Even if it does, for ball joints, that is one worthless piece of ****. And yes I had one and it went into the scrap iron can along with the pickle fork.

I'm going to explain this again.


This is a representation of the ball joint pin and spindle eye connection, Using a pickle fork is sorta like getting your finger out by pulling harder. Using that contraption is like pushing the finger out. The only way you get your finger out is by 'relaxing the tube'

Run the bj pin nut out to the end.
Put a heavy 'anvil' {like a sledge head} against one side of the spindle eye. Smack the other side with a heavy hammer. Any framing hammer should do.
The eye will deform slightly to try to go egg shape.. it cant becuase the tapered pin is there. But it WILL break the surface bond. And it WILL try to push out the taper pin.
I've never seen it take more than three good whacks plus a tap on the end of the pin to get the pin loose.
I'm tempted to put in a 'taking a heavy dump/expelling a log' allegory here but I wont.

And NO.. It will NOT crack or damage the spindle, PERIOD!!!

To be fair.. as a 'ball joint separator' a pickle fork makes a good pry bar. Or grease boot destroyer.

 

Jimi, have you looked at any youtubes on this, maybe a visual, disregard any with pickle forks.

 

I managed to get the lower joint loose, but then had to wrestle to get it out.

At least I've learned some things on this side that will make the other go quicker.

I still never managed to get the hub to come loose from the axle. When I finally got it seperated from the steering knuckle, it was with the entire axle attached, which of course pulled it loose from, whatever that is....transfer case? Anyway, I now have to figure out how to get the boot back on there. Doesn't seem to want to go...

 

Ok I now kind of see why you had such problems, hub should be removed prior to ball joints at least how I have done it.

 

Aw, well that explains a lot. The theme of this thread is..
FIRST thing to do when hub must separated:
Loosen CV hubnut with breaker and cheater bar with tire on ground.
run hubnut out even with end of threads. Actually I reverse it, just for drill and larger sweet flat spot.
Spray spline/cv shaft with PBlaster. Careful to NOT get it into bearings.Wait 15 minutes, spray again.
Find short piece 2x4, hold against nut/shaft. 2x4 is a MUST to avoid possibility of bearing damage
Whack several good swings with heavy hammer. Small sledge works best.

Then break lugnuts and jack up car.
Once brake parts removed, and want to get hub out, pblaster again on hub/spindle junction.. again, NOT into bearings. Loosen hub attach nuts, if any or if bolts, run out about 1/4".

Cant remember if I had to or could do this... if you can reach the spindle metal around hub.. again, healthy whacks with hammer, various angles and positions. IIRC, I just tapped around the attache bolts till it came free of the spindle.

Bonus:

Rotor stuck on hub - lugnuts partially back on to protect threads. pblaster at base of studs into holes in rotor. wait... whack between lugs with light hammer. 16 oz is good enough. go around twice or until rotor obviously loose. Then piece of any wood against back of rotor and light to med whacks around -turn rotor in between whacks

"Hammers dont break stuff.. PEOPLE break stuff"

* Monkeys and other apes make and use sharp sticks to poke and dig, and smash nuts with rocks. First time we see one tying that stick onto a rock, that's a problem.

 

OK, I'll try that on the other side.

Any idea how the boots go on there? The ones that are on the axle have these hard rings on the edges, but I don't see how they were ever tightened on there. Kind of seems like you would need a hoseclamp on there, but they were obviously fine until I pulled it off by accident.

 

Nope. I can imagine some kind of bent spoon-like thing to get under the lip and work it around sorta like you mount a tire, but I've never had to do it. Only CV boot I did came with a band-clamp

 

I'll have to mess with it, but can't for a few days. Raining bad here. I hope that won't be too bad... I sort of imagine trying a bunch of different tools on it till I manage to pop a hole in it or my hand....or both!

Off to look up steering idler arm replacement.