Any secrets to getting the frame-side trackbar stud free of the mounting hole? Everything's unbolted, I've used a pint of PB to loosen it, and I've wanged on that thing with a ten pound sledge hammer and a driver for an hour. Don't budge. Even tried a gear puller, but that don't seem to want to do it, either.

Are we talking heat here? Cut it off or heat it up? Because my equipment just picked a poor time to "carp" out.

Just venting here, but if someone's got a suggestion so I don't have to go to a shop with a stupid unbolted stud, I'll be thankful. They're gonna laugh at me if I do.

 

I gave my mount a good whack on the side to loosen up the taper. Thats a trick for removing ball joints that seemed to work for me. I too pounded the thing till I was blue in the face then just beat the actual outside of the mount with a 5 lb hammer a couple of times, then put the nut loosely on the end of the stud. Got the BFH and hit that till it came free..

Some heat to the outside of the joint might help..

J-eh

 

Pitman arm puller has always worked for me. Get a good one, the kind you can wail on with a sledge hammer after it's torqued down. A little heat won't hurt.

 

These guys are right on, also use some never-seize when reinstalling to simplify the next track bar change. Just my .002



or on lighter side try this

 

I think its called a ball joint seperator. It looks like a two pronged fork. The forks are wedges, and the distance between the forks should allow it fit right under the frame joint.

Put it under the frame joint, and wack away. The more you drive it in, the tighter the wedge gets, and it will drive the stud out. I had the same problem, and the whole time i was hitting the stud with a rawhide hammer there was this tool sitting on the bench. I bet i wacked that ball stud for an hour. Two licks with the ball joint seperator and it was over. 2 minutes tops....lol.

ill see if i can dig up a picture.

 

ahh. that didnt take long.

 

AKA - Pickle Fork!

It's no different than changing a tie rod ends... Or is it?!

 

auto zone will loan you one. might be the right size, might not. also if you try the smack it on the side route, use a big beater to back it up, ie 10# and smack it on the other side with a 4#. i've used this method for years on parts needing to be replaced. good luck

 

I forgot about the seperator fork... Good Idea!!

 

Yeah,,,i felt so stupid when I wasted an hour trying to get it out. I was sitting there staring at it, and cussing it and decided to get a cold drink of water from the fridge. I walked over to the fridge, and sitting on the workbench was a pickle fork. I thought, hey, thats the tool I need to get that stud out! Guess what happened next?

i had it out in a matter of 2minutes....lol. Then I picked up my Haynes manual and guess what there was a picture of? A pickle fork seperating the stud...lol.
I learned a lesson that day...

 

mr hot wrench, mr pickle fork and mr big * hammer are your friend...

I use a sears propane hot wrench, and a 3' 12# hammer when I need stuff off

 

Sometimes all three!

 

Thanks, all. It's out. Didn't have a fork, but the following did work:

-- wife with a propane torch heated the stud, while I --
-- wedged a big crowbar between the bar and the frame
-- stood on the wedged crowbar
-- beat on the stud with the ten pound hammer

ten whacks, exactly ten.

 

I can just see that operation Your wife is innocently standing there with a propane torch, and you're standing on a crowbar wedged under where she is heating and you are beating whatever it is you're standing on. With every whack of the hammer, your wife is just waiting to laugh at you when you fall on your ****. Whatever you need to git 'er done, though!

 

She caught me when it all came apart. I am blessed with a fine wife.