I want to purchase a ball joint separator

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Alteca

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Supercharged111

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I use hammers. Smack the spindle n balljoint pops out. Works 90% of the time every time.

If it only works 90% of the time you need a bigger hammer. A little heat can help things move too. I always leave the nut on and beat it until it gives me what I want. A pickle fork will get it apart too, but they wreck boots, which is why I just beat on it.
 

bluex

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Take a piece of round stock, cut it about 3" (iirc) drill a hole through it an get 2 1/2 bolts washers an nuts. Put it between the studs, hold the nut loosen the bolt which presses on the studs an they will pop out.

A pipe nipple will work as well. Pictures an a better description here

 

Joe Dirte

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If it only works 90% of the time you need a bigger hammer. A little heat can help things move too. I always leave the nut on and beat it until it gives me what I want. A pickle fork will get it apart too, but they wreck boots, which is why I just beat on it.
Good point. Forgot bout leaving the nut on. Seen idiots take the nut off n beat on end of ball joints or tierods. Then pissed they couldn't get nut back on.
 

someotherguy

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If it only works 90% of the time you need a bigger hammer. A little heat can help things move too. I always leave the nut on and beat it until it gives me what I want. A pickle fork will get it apart too, but they wreck boots, which is why I just beat on it.
Yep, the fork is only good if you 100% know you're throwing the part away as you will kill the boot.

Richard
 

454cid

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I've tried the hammer trick, and it never works for me. It's always been on my truck, though. The 4x4s have the ball joints pointed down, so the torsion bar is driving the balljoint into the knuckle. If you lift by the lower control arm, it's just the upper bushings and weight of the knuckle/UCA pushing down on the taper. I suppose it might work on the Buick since I think the lower ball joint is pointed up.
 

termite

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I've tried the hammer trick, and it never works for me. It's always been on my truck, though. The 4x4s have the ball joints pointed down, so the torsion bar is driving the balljoint into the knuckle. If you lift by the lower control arm, it's just the upper bushings and weight of the knuckle/UCA pushing down on the taper. I suppose it might work on the Buick since I think the lower ball joint is pointed up.
Last i changed one on a 400 was my old 1999 k1500 ecsb, jack plate under stud of lower ball joint and a few good smacks with some persuasion popped it loose.
 

Supercharged111

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I've tried the hammer trick, and it never works for me. It's always been on my truck, though. The 4x4s have the ball joints pointed down, so the torsion bar is driving the balljoint into the knuckle. If you lift by the lower control arm, it's just the upper bushings and weight of the knuckle/UCA pushing down on the taper. I suppose it might work on the Buick since I think the lower ball joint is pointed up.

Could also take everything but the lower off the knuckle so it's just hanging, then beat on it and let the knuckle drop. You'll wan the knuckle out of the way anyway if you're going to swap a lower bj out on one of these trucks.
 

454cid

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Take a piece of round stock, cut it about 3" (iirc) drill a hole through it an get 2 1/2 bolts washers an nuts. Put it between the studs, hold the nut loosen the bolt which presses on the studs an they will pop out.

A pipe nipple will work as well. Pictures an a better description here


I've seen this type of thing before. It may actually be a tool mentioned in a factory manual.
 
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