Thrust Arm Ball Joint Impossible to remove

[ghostryder35]

91 525i, I cannot remove the Passenger side ball joint on the thrust arm (upper control arm) from the hole it connects to in the steering knuckle. I have tried everything heating it up, removed all of the ball joint rubber, tried using two pickle forms, a c-clamp, railing the $$%^ out of it with a sludge hammer, jacking it up with a jack, driving around on it without the nut on the bottom (I know very stupid yet it still didnt work) I did the driver side with out a problem. Any ideas. I need to get it out asap!!!

[BimmerMeUp]

I was having similar troubles with my passenger side ball joint. I soaked mine overnight in PB baster. Came back in the morning and a few taps on the pickle fork and it came loose.

Some guys have had good luck with tie rod end pullers.

[TouringDan]

AutoZone will loan you the appropriate puller. I did mine, and the one in their kit popped it out in about 5 seconds

[LJSE34]

A puller works wonderfully. Apparently it's possible with pickle forks but you'll have to beat the piss out of them all day long.

[X Mon]

Yup, either a puller, or a pickle fork that you can put into your air hammer. I used the latter when I stripped the parts 5er.

[ghostryder35]

I've tried using a tie rod fork, and soaking it with PB blaster and WD-40. The only thing I can think of is that the passenger side (the one I am having the issue with) caliper was sticking and thats why I was doing the thrust arm and the caliper rotor pads together. so my theory is the caliper created a lot of heat making the screw cease inside the knuckle. Anyone know where I can get a ball joint puller? I am in desperate need and checker doesnt seem to carry one (ass holes )

[ghostryder35]

autozo ne.com/R,NONAPP24062/store,/initialAction,accessoryProductDetail/shopping/accessoryProductDetail.htm would this one work?

[e34gasm]

puller ftw

[ghostryder35]

so I finally got it off. The Ball Joint Puller and two pickle forks didnt do the job. A propane torch did not do the job. A 75lb sludge hammer and a tie rob pickle fork did not work. So I drilled it out, now I got a nice set of craftsmen drill bits I'm trying to post pics but it says I need twenty posts.

[ghostryder35]

Drilling it out (What a f*ing mess)



The tools I used (minus the Sludge Hammer a.k.a. BFG)



(What it looked like after I finally got the arm out)



(And the beauty that I went threw all the trouble for )

[TouringDan]

That's the wrong puller-set, btw, but I am glad that you found a way to get it out. For future refrence, this is the doodad that will pop that thing out:
http://www.mccormicktools.com/thumb.php?id=11474328141

[ghostryder35]

yea I was trying to get that one but Autozone had already loaned it to someone else so all they had was a ball joint press. I took a whirl at it

[fkong777]

pickle fork worked everytime.. It will tear up your ball joint rubber boot but it comes out.

[ghostryder35]

pickle fork worked everytime.. It will tear up your ball joint rubber boot but it comes out.

I tried that, it didnt work.

[Whackamac]

DUDE!!! All you have to do is put a floor jack under the lower ball joint and jack the suspension up and POP! It comes out itself.... You have to put the bolt back through the thrust arm bushing first tho.

At least both of mine did after fighting the first one for an hour. Found the idea online.

This works for the sway bar links too...

AND PLEASE!!! I am getting ready to do drilled rotors... Mind taking a pic so I can see how sexy it looks?

[ghostryder35]

DUDE!!! All you have to do is put a floor jack under the lower ball joint and jack the suspension up and POP! It comes out itself.... You have to put the bolt back through the thrust arm bushing first tho.

At least both of mine did after fighting the first one for an hour. Found the idea online.

This works for the sway bar links too...

AND PLEASE!!! I am getting ready to do drilled rotors... Mind taking a pic so I can see how sexy it looks?

91 525i, I cannot remove the Passenger side ball joint on the thrust arm (upper control arm) from the hole it connects to in the steering knuckle. I have tried everything heating it up, removed all of the ball joint rubber, tried using two pickle forms, a c-clamp, railing the $$%^ out of it with a sludge hammer, jacking it up with a jack, driving around on it without the nut on the bottom (I know very stupid yet it still didnt work) I did the driver side with out a problem. Any ideas. I need to get it out asap!!!

Obviously I already tried jacking it up

here is the pick of the old rotors (still drilled)



here is a pic with the new rotors




Here is one with the wheel on (dont mind the dirty wheel, its going for a bath as soon as I am done uploading the picture )

[LJSE34]

Nice job. I've got a noob question. How does that work, drilling out a bolt? What exactly happens when you do that?

[HE53]

You should have used a socket with a jack and jacked up the suspinsion using the two putting pressure on the bolt/ball joint. Then hit the plate near the strut with a hammer. Usually pops loose in about 5-10 hits.

No special tools required to do it that way.

[Roderic E34T]

What brand are those rotors?

[ghostryder35]

You should have used a socket with a jack and jacked up the suspension using the two putting pressure on the bolt/ball joint. Then hit the plate near the strut with a hammer. Usually pops loose in about 5-10 hits.

No special tools required to do it that way.

I used the jack and the 3/8 small extension and jacked it up on the extension, putting pressure only on the screw of the bottom of the ball joint (lowering the whole car on that one extension on the ball joint) and the damn thing did not come out!

What brand are those rotors?

The new ones are ZIMMERMAN Part # 34111160936ZD from www.rockauto.com , I don't remember what the old ones were.

[ghostryder35]

Nice job. I've got a noob question. How does that work, drilling out a bolt? What exactly happens when you do that?

Works like in that picture. Notice how the bolt is hollow and half of it is broken off. When that happens, it is no longer held in place, no pressure, there for it will come out.

[HE53]

I used the jack and the 3/8 small extension and jacked it up on the extension, putting pressure only on the screw of the bottom of the ball joint (lowering the whole car on that one extension on the ball joint) and the damn thing did not come out!


.

Did you hit the plate at the bottom of the strut with a hammer?

[Whackamac]

I used the jack and the 3/8 small extension and jacked it up on the extension, putting pressure only on the screw of the bottom of the ball joint (lowering the whole car on that one extension on the ball joint) and the damn thing did not come out!

That was my first attempt as well and it didnt work at all... I was short of drilling and said screw it... put the jack under the lower ball joint (this keeps the jack off the rotor..) and jacked it up as far as I could go. I had my car resting on ramps and not jackstands which were a bit lower and gave me more jack height. I jacked the shit out of it and just when I thought I was going too far.... POP!

OH forgot this part.... You have to have a picklefork jammed into the ball joint when you do this as it gives the leverage you need.

[ghostryder35]

Did you hit the plate at the bottom of the strut with a hammer?

nope