Ball joint removal

[Zombie]

Anybody know an easy way to remove the stock upper ball joints (Tundra). I've used a pickle fork on an older SR5 pickup in the past. Any ball joint pullers anyone can recommend? Thanks...

[DevinSixtySeven]

a pickle fork will not work, youll only mess things up...a pickle fork has no place on the tundra, it'll just rip the ball joint boot (ask me how i know this ).

you'll need a two-jaw puller from autozone and a plastic deadblow hammer to remove the ball joint stud from the upper control arm, then you'll need to borrow a press or a very large c-clamp as well as a socket which is long enough to fit over the ball joint stud and large enough to seat against the slug, then you can push it out. i dont remember the size of the socket i used to rig this up, but i can look tomorrow, send me a pm and ill check it out.

-sean

[Zombie]

Also, how about a ball joint press kit? I have seen several with different size sockets included. I don't care about damaging the ball joints themselves. I just want to remove them. Randy.

[DevinSixtySeven]

the press kit i borrowed from autozone was really ghetto...wrong sizes, didnt have all the rings in the kit, really a mess, and it was theoretically easier since i had the spindle off the truck at the time. important thing is to make sure all the rings that should be in the kit are in the kit. also, it might not be a bad idea to take a pair of calipers to the dealership and measure the dimensions of a ball joint slug, then use a section of pipe to bear on the slug rather than the oddball setup i used...it's my daily driver, so i had to rig what i could to get it done based on the stuff i had lying around . if you had a section of pipe and a thick, flat piece to go on top, i bet you could literally use a very large c-clamp. itd be a lot easier than what autozone has, which is meant for suspension with more open designs than toyotas.

-sean

[jjc]

I just installed my TC upper arms and used the same Autozone press, it worked after a few tricks of desperation! I cut the stud off the ball joint with a sawzall, right at the ball, then used a socket that just fit over the ball but still inside the overall joint and the largest Autozone spacer tube and disk with the large hole on the underside (which does not fit great because the disc hits the spindle arm - but it works). To first break the ball joint loose, I found that it is easier to use the press kit "disk" with the smallest hole on top of the joint and then once it breaks loose, go to the socket to push it through. I put the C-clamp verical with the nut end up in the fender well and pushed against the socket. On the drivers side it started to get a little crossed up so I removed the press clamp and coached it a little with my deadblow hammer a few times then proceeded to press it out. After two hours of kicking, screaming, cussing, and maybe even a little crying on the passenger side, it took about three minutes on the drivers side - a real easy job, but I found that you have to be a little smarter than the tool! Because I knew I was going to trash the stock ball joints, I used my separator fork to separate the joint from the upper control arm - uh, and Sean is 100% correct, it tears the boot all to hell and slings grease everywhere, but it worked.

[DevinSixtySeven]

Originally Posted by jjc

I found that you have to be a little smarter than the tool!

that is def. correct...if you use it the way it was intended, youll never get it. i ended up using a combination of rings, spacers, masking tape, and another large wrench that was cut flat for the c-clamp to press against. i'll get that socket size i used tho, so you dont have to sawzall the stud...i figure it's easier in the long run if i dont destroy it, because if i cant get it out, i can put it all back together again .

...which i had to do at least twice .

[jjc]

Yeah, removing them in tact is probably the best approach, just doesn't fit my style - I'm more of a sawzall and big hammer type of guy, you should see me with a plasma cutter!

[TMS2U]

I use this beaut. No fuss, no muss. They go on sale every now and then for 19.99

[jjc]

That is the exact same as the Autozone kit everyone is renting, I had your kit and went to Autozone thinking that theirs would be smaller and better fit -same exact thing. Autozone rents it for $90 and you can find it for $19? - I'll say that they are covered at their price in case someone decides to keep it, no wonder they are alway telling me that I can keep things for the rental price! Luckily, my best friend owns a large equipment rental yard about 2 miles from my house and has a complete set of automotive specialty items for me for free! Like Sean said, it will work great if you suppliment it with a few items around the shop.

[DevinSixtySeven]

the #1 supplement is this:

30mm deep socket, for some sorta plug or other, its a massive cr-v thing. it's "OEM" brand (the type autozone carries, with the little gear in the logo), part number 25203. i think it was about five bucks, but it fits down over the stud and presses on the slug portion. use it instead of whatever normally goes at that end, with the autozone tool tms2u posted below and a little bit of cursing. you might need to wang it a few times with a deadblow hammer. most important part is to press the old one out carefully, make sure you're not pushing it out sideways or it will oval the hole in the spindle & the new one wont fit snug.

-sean

[dyogim]

I too also used the autozone kit and had to use my own method of removing the ball joint. It did damage them when I removed them but, I didn't care. Install, was easy and used the kit as it was intended.

[Zombie]

Just curious, what was your own method? I am replacing mine so I don't care about damaging them. I want to take care with the spindle. I was thinking about putting a very large socket on the underside larger than the ball joint bottom plate but smaller than the spindle. Then putting the ball joint puller centered on the stud (or use a smaller socket) to push it out straight. Or a piece of pipe cut thin with steel across so the clamp could be centered increasing leverage.

[dyogim]

Originally Posted by Zombie

Just curious, what was your own method? I am replacing mine so I don't care about damaging them. I want to take care with the spindle. I was thinking about putting a very large socket on the underside larger than the ball joint bottom plate but smaller than the spindle. Then putting the ball joint puller centered on the stud (or use a smaller socket) to push it out straight. Or a piece of pipe cut thin with steel across so the clamp could be centered increasing leverage.

With the spindle side on top and the ring side on the bottom, I used one of the disc and spacers that fit the bottom of the ball joint. Then tightened the threaded spindle into the groove of where the ball sits. I had to switch from one side of the ball joint to the other a couple of times so it would come out evenly. There may be an easier way but, that's what worked for me.

[DevinSixtySeven]

do what dyogim did, but throw that 30mm deep socket on top, it will press evenly against the ball joint, and the stem of the ball joint will center itself in the end of the socket.