Swap begins

[BoatMan]

66 300 front disk conversion.

I'm sure many questions will follow but here is #1: having issues separating upper control arm with steering knuckle. Castle nut is off. Looks free and clear to just come off... But won't.

What am I missing? Do I have to remove the ball joint stud (top)? Special tool for that?

 

[barnfind]

.

 

[azblackhemi]

You need one of these and a BFH. (Big F'n Hammer)

 

[detmatt]

I use a ball joint separator and a bfh.

 

[saylor]

+1 pickle fork is your BFF

or take the whole assy up to the local shop and have them bust it down for you and swap those ball joints.

they screw in.

try not to die -

- saylor

 

[saylor]

just mentioning , , ,you let off the torsion bars yes?

if you didn't, make sure you have a jack under those lower arms so they stay in place

 

[hanks71440]

You need one of these and a BFH. (Big F'n Hammer)

View attachment 163715

Agree! also have 2 beers ready after the 4th whack....

 

[LocuMob]

just mentioning , , ,you let off the torsion bars yes?

if you didn't, make sure you have a jack under those lower arms so they stay in place

Loosen those torsion bars! The lowers will slam to the ground and could hurt important parts, of you!

BFH and pickle fork, and patience. If you think you've hit it as hard as you can, you're not there yet. I like to use a line from Dodgeball, "You gotta get MEAN!!!" Frustration will be your motivator. That's my experience anyways.

 

[detmatt]

Get the ball joint separator on it and tighten it as much as you can then take the hammer and strike the side of the casting where the joint shaft passes through. That should release it and not damage the old joint or it’s boot. If that old joint isn’t bad and the boot is in tact I wouldn’t replace it, the new ones suck compared to a good used one imo..

 

[Newport 66]

Please wear gloves and eye protection...ear plugs or muffs isn't bad either.

 

[Newport 66]

Always turn the stereo up......the neighbor kids and grandmother's won't hear you swearing.....LOL

 

[mr. fix it]

You need one of these and a BFH. (Big F'n Hammer)

View attachment 163715

Using this could rip the grease boot....

 

[67Monaco]

Spin that castle back on a few threads and then hit the side of that spindle with the biggest hammer and everything you got. It will come loose.

Like this.

 

[azblackhemi]

Using this could rip the grease boot....

You do have to be careful.

 

[BoatMan]

Got it! Consulted the Harbor Freight ball joint tool. Now to get that busted cotter pin out. I'll keep you guys posted.

 

[saylor]

one day a long long time ago, I had a 68 cougar as my DD - my only car - I was poor at the time. this is pre-internet, when a guy had a chiltons manual as his internets...


I don't remember WHY I was doing it , but had to bust loose the ball joints/knuckles for some repair, and get the car back on the road by the work week.

I remember being under the car and hitting the pickle fork so hard for so long that it mentally broke me. my arm could do no more hammering. I was laying under the car crying

so, finally, after much gnashing of teeth, it popped loose. like said above ^^ - hit it harder. get mad at it.


so - back to this cougar, once I got everything loose and got the new part, the new part from the store and the part I just took off were not the same. I was totally mind blown, as the part JUST removed from the car like 10 minutes ago - NOPE no match.

doing some part comparisions - we finally figured out that 1 side of the suspension was off cougar/mustang/montego, and the other side was off thunderbird/ranchero or some total **** like that. All I remember one rotor was larger than the other and my head exploding.

what a fknig nightmare that was.

so I got my old lady (now wifey) and we went to the salvage yard. it was pull your own part back then. I found me a good ranchero candidate and started pulling a corner off.

as I worked, the jack/car would sink into the ground. so I undid everything, added a new block of wood, repeat. sink. add wood to stack. remove another bolt. repeat.

finally I got the rotor and arms and whatever else I was after, and was able to finish the repair.

somewhere in DFW is a cougar with 2 different sized front end sides

 

[Detroit Iron]

You need a bigger hammer. Smack the **** out of it.

 

[66/440]

I was taught a little different method a long time ago. First loosen the nut on the ball joint but be sure you leave about 1/2 inch of threads engaged. Leave the tension on the torsion bar or coil spring engaged. Using all the appropriate safety devices use 2 large hammers (2lb ball peen is what I use) strike the knuckle where the ball joint stud passes through on opposite sides simultaneously, kinda like clapping your hands with the hammers. Normally 3 or 4 good whacks will cause the joint to break loose. You can then loosen the torsion bar and then remove the nut. By the time I am replacing a ball joint the boot is crusty and I always replace it with a new one so I never worry much about damaging it.
BTW you would not want to support the lower control arm at this time as you are relying on the downward pressure from the torsion bar to help break it loose.

 

[VALNUT]

I'll Chime in with same but different method too.
undo the nut and wind it up to the top of the thread, so they are flush. Hammer the fork in to load the ball joint. a couple of light to medium taps on the top of the nut, use a piece of wood if hitting this makes you cringe, and it will pop free. No frustration or arm work out. old bush mechanic showed me this when I was young and keen to bash a ball joint.