I'm going to be replacing my ball joints and last time I did this I was a dumb kid and didn't understand how rivets work. I've done my research now and decided to go the air hammer route.

Does anyone know what air hammer would be good for this job?

I looked at a Ingersoll 114GQC, will this be strong enough to pop off the head and then drive the rivet out?

If I do need something stronger what is the best for the price? I really don't want to spend too much on a hammer seeing I won't use it that often, but at the same time I don't want to have my truck all apart hook up the hammer and it doesn't do **** for removing my rivets.

thanks

Jesse D.

 

You have a 2wd I assume. Add that info to your sig and profile. Anyway, I think grinding the heads off and popping the rivets with a punch and a regular hammer, would be easier. And grinders are pretty cheap and more useful.

 

Im just curious zman, I have a 4wd and tried doing mine a couple weeks back. Couldn't budge them at all. Snapped a wrench trying to turn it with a cheater bar. Ideas? Do they still have the rivets?

 

Snapped a wrench turning what? The castle nut? You did remove the cotter pin right? You need a socket(impact) and a breaker bar or impact wrench. There are no rivets on a 4x4. And don't jack the guys thread. lol

 

Not trying to buy we were using a balljoint press, and we didnt could get the truck up high enough to get an impact on it, so we had a wrench on the press turning it with a cheaters bar, which then broke. As for the cotter pin, where is that?

 

The cotter pin would have been on the nut, which it seems you have already gone past that. Are you using the correct size adapters for the press? And you still need better tools. Also while tightening, smack the side of the housing with a hammer. Sorry for the jack OP.

 

Yeah. So basically use some wooden blocks and jack it up higher and use an impact? Literally we also broke a 1/2in breaker bar trying to get it out to. They are literally like rusted in I think.

 

Sorry, dbl post for some strange reason.

 

yeah we used correct adapters. Thing would not budge at all.

 

Easier to either grind the heads off as zman said or drill them out like I did. Air hammer is overkill, imo.