Pitman arm/ball-joint help- stock removal

[barronj]

What tips/tricks do you gurus have to offer?

Don't want to remove the arm from the gear box, but the arm from the... ball joint, is that what it's attached to? Held on by a castle nut.

Autozone will rent a fork to split it apart, but I've seen/done damage to the rubber grease shields in the past doing it w/ this (on Mustangs).

Back story- I bought a complete power steering kit off a 76, and the ball joint was seized up so bad in the pitman arm, the seller just cut the ball joint off, such that it was still stuck in the pitman arm when I rec'd it. I tried every trick I know to get it out, and had to take it to a shop. They did me a solid, heated the snot out of it w/ an acetylene torch, then drove it out. No charge. Pistols transmission in Austin, good guys, rebuilt my 3spd for reasonable rate too...

Need to undo mine so I can remove the stock unassisted steering, and put the power steering box on.

 

[siderbox]

Take a big hammer 32oz or so and put it on one side of the end that holds the stud and hit the other side with another hammer 32oz or so. Dead blow hammers work the best.
Does that read like I wanted it too?
It may take two or three good hits.

This has worked for me on tie rod ends, pitman arms, and ball joints for years.
I've had no damage to the rubber boots or the parts.

 

[barronj]

That's how I've done it most successfully on fox body mustangs, but I have to admit, I was scared after having to torch that ball joint out of what I'd purchased.

Sounds like I need to go to HF & get another BFH.

 

[siderbox]

Sounds like I need to go to HF & get another BFH.

That's what I'm talk'n bout.

 

[Hoppy]

get a metric/ foreign car pitman arm puller
put it over the ball joint works way too easy

 

[barronj]

Thank you!