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UCA and knuckle won’t pop

Scjon03

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So what a headache and had to quit. I have a Laramie with the ORG and going to install the Motofab 2.5” spacer. Everything going good until trying to break loose the upper control arm and the knuckle. Let’s say it didnt turn out that good and wasnt able to get it done. I try hammering the knuckle and using the fork. Ended up damaging the ball joint boot. My local hardware store didn’t have a puller. So after trying for a few hours trying to pop the UCA and knuckle I quit and put everything back together. Anyone else had trouble with this?
 
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Rob5589

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They can be a pita. Did you smack on the knuckle at the ball joint bore? Sometimes it helps. A puller is what you want when reusing the the ball joint. As you unfortunately found out, a pickle fork trashes the boot. If a puller won't work, sometimes you need to apply some heat. My guess is that a quality puller will get the job done.
 

Scjon03

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Yeah I smacked everything. Got to the point where it looked like I was causing damage. I have to wait til the new arms comes in and try again.
 

Rustin5

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I had the same issue truck sat on jacks for two days bc I had damaged the boot. I got a second fork, wedged both of them in with a small maul and finally popped it loose.
 

Scjon03

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I was thinking about getting two forks since I already screwed up the boot. But amazon has the puller for 50 bucks with other tools. Do you still need a wheel aligment if you just change out the stock UCA with a new Stock upper UCA without a leveling kit?
 

SilverSurfer15

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Yes on the alignment.

And there’s sort of a technique to hitting it with the hammer, although I’ve seen 2 or 3 that were a real pain but never on something this new.

Stupid questions maybe but:

1) you have the nut loosened on the balljoint?
2) you have the suspension drooped? Nothing under neath the lower control arm that would prevent it from dropping down?
3) using a 5lb sledge hammer? Metal end?


Hitting it here:

33949

It is normal to have to wack it a few times, I mean you have to hit it for real. Like two handed. Like it stole your high school girlfriend. And it’s also normal to leave some dents and what not on the spindle from the hammer.

The pullers and forks and all that are trash IMO.

*sorry if you’ve done this before and already knew all this*
 

Scjon03

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Yes on all your questions. I smacked the hell out of it. Looks like it bent the knuckle. Haven’t tried heat yet but don’t have a torch. I have a heat gun may work.
 

SilverSurfer15

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Hmm wonder what’s going on then, it shouldn’t be THAT bad. Guess you don’t have to worry about it failing? Lol

You’ll be the first one to have the joint rip out of the actual arm lol
 

JasonB

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Had the same problem, tried forks, hammers, witch craft. ended up taking the whole upper and lower assembly out and took it to my buddies shop. Ruined the UCA boots and the arm, but i was replacing them with the ones from the lift kit anyways.

He used a puller on it and it popped real easy with a hammer wack. I was stunned...

Applied upward pressure the the stem of the ball joint. Smacked with hammer. Easy.

Tool like this is what he used...

BD44282A-FF97-4EF3-8D36-1D5118CB1C58.jpeg
 

Scjon03

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Thanks. Yeah that tool is exactly what I'm looking to get.
 
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Rob5589

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Like @JasonB pointed out, apply some heavy pressure with the puller then give it some whacks with a hammer, big one.
 

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