drolex

I need some help removing the track bar. How do you get this thing off? I've been hammering down on the bolt with no luck. I've been trying to get it off for a few hours. I have the bolt out of the bushing side so the whole thing is ready to come out once the bolt on the upper side comes out. I had my dad pry the bar down (with a 5 foot pry bar) right next to the joing while I hammered but nothing happens.

lovinCTD59

HEAT... Heat that stud up, watch out for spitting grease, it gets a bit warm. Beat then beat it with a nice size hammer.

torquefan

Separating it with a pickle fork is probably the easiest method, but a couple of hammer smacks in the side of its mount will jar it loose too.

lovinCTD59

This works too. works even better if you have the pickle fork attatchment to go on your air hammer...

justme-

Pickle fork, air hammer with flat bit on the bolt (if you are planning on rebuilding it you had better put the nut on before hammering on it to protect the threads), tie rod puller....

I used a long 2x4 with a 3lb hammer and finally got mine out with the air hammer.

BTW, jacking the drivers side of the truck up under the frame will ease some tension and may help- it did for me.

chariotdriver

Take the weight off the front end and have somebody saw the steering wheel back and forth. It worked for me.

rotohead

Your pickle fork has to have a spread of over 1 inch. I have a couple smaller forks and they wouldn't go around the tapered bolt going into the frame. That and moderate heat will do the trick. If it still won't come out try heat, then throw a wet rag on the heated taper. The sudden contraction will usually pop it out. Good Luck, Chuck

Russ Roth

I have had real good luck in these situations by using WD-40, PB blast or the like. Tap the joint every once in a while and spray more juice. After about a half hour I put pressure on it with a bar and use a small sledge on the side of the joint. Usually pops right out after a bit. Sometimes I have had to work on it for a bit but I can't recall one that didn't just drop out pretty quickly.

old 300

I changed mine 2 weeks ago and had no trouble. I thought that living in an area that we have road salt 5 months a year I would be in for a hard time. I slacked the nut almost all the way and left the deep impact socket on the nut. I hit the socket 3 times and it poped off.
The trouble came when I tried to remove the inner tie rod end, That was good for 3 hours till I got the right tool.LoL..

torquefan

True, you need a pickle fork for ball joints. The one for tie rod ends is too small.