i cant seem to remove the lower arm from the unit holding the brake on. when you look at it, it just seems like it would pop out. does anybody know a trick? PLEASE HELP!

 

from the book:

 

It's a ball joint... You need to go to Sears and get a Pickle Fork Kit, it's sometimes known as a ball joint separator. It looks like a two prong fork that you put between the "brake" (actually the wheel hub) and the lower control arm grease cover. You then get a large hammer and it forces the two apart, be careful to not miss and hit a brake rotor or shock, or control arm... You're going to squeeze out a large amount of grease from the joint, so remember to add that back when you're finished.

Richard

 

thanks!...i'm on it

 

I hope you haven't wasted money on a pickle fork... they're only good for one thing, and that's ruining tie-rod ends and ball joints.

If you have the room, the best "medicine" for tie-rod ends and ball joints, is to hold a 3-5 lb. mallet low on one side of the component through which the shaft passes, and hit the other side with another mallet. Easier to do than describe, but the harmonics set up by the action will pop the joint loose very easily, and this was passed on to me by an experienced mechanic after I ruined a set of tie-rods myself with the "pickle fork treatment", many, many years ago.

Unfortunately, the RX-7's front steering knuckle doesn't have enough area to get two hammers into play, so the best bet is to use a disposable nut (SAVE the castle nut, and don't use it if at all possible... ) and thread it on until the end of the ball joint (or tie-rod) shaft is just below the surface of the nut. Now you get the 3-5 lb. mallet and give it a nice sharp whack... usually it will come loose fairly easily, and the nut will keep the joint from flying loose, injuring anyone or damaging the ball joint, and will also protect the threads.

If the joint is stubborn, especially on a high mileage car, a little heat will help, so a propane torch applied to the cast iron steering knuckle should loosen things up enough to be able to knock the shaft of the ball joint loose. Don't apply too much heat, or you'll cook the ball joint. Just little doses, and then give it an experimental "whack" or two. That's the best method, and my ball joint shafts came loose in 2 or 3 shots without heat on one side, and with just a little heat added on the other.

Good luck!

 

WOW, I'm not here to randomly start issues, but I would stick with the "pickle fork treatment" as I have removed ball joints countless times with no ill effects. I don't mean to question your abilities jimlab, but the forks come in different size for different size ball joints and are DESIGNED for the job at hand. I hardly think that using a blow torch on a threaded part with a "disposable" nut on top followed by ANY blows was the original design when making ball joints fit together was being decided. And any mechanical engineer would strangle you before allowing you to apply ANY impact to threads! I would save those threads to the best of my ability and use the pickle fork to separate a ball joint as that is the tool for the job, just as you don't use a flathead for a phillips screw... If the pickle fork is stubborn after a couple solid hits, use WD-40 or liquid wrench, heat is an unnecessary risk. I respectfully disagree and mean no offense jimlab, but from personal experience, I have never harmed a ball joint with the traditional method.

Richard

 

You're not applying any impact to the threads of the part, because you're using a disposable nut threaded onto the shaft to protect the threads and absorb the blows. Apparently my description wasn't clear enough.

A throw-away nut (eliminating the potential for damage to the castle nut) is threaded onto the end of the ball joint shaft (protecting the threads from damage) until the end of the shaft is just below the surface of the nut, protecting that from damage also. A few hard taps with a mallet are all it takes to seperate the two, and the nut keeps the joint from flying apart, eliminating the possibility of damage to the part.

The "proper" tool for the job, as shown in the Mazda service manual, is a ball joint press. Since most people don't have one sitting around that will work and Mazda wants a considerable sum for all their parts, including special tools, a couple nuts and a medium sized mallet are an acceptable substitute.

No damage whatsoever is imparted to the threads or ball joint by this method, and you don't have to visit your Mazda parts counter for replacement dust boots afterward, but by all means, feel free to try a pickle fork first.

 

We'll agree to disagree, but I will back you on that Mazda SST crap! My point with the threads was not implying you make impact with actual threads, but that the throw away nut and ball joint threads are interlocked and the impact from the nut is being transferred to the ball joint through threads. It's just my belief that threads are not designed to hold up to that kind of abuse. Will they? Yes, but not for very long and they will lose overall tensile strength. To each his own.

Richard

PS I rarely have to replace the dust boot as well... (only the old crusty ones that need it anyway)

 

The threads are not loaded in tension, so I wouldn't be very worried about that. The main load is in sheer. I do completely understand your point, and I am not disagreeing with you. But, for the record, I have heard the same thing Jim said from a respected tuner. I.e. the pickle forks will often chew up the part excessively and he recommended the mallet method on the side of the carrier as Jim described.

Personally, I'm not satisfied with that solution. I've tried something in place of the SST, a pitman arm puller, but it didn't really work out. I'm going to price the SST. I have pickle forks, but I don't like the idea of using them. I might get desperate and use them anyway .

 

Jim is completely correct. DON'T USE A PICKLE FORK. Let me explain why not to in a little different light.

Lower ball joints are not replaceable, pickle forks can and do ruin ball joints. Solution, replace lower control arm. Cost=$600-700 EACH!

I've removed lots of front suspension pieces from FDs and I do it pretty much as Jim states. Bang on the side of the member the ball joint goes through. You can also put a nut, but not the Castle nut (it is unique and does not hold up well to a hammer) thread it on the top and bang it.

I've seen ball joints/lower control arms first hand that have died an ugly death due to the pickle fork treatment. You pick your poison...

Jeff
Searching for FD #11...

 

I'm looking to freshen up my suspension in the near future and inspecting/replacing the bushings is on the agenda as I have a lot of creaks, rattles, and clunks. My question is in regard to the comment above from Jeff, if the ball joint is not sold seperately from the control arm then why bother to remove it? Can it be serviced somehow?

 

A friend of mine helped me install the unobtanium bushings and he had a little gear puller thing that worked great. It looked like a U with little fingers at the ends of the U part and a threded shaft to push with in the middle. We gripped the underside of the upright (the hub carrier that you bolt the brake caliper to) and turned the shaft to push against the end of the ball joint (with the nut on to prevent damaging the shaft). See if you can carry the whole upright/lower arm assembly into an auto parts store to try out the pullers so you can find on that works.

-Max

 

I think that's called a ball joint seperator. Be carefull with these tools since sometimes the treaded part of the ball joint has been saftey tied, I think that's what it's called. When the threaded part has a hole drilled right through it and has a wire wraped through and around, to keep the nut from loosening off. Anyways, if these ball joints are on too tight the ball joint seperators could collapse that hole. When that happens, there is no way of putting that nut back on. I have learned the hard way, luckly on a civic and not my FD. Jim's way is the best way I have found so far. Those fork things are a POS too. My opinion

 

Since the ball joint and lower control arm are permanently assembled you need to take the ball joint out of the steering knuckle (iron part that holds caliper, integral spindle, etc) to remove the lower control arm from the body. One might need to take the lower control arm off to press out/in bushings.

Jeff

 

AutoZone will 'loan' you their ball joint separater kit.

Someone please pass the pickles. Tom

 

Thanks for the info! So do Ball Joints go bad from wear, and if so are you really screwed into buying the entire arm?