I'm a big time DIY'er for everything. I just enjoy the torture sometimes.
I tried to get my lower ball joints off a month or so ago and they would not even budge.
I had the ball joint press bending into the shape of a W. I was cranking on that press with a 3' bar for all I had. I sprayed PB Blaster on the joint every 8 hours for 2 days. I heated the ***** up, air chiseled em, swore alot and threw some tools, nothing even budged.
I had a terrible feeling of defeat for a while, but I got over it.
So I dropped it off at my local garage and they said they came out really hard. They told me they did a lot of pounding and a lot of heating.

The good news is my trucks rides like brand new now.
Some new tires next month and I will be all ready for snowmobile season.

 

it happens, glad to hear you're set now

 

Been there, done that, and felt it.

happens every time on the easiest **** to sometimes like changing a TB... -_-

 

How does the lower ball joint come out if I don't have a press???
2003 Dakota 4x4,
I'm replacing the upper, which I have already done, shocks...no problem, but the lower ball joint I can't seem to get it to budge!! I'm pounding from the top down right??? So it drops out of the bottom of the arm???
I've heated, sprayed lube ......
Any bright ideas to pass along to me, like I have said I don't have a press.
Thanks

 

they dont.
places like autozone or advance rent ball joint presses out.

 

Im thankful mine were done before I bought my truck cuase by the sounds of it they are a major pain to get out. I got mad replacing my brake lines prob cause one started to leak after I got one done and it took me all day.

 

you dont need a press to remove them just chisel the lip of the factory lower BJ, lots of pb blaster, a soft metal punch, and a sledge hammer with lots of heat. thats how i did it, and it worked.

 

usually after a while, you grab a BFH, things get a little hazzy for O say.. 20 min, and before you know it they are out!

 

I was able to pound the lower ball joints out. I ended up putting a jack under the lower control arm to steady it as I pounded it out. It did take awhile to make it move, but once it gets moving it didn't take much time to get it out.
Heated up the control arm, poured some oil on the top, in hope that it made it's way down in between the ball joint, and casing.
Once it was out I did have to remove the lower control arm to "press" the new once in. I think trying to pound a new one in would only damage it. (obviously)
With the press, it actually took very little pressure to get it pressed in, just make sure everything is straight/level as you press it in.

 

Some Autozone's or Oreilly's will let you check out a ball joint press or you can do like my lazy butt and just pay a shop $50 to do it for you then put it all back together. Really though we chiseled and beat the crap outta mine and it was just easier to let a guy with a press do it, plus it was a much cleaner job with no chance of screwing up the control arm or something.