Front upper ball joint - help please

[Muddi Camel]

I'm in the process of replacing front ball joints.
Apart from the fight with the lower pinch bolts
- (I might drill clean through and replace with bolt & nut - unless others can persuade me otherwise).

Anyway, The upper ball joints don't seem to want to shift. There's no way that I can see to support the aluminium housing to press it out.
Does anyone have some way of getting them out?

Thanks

 

[turkie172]

You undo/loosen the upper ball joint nuts while still fitted to the car along with the other bolts after a good period of penetrating oil application that way you have not done anything too far and know if the job is a go or not. If the pinch bolt is doing your head in then cut the lower ball joint pin part so you can remove the jointing bracket and hold it somewhere better so you can work on it. Once you have done that knock the living s**t out of the ball joint pin through until it is out of the clamp that should free the pressure on the pinch bolt giving you a better chance to remove it with no hole thread damage. If the assembly is already off the car then turn the hub full lock put some wood through the center to hold it there and stand on it while you turn the nut the opposite why all a bit complex and awkward but it's a great way to spend an evening. Be very careful with the ball joints the whole thing does not sit at 90degrees for a bench press use a MAP blow torch to put heat into the castings around the ball joints it will take some time as the heat will move along the aluminum structure this reduces the pressure required to push out and in the ball joints and is very easy to get the angles wrong damaging the holes and a high risk of cracking the castings so take you time and think it through I cut 2.5" exhaust pipe at angles to correct the positions on the bench press so the casting was at an angle but the stroke was then vertical. only press on the outside collars not the neck around the pin or you will damage the ball joints and they will not last a tap.

Good Luck