I've had very bad experiences with tools made in China, it's like they're pre-programmed to break on their third use.

Thanks for the tips about the AZ tools, I know the guys here that work there so I'll be sure to find out the particulars of the agreement before I rent.

I don't have air in my shop yet, my compressor is 220v so I have to get it wired in. I guess I'll work it out with another press and a big freaking hammer. What a pain; 3/4 ton is great until you have to work on it.

 

I can tell you why people tell you not to hit hammers together...in fact, I am walking proof of why it shouldn't be done.

I was 13 and doing yard work for a man who had me removing a small stump by chopping it off even with the ground. I chopped a nice V in it then laid down a maul in the V and was hitting the sledge end of the maul with another sledgehammer. I hit it about 5 times when a jagged piece about the size of a .38 shell broke off, flew 5 feet up, went through my shirt, and went 1 1/2 inches into my left shoulder. After I got to the hospital ER, I had to lay there with no pain medicine, watching as the quack doctor dug around with a pair of pliers. He finally yanked it out, looked at me and said that his grandmother could take more pain...I kid you not. I had not screamed during the procedure and had no one holding me down...the thing bled like a stuck pig as he pulled out the peice....7 stitches later I was back home.

Hammers are tempered steel, hitting them together causes them to shatter like glass. Chisels and the like are a bit softer, thus the reason they mushroom. You got lucky hitting them together like that...I didn't.

Thanks for the reply just the same...hope I didn't bore you with my tale...I feel its better to learn from someone else's mistakes than be the proud owner of your own.

 

a long cheater bar will help!!!!

 

I was using a 3 foot stainless pipe on top of my 2 foot 3/4" ratchet...that's how I bent my press clamp.

 

Update, I just spent the last 1 1/2 hours beating the living hell out of the hub on my workbench and finally got it off. I was using an impact socket to protect the bolt head and hit it over and over with a 2 foot 3 pound slege. I wire brushed it all down on both sides and coated everything in 4 inches of anti-seize. Now off to AutoZone to get their press to destroy.

 

Ball joint update. Got the bottom one pressed out using the double cup technique described earlier in this thread (thanks!). I anti-seized everything going back together too. Started the other side and it's going much smoother. The hub nut practically fell off and there was a new cotter pin in it which means someone was in there recently...evidently they weren't aware of the torque value.

I have a hint for anyone doing these ball joints on a Dana 60, don't bother jacking around with pressing them out with that stupid spindle & hub in the way. I took my 9" disc grinder and cut those ball joint studs right off. Then, the spindle will come off, go into the shop, I'll beat the living crap out of the hub bolts to separate the hub & spindle, then I'll have all the room I want to press out the ball joints still on the truck. It only takes about 2 minutes to grind through the studs and it is a cool spark shower at night.

It started raining on me and got dark so I wrapped it up for the night. Hopefully finish it up tomorrow.

 

Bottoms get pressed down to remove, but you knew that.

Some are tack welded in too.

If you apply the correct pressure with the correct cup/adapters, it has no choice but to pop out.

 

Glad to hear it worked.
these were 2 of the sacrificial bolts I used to beat the hub out of the steering knuckle...



I like the paint job in the other thread by the way, kinda cool look to it

 

I din't have them to sacrifice so I used the original bolts with a sacrificial impact socket to wail on. Your way would be better though because the stupid socket kept flying accross the shop...I was getting pissed to I ran a wire through the ball lock in the side and connected it to the spindle...no more flying lessons.

Beating those out is a heck of a workout. I was holding one corner with the other corner on the workbench...then I swung the slege with my free hand. Occassionally the whole thing would slip off after I hit it and try to pull my face into the bench...that's OK though because I won...at least one side anyway...more to come.

 

Last installment of the ball joint change from hell.

Got the other side done today and man, what a difference in the steering. I still have to get it aligned, even though it is not pulling either direction even after changing the joints and all tie rods and bars...I guess my measurements were pretty close. I ran over a curb at 20 MPH to test out the new double steering stabilizer and I couldn't even feel it in the steering wheel...impressed!

As I stated earlier, I didn't jack with pressing the joints out, I just cut the suckers off with a big 4-way grinder and a thin blade...make sure you wear your eye protection. This hub was just as big of a pain in the **** as the other; it took me over an hour of beating on the bolts with a sledge hammer and the steering system press failed again as well. I coated everything with anti-seize afterwords...just slather anything touching with it. Putting the top ball back in was quite easy, I just put a cap over the top of the joint and smacked it 4 times with a slege...slid right in. The bottom had to be pressed but was not too bad.


Thanks to all those that wrote back with suggestions and help...made the job much easier...as much as this job could be anyway.