Is there a trick to front LCA removal?

[Voice of Reason]

I am having a terrible time removing the front LCAs. The radius rods aren't the issue, I have them out. But where the LCA joins together with the wheel hub, I can't get it apart! Removing the bolt was easy, but it's like the two pieces have fused together. I spent more than an hour beating downward on the bolt and it hasn't moved. I've tried soaking it and heating it, but nothing. Does anyone have any good tricks? I think I'm going to have to resort to removing the hub completely so I can work with it on my bench and get a better shot at beating on the bolt. But I'd like to avoid that if possible.

[J Wikoff]

The bolt might be splined. Try a socket that's larger than the bolt/flange sitting down over the top of the bolt head on the knuckle, and put a c-clamp on the end of the socket and the end of the bolt, and tighten it so that it pushes the bolt out. I did that earlier this week with a lower strut mount bolt on my wife's Grand Am.

[dandragonrage]

You want a ball joint separator. Autozone sells a few types. I usually prefer the 2-jaw puller types that look like a U with claws, and a bolt that comes down. Autozone has them for quite cheap. You want the larger one.

Edit: Actually, this one is maybe called a Pitman arm puller... but it's the same thing. http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...questid=545272. At least I think that's the one that I have... Hard to tell from the picture since there are a bunch of different sized ones. There are other types as well, but I don't know which will work well for this application and which won't.

This will also work IF it is big enough to fit around the ball joint stud: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...questid=549273

Sometimes I find it easier to just use an angle grinder on the ball joint stud so that my tools will fit.

[SRG963]

Just bang on it with a sledge to get it loose

[dandragonrage]

Just bang on it with a sledge to get it loose

You may or may not be serious, but either way, someone else might take you seriously so I will point out that using a sledge is going to be hard on other components and also you'd need a lot of clearance and good accuracy for it to work. Use a puller.

[J Wikoff]

I forgot about the ball joint. My suggestion won't work.

[Monty]

Put a jack under the hub assembly and lift it up. I had the same problem too it seems that the back bolt holds tension up. In other words when everything is hanging the ball joint end is binding and it has to be straight to come out. I had a hard time too I used a C clamp to force it out. I made a mistake of screwing the nut just on top and when it popped I took the C clamp off and it went right back in again.

[Panzer Leader]

The only real problem is getting GM to remove them. LOL Good luck. Come on Spohn!

[hayabusa160]

I put a jack under the rotor to put some pressure and smacked the side of the spindle where the ball joint is comes right off. That's how everyone usually do it
You can hammer it all you want from the top till the cows.come home it will not move.
Point of smacking the side is it shocks it making the taper of the seat push it right out its like squeezing a McDonald's cup and the lid pops off

[rjones916]

I wouldn't beat down on the stud for the balljoint cause it will mushroom out, maybe soo much that it won't go threw the spindle anymore....Turn the wheel all the way to the side that gives you the best look at it, disconnect the speed sensor so you don't mess anything up and alter by hitting the ball joint bottom of the arm and the spindle the LCA is inside of it...I've replaced probably 6 sets of these and never damaged anything or had a problem getting one out. No heating//jacking/air hammer should be needed...But ofcourse a puller is optimal, just kinda overkill. Hardest part of the job should be taking down the front air dam. Goodluck.