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Thread: How to remove thrust arm / control arm ball joint?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    5,403

    Default How to remove thrust arm / control arm ball joint?

    I seriously cannot get the upper/thrust control arm ball joint to come out. i got the 22mm bolt and nut off without dropping the frame by using a box wrench and dropping the impact gun from the topside of the engine bay down... but i cannot for the life of me get the ball joint out. i have pickle forks and a tie-rod puller, but the puller doesn't quite fit over the strut plate and such... what to do?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    chicago (NOT chicagoland)
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    350

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon K
    I seriously cannot get the upper/thrust control arm ball joint to come out
    A regular ball joint pickle fork is too wide, the narrow tie-rod fork works better.
    Oh and a 3 pound sledge hammer (minimum) to pound on it.
    Some PBblaster/liquid wrench might help or some here have taken a torch to it.



    93 SE-R ‘Jenny’---94 530iT&A ‘Helga’---92 325i ‘Rolf’ ….”Hang up & Drive!”
    ”It is not the function of our government to keep the citizen from falling into error;
    It is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error."--Robert H. Jackson.

  3. #3
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by paul p (chi-town)
    A regular ball joint pickle fork is too wide, the narrow tie-rod fork works better.
    Oh and a 3 pound sledge hammer (minimum) to pound on it.
    Some PBblaster/liquid wrench might help or some here have taken a torch to it.



    93 SE-R ‘Jenny’---94 530iT&A ‘Helga’---92 325i ‘Rolf’ ….”Hang up & Drive!”
    ”It is not the function of our government to keep the citizen from falling into error;
    It is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error."--Robert H. Jackson.

    do I pound inward like jabbing at it? or downward like prying on it? i have new arms and bushings so i dont give a **** about the old ones, but i dont want to bend the plate the ball joint is attached too... and tthen when installing a the new ball joint, is it going to be this damned hard but backwards?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    454

    Default

    It is a royal pain to get these apart - in my case only the LAST one was terrible - spent 3 days and finally the answer was swing harder. By the way, I damaged the hardened steel ball joint remover, that is how tough it can be to seperate these bad boys.
    Good luck,
    Scott
    1995 BMW 525i w/139K miles, EAT Chip - (Gone)
    07 525i 22K, 07 328xi (41K)
    1982 Mazda RX-7 w/147K miles (Back again!)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,839

    Default I used a #20 to get mine loose and ended

    up heating the knuckle with my aceteline torch before it would pop out!
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    28

    Default Agreed. Big hammer good..

    I ended up having to go out and buy a bigger hammer. I think i took the nut off then bolted the knuckle back to the car and beat the crap out of the pickle fork for a day or so....

    Best of luck.

    Bill

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    PA
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    5,403

    Default

    Figured it out, made a little thinger bobber, check it out

    http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthr...1260#post41260

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