I rented the tool that looks like a giant C-clamp at O'Reilly's last night. It doesn't have enough throat depth for the adapters and actually working. Call the round of the other part stores and there are none with a bigger throat depth. This is the lower ball joint on a 95 Silverado 2 wheel drive. Unable to beat it out with a 3lb hammer. Any ideas other than pulling the lower control arm and putting it in a hydraulic press?
Did you have the a arm supported? If it's loose and flopping around you lose a lot of force that way.
Sometimes the simple Act of posting the question gives the answer. Just figured out how to use the tool wrong and pushed out one of the two bad ball joint. Thanks for everything guys
Like asking future Mrs Crackers where my keys are. LOL
It aggrevates my wife so much when i do that......
That’s why I have the $600 Snap-on ball joint press. It’s saved me lots of time and effort.
Off label tool use is a very important skill.
Yeah, whether it's a ball joint press or a shop press it's pretty much a puzzle. I have a hard time feeling like a professional when i use presses because in almost every case you feel like you're just making it up as you go. This is coming from a guy that teaches two suspension and steering classes today, so don't feel bad. Presses are just one of those things where you have very little specific guidance and have to use your own common sense and problem solving skills, which always feels angsty right up until you succeed and then feel like it was no big deal.
The big question is why they failed in the first place.
mark the LCA and the new LBJ so it is oriented correctly when you press it in.
In reply to Stampie :
Found many references to the supplied djm joints failing in short order. Consensus seems to be cheap, E36 M3ty parts. And comparing the failed to the moog, they are visibly lower quality .
Angry: moig gave an index on the joint. Sharpie gave one on the arm.
I once had a similar problem with a control arm joint using the parts-store tool. I went off-label with my usage...way off-label.
maschinenbau said:I once had a similar problem with a control arm joint using the parts-store tool. I went off-label with my usage...way off-label.
I'm so glad you thought to document that... I do stupid e36 m3 like that and I always forget to take a picture :)
In reply to maschinenbau :
Im impressed, yet scared.
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
Two big hammers, one on either side of the ball joint. Hit together and joint pops like a teenagers pimple.
In reply to Professor_Brap :
There was significant bowing of that 2x4.
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