piles

as any of you who have attempted changing the ball joints on your truck with the D60 axle has found out, these are the worst, most seized, item i think ive ever removed off of anything, besides the hub, which was perfectly good until i pulled it apart! my question is, is it safe to use a torch to heat the ball joint housing on these or could it weaken the metal significantly or cause the housing to crack? ive used pullers and sledge hammers an penetrant,chisels,punches, bottle jacks, homemade puller, and a whole lota hours! im pretty sure a little heat and this job woulda been done long ago, just need some reassurance that im not gonna regret it! thanks

Gmanndodgeguy

I'll ask my buddy whos a mechanic and see what he says.....

Dinner

Last time I did ball joints on my dually I cut them out with a torch...things were fricken seized for good!

DodgeRamdiese01

from what I understand heating them helps remove the ball joints and heat doesn't change the properties of the metal. if allowed to cool on its own, dont dump water on them to cool them

piles

thanks for the opinions guys, im kinda kickin myself for wasting so much time not using heat in the first place,had them out in an hour using the cutting torch an a small sledge, still...that bottom joint was crazy tight!

rebal

i have never had a problem getting any out.ARE you using a ball joint press?

rattlerbob5.9

That's because you are in commiefornia out in the rust belt states they weld themselves in due to the road salt

Gmanndodgeguy

talked to my mechanic friend and he said as long as you don't over due it on the heat they should be fine. In other words, no cherry red parts!!

JoeCanuck

A trick a shade tree mechanic buddy told me to remove any 'joint' is to hit the 'hole' it goes in to from the side.

This causes enough flex to loosen up the crap and the ball joint, tie rod end or whatever should pop right out.

You may have to smack it a few times with a BFH but it should work. Hitting the joint to move it down through the hole never seems to work. I haven't had to try this but it's now in my arsenal should I need to.

I have also used heat...and in combination with that, 'cold spray'...heat on the outside, cold spray on the inside.

That being said, it's still a job I'd rather have someone else do...

rebal

well then thats probably the only good thing about this fascist pinko commie state

piles

ya, i used a ball joint press and tried riggin up a 8" puller on them, just bends the press an pops the puller, read about wackin the sides to an tried it literally for hours! i guess livin in alberta with our super salted roads was the culprit but i mean WOW! 15years of wrenchin on old farm equipment and cats, ive never seen a worse seized part, got to the point where i kept gettin real close with the lamp lookin for hidden spot welds! figured i must of been missin something! And again, thanks for the help guys.

Dinner

That's what we do at work with any sort of tie rod end, drag link, pitman arm, etc,etc to get them free'd up and out of the hole in no time. But as said earlier, sometimes that just doesn't work with rust welded parts from the north

JoeCanuck

Heat can be your friend...