Control arm ball joints seized! Help!

M

mjennings23

Senior member
 North West
So my car is currently sat on stands, the ball joints on the control arm, the one that bolts to the wheel hub, will NOT budge!

I've spent an hour smashing it with a big hammer, using the ball joint separator and the forks and nothing works... it's been soaked in WD40 for hours too...

Any advice, or anyone remotely near south Manchester who can save me? It would pain me to have to put the old parts back on but the car is needed tomorrow morning...
 
I've seen a garage stuck on these and it isn't pretty to watch, your hammer is probably too small, you have to get medieval with a solid steel 3+ pounder on a large fork.
 
WD40 isn't really the best penetrating fluid, get some proper stuff and leave it to soak overnight. One of mine took a hefty sledge to get off, if the fork doesn't do it I had better luck with shocking the joint. Fork wedged in and then a couple of taps in the sweet spot and it just dropped off, the fork wouldn't budge it.
 
Where are you? I'm in Hazel Grove near Stockport.

I can't get over today, but if you're still struggling I'm off work until Friday and free to come round and have a look. Can't promise to do a better job than you, but I've got a decent size lump hammer if it helps.
Like Steve says get some proper penetrating fluid on it, plus gas is my choice.

Steve
 
get a bigger hammer!

on that note, I gave up and sent it to a garage where a guy swore for 3 hours before he got them out :|
 
4 pound club hammer and the biggest forks I can fit, one dropped off half an hour ago but the other side is still stubborn
 
Success! Repeated bashing finally got it loose, after a long tea break pondering why on earth I decided to spend my day in suffering :rofl:

However, hopefully all will be sorted now with no knocks, not had the courage to test it yet because I know if it's still there I'll be... unhappy... :headbang:

Hopefully this is the worst job I have to do! Next week, valve cover gasket and VANOS refurb...
 
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