My 2003 Ram 2500 needs new ball joints. BTW, it used to be a Pennsylvania snow plow. I went to pull the unit bearings...... and now I'm beating my head against a wall.

First, I tried plenty of PB Blaster, with heavy tapping. Nothing.

So I brought out the oxy/acetylene and heated the bearing plate up, then rapidly cooling it with PB to heat shock it, then tapping it. Nada.

Then I warmed up the steering knuckle to make it expand and then beat on the bearing. Nope.

Then I read online that you could rethread the bearing bolts in to 1/4" shy of tight, put a socket and extension braced against the axle, and use the power steering to press it out. I ruined an extension.

So, I went to Harbor Freight and bought a 12 Ton hydraulic gear press. Yeah, no.

So I re-heated the bearing while holding the static load on the bearing to try heat shock again. It laughed at me.

So, I waited for everything to cool down, re-applied pressure to the hub, and heated the knuckle. I got it as hot as I could bear. Ha-ha.

Then I retried the "socket on the bolt" trick with the 12 tons applied. Absolutely nothing.

This is the point where I broke my 12 ton press.

My only recourse is to get my side grinder and cut the ball joints to free the knuckles (left and right), then taking them to my buddy with a 50 ton press..

Please help.....

 

Those are brutal to do. The socket trick does work but you need a helper watching as you do it, it needs to fit good and you need to work it one way, then the next, then back, then forth, ya know? Basically it won't pop off when doing this, you need to put the socket on the front and turn one way, then in the back and turn the other way, etc, etc.....it always works eventually.
One other thing that you can try is thread in all the mounting bolts but leave them maybe 1/2" out. Go for a good drive over some curbs or big potholes, the extra load from the wheel and weight of the truck may break it free. Don't go too far though, obviously.

 

Yup,


Went just about the same way for my 2005, 2500. cut the ball joints and the knuckle will nearly fall out. Put LOTS of neverseize on it when you reassemble

 

Not really familiar with the 2500 series. With my 1500 series I loosen it up by turning the assembly in the knuckle, rather than trying to push it out. . I take a hammer and blunt chisel and beat on it, turning the assembly forward and rearward. Once it starts to move, I then work on driving it out. Not sure if this will help.....

 

I remove the bolts... and use an Air Chisel at the bolt locations . and 1/8 inch at a time. walk it out...

 

The 2500 is a solid front axle, like the old time 4x4's. Tried the air chisel trick with mine, totally destroyed a couple of chisels, and return springs. These things get totally seized in there from all the salt and corrosion. Once I had the knuckle off and setting on 4x4's, I was able to drive the bearing out with a 10lb sledge, and that took some work.

 

^Ya, the solid axle 2500/3500 bearings are a royal paint to do, a steel bearing flange mounted in a steel knuckle, they basically bond for life, lol. A steel bearing flange in an aluminum knuckle (1500) doesn't take much to get moving since the aluminum corrosion breaks free a lot easier.

 

Seems like you tried most of the methods I have heard about. I have able to get mine off by the turning of the steering wheel with the socket and extension on the bolts methods. Using the hydraulic jack should be about the same. Sounds like cutting the ball joints and taking the knuckle off would be your best option now. You might even need to replace the knuckle.

 

The only way I managed to get mine off was to cut the ball joints using a 4-1/2" grinder and a cutting wheel, then the knuckle just fell out.

 

Once you did that, how did you manage to separate the bearing from the knuckle without destroying the knuckle?