having a problem removing the front ball joint

[Sartobuilt]

That video helped allot. Turn the steering knuckle to the side so you can get a good swing at it and hit the bottom of the axle where the balljoint goes through. Using a swing from the side. If your right handed turn the knuckle to the right. The area you want to hit it right above where you put the pickle fork in the video(where the seal is). You need to use a pretty big hammer. Smack it hard and it will fall on the floor. I'll bet you 20.00 that I could walk up with a hammer and that will be on the ground in two hits. The balljoint doesn't come out of the knuckle until you get the knuckle off of the axle.

Also you really need to look at the links I posted earlier.  That axle is not like the one in the picture, its a Dana 44 or a 10 bolt Corporate. Maybe get a service manual.

[jaysons]

I replaced the ball joints in my D-44 when I first got it, 17 years ago, & 1 thing I learned was that I was too young & to small to hit that axle hard enough for that to come out. I kept getting a bigger hammer to the point that I could barely swing it. So I called in some bigger arms & just like Sartobuilt said, it was on the floor after 2 really good whacks. I gave my bud 20 bucks & he went to the liquor store. The rest is history.

[beastie_3]

Jaysons- Im sure you just loosened it up for him! haha

[Irish_Alley]

I'm sure you can get it with a hammer but its not needed. Get the right tools parts stores will rent them to you. Pay 20 bucks for the tool then once your done return the tool and you get 20 back

[log1000]

 
final got it out by heating it up with a torch and raped cooling it down then hitting it with the ball joint tool and a hammer

[log1000]

That video helped allot. Turn the steering knuckle to the side so you can get a good swing at it and hit the bottom of the axle where the balljoint goes through. Using a swing from the side. If your right handed turn the knuckle to the right. The area you want to hit it right above where you put the pickle fork in the video(where the seal is). You need to use a pretty big hammer. Smack it hard and it will fall on the floor. I'll bet you 20.00 that I could walk up with a hammer and that will be on the ground in two hits. The balljoint doesn't come out of the knuckle until you get the knuckle off of the axle.

Also you really need to look at the links I posted earlier.  That axle is not like the one in the picture, its a Dana 44 or a 10 bolt Corporate. Maybe get a service manual.

final done, final got it out by heating it up with a torch and raped cooling it down then hitting it with the ball joint tool and a hammer

[thirsty]

Not so impossible anymore is it....haha Glad you finally got it, We knew you would.

[Irish_Alley]

Just a tip when you cool something down fast like you did it makes it brittle and will stay that size. Next time just heat it cherry red the smack it then let it cool down by its self it will go back to almost the same size

[log1000]

it was not cherry red it was the same color it was be fore i heated it up

[topp]

You mis-read.

Heating it up and rapid cool down causes the metal to get brittle.

To keep it at proper strength, heat it cherry red and let cool down slowly....

[log1000]

You mis-read.

Heating it up and rapid cool down causes the metal to get brittle.

To keep it at proper strength, heat it cherry red and let cool down slowly....

it finally done/ and my dad applauded me for doing a good job
 

[Bitzer!]

Glad you got there in the end dude.

99% of the guys on here have "been there-done that" and have grazed/bruised knuckles to prove it 

All we ask is for a good description and maybe a picture or two and you'll get some decent replies.

Knowone likes to be defeated but knowledge & experience comes with age!

[jaredts]

When you see anything resembling red get the torch off of it.  Anything else is dangerous.  Parts don't stay that size when you quench them.  Quenching won't hurt anything if its not hot enough to change colors (unless you do it thousands of times).  Please don't heat suspension components up cherry red.

[Irish_Alley]

Not to start anything but when fabricating something you get it cherry red to form it to a shape it will exspand during this process and will contract once it starts to cool. if you were to flash cool something it will become brittle do a search online about it. Heres one about knifes talks about letting a blade air cool vs. oil cool http://www.mastersmith.com/HeatTreating.htm.
After I forge a carbon steel blade to shape, the blade is brought to critical (non-magnetic) in the forge, and allowed to air cool. I do this process twice (normalizing). The blade is again brought up to critical and allowed to cool slowly in Vermiculite. Once the blade is fully annealed (softened) it can be ground, filed, etc. The purpose of normalizing is to remove some of the stresses imparted to the steel during the forging process (ie: heat, forging, etc;). The purpose of annealing is to soften the blade. After annealing the blade is ground from 50 grit to 220 grit. I usually leave the cutting edge a bit heavy so that I can remove any scale formed during the heat-treating process. I put a rosebud tip on my oxyacetalyne torch and heat just the cutting edge of the blade to critical, then quench the whole blade in oil. I will usually repeat this process two or three times depending on the steel used. I then need to temper (soften) the piece. This takes the brittleness from the blade along with imparting toughness. My tempering methods are quite simple.

http://www.engineersedge.com/heat_treat.htm

[jaredts]

I've been a forging engineer for 13 years, so I know exactly what you're talking about.  I'm involved in a number of heat treat processes.  Knife making is ultra cool in a homemade forge, but I've never really gotten into that.  I'm not trying to start a big debate, its just that suspension components are sometimes used as cast/forged, and sometimes quenched and tempered.  You really never know unless you check the hardness--and even then you don't know the material and intended properties.  If it is a part that was quenched and tempered heating cherry red is well beyond the tempering temperature and will significantly soften the steel and degrade mechanical properties.  Heat your knife edge cherry red and slow cool it--it won't hold an edge worth a darn (soft).  Full blown cherry red is something like 1500 degrees fahrenheit and just the beginning of red hues are over 1000 degrees.  Either case is hot enough to present a risk.  My advice is not to apply more heat than necessary as that is much more dangerous than a fast cool at say 500 degrees.  If the component was just normalized or as cast/forged, its not as critical although you will induce stress as you can't heat and cool as evenly as can be done in a furnace.  With no color change to the steel there is little danger of hurting anything no matter what you do (although a full blown quench would not be a good idea).  In industrial heat treating I'm not aware of any repeated quenches followed by a temper--its usually only done once.  A double or triple draw (tempering) is beneficial, though.  If you want to we can share some notes in a new post.  Interested?