How do you pull ball joints out of the spindles?

[gibbons]

Got the struts out ready to replace, new control arms ready to go. I have my spindles on my work bench. How do I get the ball joints out to put new ones in?

Thanks!

[gibbons]

Let me answer my own question. Had the spindle off the car, on my bench. I put the nut backwards on the threads of the ball joint stud. I took some of my less cherished chinese vice-grips and grabbed the nut, perpendicular to the centerline axis of the ball joint stud. Then I took a hammer and beat on the vice grips as close to the nut as I could. This approximated a nice slide hammer, which yanked it cleanly out.

Done.

[Astro14]

Was going to say "Slide Hammer"...or, I think I did one set while on the car...and I drove a putty knife in between the flange of the joint and the spindle...which, after it was pulled out, gave me just enough purchase for a brass drift...driven by a large ball peen...

[n00bkiller944]

i used a hammer and a screw driver lol

[RockitShip]

lol another hammer & screwdriver user... I just try to be careful so as not to chew up control arm too much. I'm not too concerned about bending the flange a little bit (it will bend a little) on the ball joint as it snugs back up nice & flat once you tighten it back up again.

[kamiar]

lol, I had a tech from the dealer used special tool to remove and a special tool to install the new ball joint (at his home though), I paid him $40...