MrShorty

I thought I went through enough of the DIY threads here regarding LCA removal (for bushing replacement). Considering that I had pulled the steering knuckle a couple of years ago for ball joint replacement on the passenger side, I figured I would be okay doing the driver's side LCA. Well, I'm stuck at the point of separating the LCA/knuckle at the ball joint step. My pitman arm puller bent/damaged the (softer) ball joint stud without separating the LCA. Figuring that I would end up replacing the lower ball joint anyway, I tried my pickle fork, but that failed to separate the knuckle and LCA. Thoughts or options? I could conceivable remove the knuckle + LCA together, then figure out how to separate them, or have a shop separate them. If the steering knuckle wasn't so expensive, I could replace both the LCA and knuckle together (in the end, it's just money, so I guess this is always a "last resort" sort of option).

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Did you try adding heat?

Bigger hammer?

ezone

Sounds like you need a ball joint now? If you can't get them apart, take them off as a set. I think it's much easier to get them separated while anchored to the car, myself.

Pickle fork is usually a last resort because it shreds the boot. If the joint is a goner, then pickle fork is ok to use.

I might use the coil spring pressure and a chisel as a wedge, or simply beat the snot out of the LCA to separate the ball joint.
Yeah it will bend the edges of the LCA under the ball joint, not a big deal IMO. They shouldn't have made the arm that way.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

mine stayed with the tool on it, pb blast everyday, for about 3-4 days? and increasing the tension everyday. One day, it separated with a loud BANG!

MrShorty

Thanks for the suggestions. I had not tried heat, so I got out the torch and gave it a try. Still didn't make it. I hesitate to admit how I did it, because it will make me seem like some kind of hack, but I decided to take my grinder/cutter and cut into the control arm (since I could replace the control arm and other attempts had reduced me to needing a ball joint anyway). After cutting into the control arm, the ball joint let go without much difficulty. Now, the control arm is as good as done. Now -- on to trying to press out the ball joint.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

hope your next will be less of a pain... like said, mine took a few days tensioned until it separated - i should have thrown some water, you know, like dogs in heat...

Redneck_cdn

with all the salt they use up here the one ball joint was not happy to release from the taper in the LCA, bad design combined with the Ball joint base on the OEM joint did not come with a retaining C-clip.

FYI,, I ended up having to cut the ball joint off between the knuckle and the LCA then use an exorbitant amount of heat + a Ball joint C-press tool to finally remove the remains of the ball joint taper from the LCA.. When it finally let go with the sound of a shot gun I never did find the stud.

I ended up replacing the LCA and Ball joints.

MrShorty

Redneck_cdn -- I, too, ended up replacing the LCA and the ball joint. While I had all kinds of trouble separating the ball joint from the LCA, the ball joint pressed out of the knuckle with very little effort. What should be the final question -- How important is it to replace the axle nut when re-installing everything? The books say that the CV axle nut is "one use" and should be replaced. I am having a little difficulty finding it locally, and some are telling me that "everyone just re-uses it without any problems". These nuts are inexpensive (it would just be the time and effort to find one and get it here). I am inclined to replace it, but thought I would ask what others have done.

mikey1

i replace my axle nuts every time,

i think the reason to replace it is because when you torque it down to proper specs the indent where you bend the lip into it is in the exact same spot (or should be),

and that lip should only be bent once, bending it again after a second install would weaken the metal, its safe insurance to replace them, you sure as heck dont want an axle nut coming off,

on a side note, i have no idea why you guys are having such a hard time seperating the LCA and ball joint, every one i have done has come apart fairly easily with a few whacks of the pickle fork, even ones that have been on for 8-10 years

ezone

I reuse them out of necessity sometimes. I also don't just rip them apart, I carefully unstake the bent part with a modified chisel. Some people just rip out that staked part when they remove the nut.

Redneck_cdn

When I pick up the 04 Civic it appeared to still have the OEM Ball joints + LCA, all of which required replacement to pass a safety and for my own piece of mind (or slight OCD).

The passenger side ball joint made a pickle of the pickle fork tool and by the time I had destroyed the tool the ball joint base had already separated itself from the steering knuckle.

Taper + salt x (rust + time squared/mileage) = pain in the %$%^

FYI the body on this car is straight & mint for the age + mileage, but it needed new brake lines front to back (Rusted badly), Coolant transfer pipe (Rusted not leaking yet), LCA + ball joints, lower front engine mount (broken rubber), calipers, wheel cylinders, flex lines and a cylinder head job. Good for another 300,000kms

ezone