The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop How do I remove the ball joints?

They seem to be attached to the control arm by large "rivets".
Please pardon my lack of proper terminology for these particular fasteners. The new ball joints that I have came with nuts and bolts that look like they will be replacing what is there now. So anyway... How do I remove them? Thanks for your help.

You have to remove the rivets. Use a cutting torch or drill a hole through them & hammer & chisel & punch. Then bolt them in as the instruction sheet shows.

Make sure the ball joint is unloaded before you start drilling and chiseling the rivets.

Harvester

Another (and easier) method to get them out is to cut an "X" in the head of the rivet, then chisle it off. The "X" will weaken the head, making it easier to knock off. Then drive the rest out.

Maybe this is a stupid question, but how do you unload a ball joint?

How it's unloaded depends on type of suspension. If the spring acts on the lower control arm, like on most trucks, you would put support undder the control arm, preferrably under where the spring seat is. This puts the load so that it is supported at the spring, not the spindle/balljoint. If the spring acts on the upper or it is a strut vehicls (Fords/AMCs/ almost all modern front drivers), then you would support the weight on the frame, leaving the lower control arm free.

I was jesting about "unloading a ball joint". I have torsion bar IFS. The rear arms of the torsion bars are already disconnected from the rear crossmember.

You have the ball joints unloaded from spring tension with the torsion bars relaxed and disconnected. Now just support the control arms against gravity when you start chiseling the rivets.

Longbox described suspension loading quite well, the only difference in your case is your torsion bar suspension, rather than coil springs. Doing the wrong thing with either of those suspensions can cause a lot of damage, including to you, so this is not to be handled casually and without a full understanding of what you are doing. Suspension work is serious business and intolerant of mistakes. Bear with me if I sound like I'm harping on the topic.

Ok, after the harping, when you have finished the ball joint installation, wind up the torsion bars before you lower the vehicle. Otherwise you will be lifting the weight of the truck as you tighten the torsion bars-- if you haven't already thought of that point.

Harvester

I'm definately beyond the point of no return. I've got the heads off the rivets. At least on the top side of each rivet. I'm wonering what the best way is to drive them out. Thanks again for the help. BTW, Cutting the "X" and chiseling it out worked well! Took me just 2 hours.

Center-punch the rivet as close to the middle as possible, and drill a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the rivet about 2/3 of the way through it. Insert a pin punch into the hole and drive the rivet out. You'll probably be bolting the replacement ball joint in, so sometimes it's necessary to ream the rivet hole out just a bit to get a snug slip fit for the bolts.
Jerry

see
adjustable drag link & new style ball joints
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/draglink_adjustable.html

TIE ROD REMOVAL
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/tie_rod_replacement.html

Hey Hotrod, thanks a lot. That worked great. I've got the upper Ball joints removed. I had to use a pickle fork to drive it out once the rivets were removed. All I have left as far as dissassembly is to remove the lower ball joints, upper and lower control arm shafts on each side. I also have to get the torsion bars out of the sockets of the lower control arm. Can any one tell me how to do this? Should I do it before or after I remove the control arm shafts? Seems like it might be easier to do while it is anchored in place.