Help, Help, Help! Lower ball joint 2004

[ob3135]

HELP ME PLEASE

2004 Yukon XL

So, I am doing upper ball joints, Lower ball joints, inner and outer tie rods and Axle seals on this rig. I've done ball joints before and I'm being slaughtered here!

So, I've got the Shock mount un-hooked, the stabelizer unhooked, and anything holdong it down loose. So I cant fit the Ball Joint press in there because the axle is in the way, not enough space between the Axle and top of ball joint. So I'm using a pickle fork instead. I have 5 different sizes of forks and none of them will seperate this damn thing from the steering knucle! I mean I've beat the damn thing till my palms are bruised from the hammer handle.

I gave up deciding the forks are going thru underneath and hitting the casting of the hub on the other side and being stopped.

Anyone ever done this on this particualr rig? Or one in the year range, I believe 2001 to 2006... I'm starting to think a guy has to take the Axle out in order to get the press machine in there to press the joint out of the steering knuckle and then out of the control arm after that. Am I nuts. all I know is I cant seperate it with the damn pickle forks. Driving me Bonkers! :-(

HELP!!! I'm at my wit's end... What am I missing here?

scott

 

[alc5m]

is this the top or bottom bj?

Chilton online says:

Removal:
Raise and support the vehicle.
Remove or disconnect the following:
Tire and wheel assembly
Upper control arm
Upper ball joint, using a press

Installation:

NOTE
The ball joint must be installed with the flat edges or notches in the same position as the replaced ball joint. The ball joint is directional and damage will occur if this procedure is not followed.

Install or connect the following:
Upper ball joint, using a press
Upper control arm
Tire and wheel assembly

Remove the safety stands.
Lower the vehicle.
Verify the wheel alignment.


Lower:
Raise and support the vehicle.


Remove or disconnect the following:

Tire and wheel assembly
Front coil spring, if equipped
Torsion bar, if equipped
Lower control arm

Secure the lower control arm in a bench vise or equivalent.
Center punch the rivet heads.
Drill out the rivets.

Installation:
Install or connect the following:


Ball joint to the lower control arm


Replacement bolts to the lower control arm


Nuts to the bolts. Tighten the nuts to 52 ft. lbs. (70 Nm).


Remove the lower control arm from the bench vise.


Lower control arm


Coil spring, if equipped


Torsion bas, if equipped


Tire and wheel tire assembly


Remove the safety stands.


Lower the vehicle.


Verify the wheel alignment.

 

[ob3135]

Great Reply ALC5m...

However, this version is the "Pressed" in version. Not the riveted variation... I'm pretty well convinced I need to take the hub off to get the space I need to either get a pickle fork in there without hitting the other side and getting stopped short of seperation or fit my press (Ball joint removal tool) and impact wrench in there to press it out. I really do not want to take the lower control arm off, it's HUGE, and on top of that it cant come off till the ball joint is seperated and that is the hang up right now Argggggggg.... :-(

I think if I take the hub off I can stop short of removing the axle, just pull the hub and the back plate, where the fork is jamming and stopping. Then I can drive the fork all the way under and get her seperated. Atleast thats the thought, I think I would have ended up here anyway, because I need to fit the press tool in there to press the new one back in. So I probably was gonna do it anyway...

I'm just frustrated and tired



---------- Post added at 12:03 AM ---------- Previous post was Yesterday at 11:59 PM ----------

Problem right now is I have no 35 mm socket for the hub nut! Damnit!

 

[MeanGreen03]

I jack up the spindle (in an area that doesn't get in the way of the lower arm) to put more tension on the lower ball joint then beat the lower arm by the ball joint to shock it loose. Obviouslly leave the nut on a few turns so it doesn't violently separate.

 

[ob3135]

Well, now I'm worried because I have burred up the end of the ball joint stud so badly that I cant get the but back on it :-( gonna be dangerous?

 

[MeanGreen03]

That should be fine, just make sure you and anything else is out of the way or you night severly injure yourself.

 

[ob3135]

Tell ya one thing if I really have to take that torsion bar out and then lower control arm off. I'm screwed.

 

[Wake]

I haven't done one yet on these trucks. I rebuilt the entire front end of my Trailblazer and had to remove the axle shafts If I'm remembering correctly to get to the lower ball joint.

I've had a few stubborn ones in my time and have taken a small propane torch to a few to try to loosen them up., it seems to work.

I know on my Trailblazer I had to use about a 4' breaker bar to crank the ball joint press hard enough to pop them out.

I'll find out this fall though. At 85K miles my Escalade is ready for a front end rebuild and the parts are sitting in the garage just waiting for the weather to cool off enough to get them done.

 

[taylorjm]

If you are talking about the lower ball joint, I gave up on the press and pickle forks. I ended up tearing out the grease boot, wiping out all the grease, then using a 6" grinder with a cutting disk and cutting the ball joint shaft between the control arm and the hub. That separated the control arm. Once it was in two pieces, then I could get the press in and pop out the two pieces separately. It worked out great. I was replacing the hubs, so I took mine off, and ended up taking the axles off too. If you need to take the axles off, there are about 6 bolts that hold the axle to the front differentials. If you take those bolts off with a couple long socket extensions, the axle falls right off. It's very, very easy to remove the axle and reinstall, so don't be afraid to take if off it's in the way, but I think you would need to remove the hub bearing to do that. I'd definitely cut the ball joint studs with a grinder or maybe a sawzall between the control arm and steering knuckle. Made things much easier!

 

[alc5m]

Sorry, i dont know too much about the suspension of the nbs trucks, i had a 96 before this that i had to do ball joints, pressed in on bottom, ended up taking the lower control arms out, way easier than messing around with it on the truck, and pressed it out on a press i got in my garage

but i tried to find the best info i could before ha