bj removal

[jteuton]

ok so i got the short shifter in and i'm getting the tranny ready to go in. I messed one of the balljoints (lower) all up. It wouldn't come off for nothing and force come to shove i got it off but not without damaging the hell out of the stud. I got a new one and I saw it came with a snapring so i looked at the one on the car and I saw the old snapring and took it off but it still won't budge. Looks like it should slide straight up out of the steering knuckle but the shield?...(i'm not sure what its for) that is around the area the driveaxle slides into is in the way so the balljoint doesn't look like it could slide just straight up and out with this thing in the way. Has anybody ever done this before?.....it looks like a bitch ...

[dj99]

First of all, the shield pops off easily.

Then, the ball joint has to be "pressed" out and the new one in again by either a shop, or rent a BJ press vise set at the tool rental and do it on the car. If you have a shop do it, obviously, you have to remove the whole steering knuckle.

I had the shop do mine when I screwed it up for $10. The vise rental would have been $17 for 4 hours. I did the math.

[carobotics]

Canadian tire rents them for free, just put down a deposit, but if you're in da US than that doesn't really help does it.

[jteuton]

i did it without a vise .....i used my nuts and beat the holy crap out of it and shot out and across the yard.......I LOVE 3LB HAMMERS.

[DBMaster]

That's how the Honda shop I used got mine out. I only paid them $75 labor to do the whole job. I supplied the ball joints.

One trick that has worked in the past when putting the new ones in. We actually iced down the ball joints and heated the knuckle with a propane torch. That actually helped make it a bit easier.

[jteuton]

definitly works....plus i always like playing with a torch also......hahahaha.....j/k