Hello,
I just successfully split the two upper ball joints of the hub but feel kind of dumbfounded as the lower joint is suddenly set up to be in need of special tool splitter 204-293 which I don't have nor will be able to borrow in my timeframe. Has anyone been successful without using the special tool?

 

Will a normal scissor balljoint splitter fit? If it does, I don't see why it shouldn't work.

Here is my technique, which so worked well for the upper balljoint :

Loosen the nut a few turns but leave it on. Tighten the balljoint splitter to a reasonable force, but not until the joint separates.

Now apply a sharp whack sideways (NOT down) to the ball joint nut. An iron lump hammer is ideal. A cold chisel might help. The goal is to momentarily distort the taper making it release. It's magic when you know how, and it works.

 

A flat air hammer bit or a BFH is the way to dislodge the ball joint without the special tool or damaging the rubber boot.

You hit the vertical link NOT the ball joint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bob gauff

 

Thanks,
Will try out your methods.
[QUOTE=Mark SF;1228275]Will a normal scissor balljoint splitter fit?
The one I used on the upper joints just barely fits. The gap between the two fingers is not wide enough to fulyl move in around the rubber. So I didn't use full force. The manual says not to use that splitter on the lower joint.

 

The special tool 204-293 is very handy but when I used it at the dealer I still had to use a BFH or hammer bit and air hammer to dislodge the joint.

Just using the 204-293 on a very tight joint will damage or destroy the tool. (bend the upper 'ears')

The 'scissor' type joint lever won't work on the lower joint because the threaded section is LONG and the gap is small.

bob gauff

 

No you don't, because you might damage it. What you do is unscrew the nut, until it is on the end of the taper, and hit the nut. Nuts are cheap and easy to replace. By hitting the almost unscrewed nut sideways, you are maximising the leverage on the balljoint taper. Again, the goal is to distort it momentarily, and break the joint. When done right you don't need a lot of force, or a particularly big hammer - it just pops apart.

What can help is a large lump hammer placed behind the control arm, as a support, which stops it moving and transfers more energy to the taper.

 

Well, I finallly got the joint apart. I took off the disk cover which is kind of halfhartedly set up to only go when spindle and carrier are separated. With the disk cover on you can' t really work with a hammer. The cover has an extension that goes over the taper and the screws have some kind of threadlocker on them and sit behind the spindle. So it' seems kind of awkward on purpose to get it off.
After I had it off working on the joint was much easier. Also the scissor spltter which had worked on the upper joints ( not the 204-293) suddenly could be moved further forward to a better fit and then did the job.

 

The scissor splitter might have nicked the tip of the taper. Took me some time to get the thread right again. So no straight recommendation.
A Carpenter clamp was useful in preventing the tapers from turning when doing up the nuts on he upper and lower Joints. For the steering rod joint I used a jack to press the taper into the hole.