Tips/tricks for separating lower ball joint 2018 Tahoe PPV?

[CrashTestDummy]

If I was in your shoes, I’d use a pickle fork and a BFH. They have never let me down, even with PA rust. If you ruin the boot, rent a C clamp press and press a new ball joint in.

IIRC, the BJs are non-replaceable. They look welded into the LCAs to me, and while I haven't specifically looked, I haven't seen a separate listing for just the BJs. But if that's an option, I'll cut the ones on the current LCA and replace with the spindle.

 

[wjburken]

IIRC, the BJs are non-replaceable. They look welded into the LCAs to me, and while I haven't specifically looked, I haven't seen a separate listing for just the BJs. But if that's an option, I'll cut the ones on the current LCA and replace with the spindle.

 

[Tonyv__]

IIRC, the BJs are non-replaceable. They look welded into the LCAs to me, and while I haven't specifically looked, I haven't seen a separate listing for just the BJs. But if that's an option, I'll cut the ones on the current LCA and replace with the spindle.

I think its the other way around. bottoms are serviceable and the tops are not. however, rock auto list upper and lowers available for sale.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

Weird. As I said, they both look welded on to me.

BUT, we had success!! While I have the $200 Kent-Moore J-43631 tool on order (should be here Friday), I found a cheap Chinesium ($40) one that we could get in one day from the Jeff Bezos. Reviews were all 1's or 5's, and I figured even though I had the other one on its way, I really wanted to get this job done.

The cheap tool arrived this afternoon, just as we were finishing up cleaning our weapons from this morning's range trip. Since we still had some daylight and a few hours before dinner, we ran out to see if we could have any success. I cranked it on there pretty tight, but even after smacking the knuckle with the 2# hammer, nothing.... until ->BANG!<- the knuckle broke loose! Went over to the other side, cranked down on it again, and while I was doing something else, BANG! again.

We left it at that, since my gimp shoulder is kind of sore from the range trip. The work in the rear should be relatively trivial, so we hope to button it all up tomorrow.