existing spindles with Tory's kit. I also don't want to trash any of the OEM parts and pieces as a buddy of mine wants them. I will admit that after many years of Mopar experience this is my first attempt at OEM suspension removal. I have tried using a pickle fork to no avail. I have removed the torsion bars already along with the shocks and have disconnected the steering.
Can someone who has done this please let me know where I have gone wrong....

I thought we had a deal les, when you post, a picture of your badass dart is required

 

[furrystump]

Use the tool and put a load on it, then BFH. Pop! Used to pull 3’ diameter propellers. Same deal just bigger.,put a load on the tool and you take a small hammer, rap! POP! Always leave the nut on to catch everything.

 

[Les Gibson]

Got em out! Used the procedure that Dad's Bee posted in his Dart Clean Up thread. Worked like a charm!

 

[Les Gibson]

I thought we had a deal les, when you post, a picture of your badass dart is required

Here ya go!