Stupid lower ball joint!!

[vikingsandpintos]

Gotta love when a simple project takes all day... And today was MY day! lol

Got my daughters 67 C10 in the garage, have lots of upgrades, ect to do this winter so she can drive it this summer, she is just getting her license, and wanted this as her first car. But first, I am upgrading brakes, steering, ect.

Anyway, started on the first project today.... Changing the front drum brakes to disc! Bought the conversion kit, figured I would start disassembly on the old brakes today....

Got the cotter pins off, and loosened the castle nuts on the tie rod, and upper and lower ball joints on the driver side (Just doing 1 side at a time). Popped the tie rod off, no problem. Same with the upper ball joint, popped with a couple of smacks. Then came the lower ball joint.....

Hit it a few times with a hammer.. Nothing. Bigger hammer, nothing still. Took a break, then beat it like it owed me money, nothing. Took a good look at the spindle, ect, to make sure there wasn't something I was missing, as I haven't done a ball joint on one of these trucks (I have on lots of other cars, but not one of these). Saw the bolts going thru the spindle and steering arm, and thought maybe they also pinch shut the spindle or something, and decided they might as well come out.

Take the dust cap, nut, and outer wheel bearing off. Try to take the drum off, and it's stuck on the shoes. Beat and pry for an hour, cannot get it off. Seems as all this is getting tossed, I figure to torch the heads of the little pins that hold the shoes to the backing plate. Do it, and drum still won't come off. The top at the wheel cylinder won't come off. More beating and prying, nothing. Getting mad now, I decide, screw this drum and torch it open at the top, so I can get to the springs. End up cutting the heck out of anything I can see till the drum comes off!

Now, I take the bolts off that hold the steering arm onto the spindle, and can see that none of this is helping or needed, as it is just a normal ball joint setup. More beating on the spindle, nothing. Pickle forks, different sizes, nothing. Air chisel with a pickle fork end, nothing... Decide to heat the spindle, then beat on it, STILL nothing....

By now, I am beyond frustrated. Decide to cut the stupid ball joint stud with the torch, so I can at least get the darn spindle off. Just start cutting it, about 1/2 way thru, and run out of O2 in the torch.... REALLY?! Break out the sawzall, and 2 blades later, spindle is off!

And that is where I stop for the day. At least the spindle is off, and "Most" of the lower ball joint. Maybe tomorrow I will press the rest out, and grind the rivets on the top one. About 4 hours into it today, I've had enough! lol

Some days things just want to fight, and today was that day... I hope the truck doesn't do this to me on ALL my projects!

[vikingsandpintos]

Oh, and just to make me feel worse.....

I looked on here just now for tips/tricks to do it when I get to the other side, and found a small homemade press setup, a spreader type piece to press the stud thru. THEN I remembered I have one!! I got it a couple of years ago, it is setting in a toolbox... Smh!! I forgot all about it till I saw one like it here, I guess I will try that on the other side when I get to it.

My advice, don't get old and forgetfull! Can't believe I had it there the whole time and didn't even think of it....................

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by vikingsandpintos

Oh, and just to make me feel worse.....

I looked on here just now for tips/tricks to do it when I get to the other side, and found a small homemade press setup, a spreader type piece to press the stud thru. THEN I remembered I have one!! I got it a couple of years ago, it is setting in a toolbox... Smh!! I forgot all about it till I saw one like it here, I guess I will try that on the other side when I get to it.

My advice, don't get old and forgetfull! Can't believe I had it there the whole time and didn't even think of it....................

I know it's not funny but I had to smile anyway. I came across the instructions for that homemade tool on my hard drive today. I had saved it off the board. I was going to post it until I read your second post........

LockDoc

[davepl]

Just figured I'd throw this out since you're building the truck for a new driver: when I did mine, I added 3-point safety belts. No one wants to test the collapsible steering column feature!

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cb/full.aspx?Page=77

[firedemon]

if your taking both ball joints off do the bottom first with a little tension from the spring it will usually come off easier

[72 Super]

Originally Posted by vikingsandpintos

Gotta love when a simple project takes all day... And today was MY day! lol

Got my daughters 67 C10 in the garage, have lots of upgrades, ect to do this winter so she can drive it this summer, she is just getting her license, and wanted this as her first car. But first, I am upgrading brakes, steering, ect.

Anyway, started on the first project today.... Changing the front drum brakes to disc! Bought the conversion kit, figured I would start disassembly on the old brakes today....

Got the cotter pins off, and loosened the castle nuts on the tie rod, and upper and lower ball joints on the driver side (Just doing 1 side at a time). Popped the tie rod off, no problem. Same with the upper ball joint, popped with a couple of smacks. Then came the lower ball joint.....

Hit it a few times with a hammer.. Nothing. Bigger hammer, nothing still. Took a break, then beat it like it owed me money, nothing. Took a good look at the spindle, ect, to make sure there wasn't something I was missing, as I haven't done a ball joint on one of these trucks (I have on lots of other cars, but not one of these). Saw the bolts going thru the spindle and steering arm, and thought maybe they also pinch shut the spindle or something, and decided they might as well come out.

Take the dust cap, nut, and outer wheel bearing off. Try to take the drum off, and it's stuck on the shoes. Beat and pry for an hour, cannot get it off. Seems as all this is getting tossed, I figure to torch the heads of the little pins that hold the shoes to the backing plate. Do it, and drum still won't come off. The top at the wheel cylinder won't come off. More beating and prying, nothing. Getting mad now, I decide, screw this drum and torch it open at the top, so I can get to the springs. End up cutting the heck out of anything I can see till the drum comes off!

