Hello Jim, saw your post :
>Thanks to the for the advice on extracting the balljoints on my spit, I took
>the advice of most and bought the balljoint splitter. I tried hammering on
>it with my little hammer without success. I got a heavier hammer immediate
>success on the passenger side (1 shot only), tried the driver side and ended
>up with the ball joint coming apart with the bolt left in the stud axle
>carrier (firmly stuck in). My thought is to get a dremel and cut off the
>bolt and then drill out the rest of the bolt. However, I'm open to other
>suggestions if anyone has faced this problem before.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Jim Cullen
>1974 Spitfire
>
..and I assume that you used a `pickle fork' separator to get your-
self into this pickle. I suggest renting or borrowing a heavy 2-jaw
puller called a Pitman arm puller instead, which has two big jaws to
grab the steering arm, and a big center push-off bolt to do the
separating; works so well, that a hammer is optional. An added benefit
is that if you plan on possibly re-using the tie rod end in question,
the Pitman arm puller will not destroy the rubber boot that protects
the joint and holds in the grease. Before using this puller, BTW,
you want to back off the nut all the way, while the tapered stud is
held fast in its hole !
Been there, done that the hard way before.
Tom Tweed
SW Ohio
'72 TRident 750
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