Ok, for 2 nights I have been trying to get the lower ball joints out of my 2001 4x4 Durango. I am about ready to duct tape the new ones in..... In all seriousness, there was a lip on the top side of the ball joint that I removed above the control arm. There does not seem to be a ring clip anywhere on the top. I bent the ball joint press, I have the control arm out. A sledge hammer has not moved them, and I almost broke my hand using a 12 ton press to get them out. Whats the story with these things? Any help, or a stick of dynamite would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jon

 

Try heating the control arm with a torch without hitting the ball joint that may help the extraction. Otherwise since you have the control arms out you can take them to a shop for a nominal fee and have the old ones pressed out and the new ones pressed back in.

 

Take it to a shop and have them press it out. I had to do that with one of my other cars, they charges like $10 to press the old one out and press a new one in. Saves you the headache.

 

Grind the lip off the top. Take a sledge and hit the outside of the control arm hard about 4-5 times. Drive the ball joint out with no problem. Done it a hundred times. Works like a champ.

 

I would like to see that work out. I can see it working to release from the spindle but not out of the control arm.

 

I'm sure that you have a lock ring on the top of the B-joint then the joint slips out downward for removal.

 

dont use a sledge thats sloppy besides u dont want to bend your control arms thier already out have them pressed at a shop

 

Thanks guys, I finally got them. They didn't have th snap ring, just REALLY in there. I had to put them under the full load of a 12 ton press in my shop, then heat them with a torch. Even then they barely moved. Never had this big of a problem getting ball joints out. Whew!

Thanks, again!

Jon

 

Yeah only aftermarket will have the snap ring. I had an 02 yukon I was working on that the drivers side took 10 hours to get all of the suspension work done and 5 hours on the passenger side. It all depends on those ball joints.

 

My OEM's had em?


Anyway, thanks for the update!