need help on 88 steering knuckle

[okiefab922]

so, new to the site.. name is Tommy building a 91 ranger prerunner. i like welding a beer! haha


anyways, so i have not yet taken forged (88 an older) beams apart from the knuckle, so question..

after i loosen balljoint nuts, do i beat the living piss out of knuckle to separate from balljoints and then take the knuckle off the beam... or do i have to take ball joints out first to get the knuckle off?

Thanks in advance!

 

[adsm08]

The upper ball joint has a camber adjusting sleeve on it. On an 88 I believe the upper ball joint points down, so the sleeve will be to the inside of the fork at the end of the beam, and needs to go down to come out. Later ones were like the 4x4s and went up.

Then with the nut for the lower joint loose but not off, yes you beat the piss out of the lower ear. Hit the beam, not the knuckle. It is the vibrations from the impact that de-cone the ball joint and release the tension.

Ball joints are press-fit to the knuckle and cannot be removed from it until it has been removed first.

 

[okiefab922]

If I can figure out how to post pictures I will get a picture of where I'm at now. So my alignment Cam was backing out. Going down from the balljoint. I was hitting the knuckle at the steering arm. When I get home from work I'll spray more rust release and beat the beam. So it's confirmed.. The knuckle slides down and out? The balljoints can stay presses in the beams while I take knuckle off?

 

[adsm08]

Ball joints aren't pressed into the beam, they are pressed into the knuckle. They are "coned" into the beam, which is when you take a coned object and put it into a coned hole and tighten it in there, it expands the hole slightly, so the metal around the hole is still trying to squeeze back, and it gets the coned shaft stuck. Vibrations at the hole will allow it to pop back up. You need to hit the ear of the beam near the lower ball joint to remove the ball joint, not on the knuckle near the tie rod. Hitting near the tie rod will only remove the tie rod.


A press fit takes an object that is straight (usually with a chamfered leading edge), and puts it into a straight hole that is slightly smaller around so it can't just pop in and out.

 

[okiefab922]

These are older forged beams. The ball joints are in the beams. The beams are off the truck on my work table. Witch way does the balljoints press in and witch way do I get them out?

 

[okiefab922]

Here is my set up.

 

[adsm08]

Ok, you have that one. Yes, those ball joints are pressed into the beam, sorry.

I owned one 2wd in that age range, only had the early beam set for a few months, and I never looked at it that close. I don't think I even took the front wheels off except to scrap the axle.

 

[okiefab922]

Haha well damn. See I don't want to wear myself out beating it in the wrong direction and h havnt found anything in search or google or the off-road forums about that witch is crazy. So IDK what way the knuckle comes off. Guess I'm going to get some tacklin fuel (beer) and beat on them a while. Wish me luck lol

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Looking at your picture;
-Loosen tie rod nut so just a few threads are hanging on. Using a heavy hammer rap the knuckle on the outside of where the tie rod goes. It make take a few raps.
-Loosen ball joint nuts so just a few threads are on. Give a few raps on the knuckle on the outside of where the ball joint is. Alternate between top and bottom. Orient beam so knuckle wants to drop away from beam.

Leaving the nut on is to protect the threads.

 

[adsm08]

Looking at your picture;
-Loosen tie rod nut so just a few threads are hanging on. Using a heavy hammer rap the knuckle on the outside of where the tie rod goes. It make take a few raps.
-Loosen ball joint nuts so just a few threads are on. Give a few raps on the knuckle on the outside of where the ball joint is. Alternate between top and bottom. Orient beam so knuckle wants to drop away from beam.

Leaving the nut on is to protect the threads.

Leaving the nut on is to protect your feet.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Leaving the nut on is to protect your feet.

Feet are overrated.

 

[adsm08]

Feet are overrated.

Only for this guy.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Link not working.

 

[okiefab922]

So I ended up getting the knuckle off. Really simple. Feel dumb making it a big deal. But I was losing sleep I needed to know lol. Those of you dealing with the same issue. The knuckle comes off the ball joints and the joints stay in the beams. Like alwaysfloored said. Alternate between the knuckle and ball joint ear with a hammer to shock it and break it loose. Then tap your alignment Cam out of the top ball joint it will come out from the bottom. Once you get that out its smooth sailing.

Here's a picture

 

[okiefab922]

Now, new question... Do the ball joints come out from the bottom or top? Do you hit them down or do you hit them up and out?