I have went through two ball joint separators and I am wore out from swinging the sledge at them. I have even tried heating the ball joint up with a small torch. Not red hot of course. What am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance.

Tom

 

If whacking it with a sledge hammer doesn't free it, you could try driving it out to your driveway and driving in and out of the ditch at angles. This should pop it free. When I did mine I just popped the stud with a hammer and she fell right out.

 

I usually just turn the wheels all the way left and drive the stud out with a long bar and hand sledge.
Don't recall if there is enough room but another method that works well is to take a hand sledge in each hand at hit both sides of the housing the ball joint stud passes though at the same time. What this does is cause the hole to elongate and spit the stud out.

 

i put the 2 piece multi purpose puller on it..tighten it real good and then tap the housing with a hammer like infidel said and it just pops out and falls to the ground...u do have the other end loosened first right?

 

The key is hitting the housing where the tapered bolt plugs in hard enough to cause the housing to deform enough to force the bolt to work out. Just put enough pressure on the union to assist it in releasing, then whack the housing square on! It will jump right out.

If you are in a road salt state, you may have to dope the nut end of the tapered bolt with some PB Blaster and let it set a bit to loosen the rust.

 

try using your ball joint spreader, tap it in so it's holding pressure.

then put the nut on your ball stud. wack the nut, wack the spreader, wack the nut and so on...

 

Just wanted to give all an update. I ended up sticking a 12-14" piece of 1-1/2" billet of ropund steel through the wheel well and whacked it with an 8 pound sledge about three times and it finally popped out! I had to heat it with a small plumber torch and soak it with PB Blaster. I hit it all morning with a three pound sledge, but the 8 Pounder was what it took. Thanks to all who gave advice.