Now, I take the bolts off that hold the steering arm onto the spindle, and can see that none of this is helping or needed, as it is just a normal ball joint setup. More beating on the spindle, nothing. Pickle forks, different sizes, nothing. Air chisel with a pickle fork end, nothing... Decide to heat the spindle, then beat on it, STILL nothing....

By now, I am beyond frustrated. Decide to cut the stupid ball joint stud with the torch, so I can at least get the darn spindle off. Just start cutting it, about 1/2 way thru, and run out of O2 in the torch.... REALLY?! Break out the sawzall, and 2 blades later, spindle is off!

And that is where I stop for the day. At least the spindle is off, and "Most" of the lower ball joint. Maybe tomorrow I will press the rest out, and grind the rivets on the top one. About 4 hours into it today, I've had enough! lol

Some days things just want to fight, and today was that day... I hope the truck doesn't do this to me on ALL my projects!

I did smile and laugh a bit, but we all have been there a time or two or a hundred! Glad you got it and hope the other side goes a lot smoother.

Ray

[kwmech]

I just loosen both nuts about 1/4'' then beat the side till they pop, then I'll place a jack under the lower arm and take the pressure of the spring off the assy.

[custom10nut]

I feel your frustration. I replaced the original ball joints and tie rod ends a couple months ago. I watched numerous how to vids, and they made it look SO easy. Well let me tell you something. After about eight hours of sweat, busted and bruised knuckles, and a plethora of words that kids will never hear on network tv, my son and I completed the task. The truck handles like brand new now, so it was well worth it.

[vikingsandpintos]

Thanks for all the replies! I think that was more of a vent than anything. I didn't make it back out to the garage today, too much Christmas stuff to do, lol!

Hopefully my post helps remind everyone that while sometimes nothing goes right, that is also part of what makes our hobby interesting. Anyone can just buy a built truck, but it is so much more special when we put the time and effort into them ourselves.

Some days go smooth, and others, not so much... But in the end, it is always worth it! I hope my daughter enjoys her truck as much as I have some of my other projects!

[hugger6933]

I build wrecks [and old trucks] for a living and let me tell you there are more days that are the butt pain day than every thing went smooth days. But for what it is worth the even out and if it wasn't for money [or the lack thereof] I'd have fun e'ry day

[ekgguy]

Dude, that sucks. Seems to be either feast or famine. I just got through taking the entire front end apart and (knock on wood) everything came apart like it was just put together yesterday.

Since I was replacing every moving part on the front end, I did use a pickle fork to break all the joints apart. It worked really well. I had a bit of a senior moment when trying to remove the front drums. I worked on them for an hour before I realized that the drum and hub were riveted together.

Like a wise man once said, Some days its the chicken, some days its the feathers.

[demian5]

Originally Posted by firedemon

if your taking both ball joints off do the bottom first with a little tension from the spring it will usually come off easier

I totally second this. Let the UCA rest on the bump stop and the spring helps to pull the LCA downward while hitting the spindle.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Did you already have the spring removed (or at least compressed)???

[vikingsandpintos]

I had a jack under the lower control arm, so the spring couldn't pop out. I have done ball joints before, just not on the 67 Chevy trucks before. And NEVER had one that fought like that! lol I'm used to racecars, where they have been apart before, and everything comes apart pretty easy. But I guess if it was an original ball joint, after 49 years I can see why it didn't want to come apart!! (And looking at the tie rods, ect, it looks all original, so everything is getting fresh shiny parts installed!)

[el_fantasma]

Originally Posted by davepl

Just figured I'd throw this out since you're building the truck for a new driver: when I did mine, I added 3-point safety belts. No one wants to test the collapsible steering column feature!

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cb/full.aspx?Page=77

These don't have the GM logo on them, hard to tell from the picture. Regardless, 3 point belts are a good idea, not matter where you get them

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by vikingsandpintos

I had a jack under the lower control arm, so the spring couldn't pop out. I have done ball joints before, just not on the 67 Chevy trucks before. And NEVER had one that fought like that! lol I'm used to racecars, where they have been apart before, and everything comes apart pretty easy. But I guess if it was an original ball joint, after 49 years I can see why it didn't want to come apart!! (And looking at the tie rods, ect, it looks all original, so everything is getting fresh shiny parts installed!)

So, if you had a jack under the LCA... and you were beating on it... how did you expect the ball joint to pop free??

On the other side, support the truck's frame with jack stands and place a jack under the LCA, but leave a gap. Remove the shock from the LCA. Remove the sway bar if it has one. Remove cotter pin and only loosen the lower ball joint nut +/-1/4" Hit the LCA next to the ball joint until it pops free. When it pops loosen the nut +/-1/4" again and pop it again (if it doesn't move on its own.) Usually by the 2nd time it's "free". You can then place the jack snugly under the LCA, remove the lower ball joint nut and slowly lower the spring out.

[vikingsandpintos]

Believe me, I tried all sorts of methods... Pickle fork at the ball joint, pry bar putting upward pressure on the spindle, air hammer with pickle fork while hitting it, a little of everything. I had also tried with the top still hooked up, and the jack just loosely under the lower arm so the spring wouldn't fly out. It just didn't want to come!! lol

[saxart]

This thread makes me want to go out and hose down the entire front of my '70 LB with PB-Blaster as I know the front end will need to come apart sooner rather than later. (I know that doesn't necessarily help with a "taper-fit" ball joint, but it can't hurt!)

[cdowns]

get the sawall out took me about 10minutes to slice thro the stubborn ball joint on it's way to the dumpster