What can I substitute in place of a pickle fork?

[koda6966]

Any ideas?

 

[Destroyer000]

what are you trying to do ?

 

[metalmacguyver]

Sometimes a pitman arm puller can be used but it depends on each situation, it fits some places and not others.

 

[kunar]

a bfh and a wood block...

what are you trying to do anyways?

 

[koda6966]

Take off my front ball joints. I need to replace them, but I don't want to buy a tool I'll use maybe once or twice in the next 10 years..

 

[Psychopete]

Take off my front ball joints. I need to replace them, but I don't want to buy a tool I'll use maybe once or twice in the next 10 years..

See if you can rent one locally. A cheapy isn't going to cost more than 15 bucks. I think I paid $13 for mine from Advance Auto Parts, and I've beaten the shit out of it.

Pete

 

[koda6966]

See if you can rent one locally. A cheapy isn't going to cost more than 15 bucks. I think I paid $13 for mine from Advance Auto Parts, and I've beaten the shit out of it.
Pete

I'm on an extremely tight budget. I decided to keep the truck instead of selling it and now I have to fix everything that's wrong with it, or else my license goes bye bye.

I'll see what I can do with some of the suggestions posted.

 

[hunt-n-fish]

I'm on an extremely tight budget. I decided to keep the truck instead of selling it and now I have to fix everything that's wrong with it, or else my license goes bye bye.

I'll see what I can do with some of the suggestions posted.

Dude tell your girl you want one for christmas...

 

[MAKG]

You can get a Pitman arm puller for $8 and a C-frame press for $30, from Harbor Freight Ask your family for them for Christmas. A balljoint replacement without them is VERY painful, and with them, is not so bad.

 

[CJREX]

If you have an Advance Auto or Autozone nearby, you can borrow a ball joint tool for free.

Basically they'll charge your credit card the full price of the tool(in case someone "forgets" to bring it back) and then issue you a full refund when you return it.

The local stores here loan out for 30 days max. After 30 days, you own it.

 

[metalmacguyver]

To separate the knuckle from the beam, I always use a BFH. In my case its a 4lb "Engineers Hammer"

Get a the balljoint tool from the autoparts store. Its free when you return it.

When your using it, make sure to apply a little grease to the threads of the drive screw. It will make life much easier.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

for the upper balljoint, remove the pinch bolt and hammer a large screwdriver or prybar into the seam to help widen the pinch seam a little. then tap the ball joint shaft with a hammer.

for the bottom, remove the bolt from the ball joint, then thread it back on a few turns (gives you a larger target and keeps the knuckle from falling on your foot once the balljoint pops loose) and wail on it with a hammer.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

Yep, all you need is a big hammer. Once I got the knuckle free from the beam (using a hammer), I put the knuckle in a large vice and beat the ball joints out with the hammer. It would have taken me longer to set the c-clamp ball joint press up than it did to beat them out.

Also don't use a pickle fork. You risk destroying the knuckle, beam, or camber bushing that you're prying against.

 

[kennykenny]

I don't understand why people dread doing ball joints so much...I've done them a lot of times and I always have fun doing it...although without the proper tools I would imagine its a bitch.

 

[metalmacguyver]

I don't understand why people dread doing ball joints so much...I've done them a lot of times and I always have fun doing it...although without the proper tools I would imagine its a bitch.

You just answered your own question. It is a bitch w/o the proper tools.