Ball joint/pickle fork custom tool

[el torro]

I’m ordering front end suspension parts for the kid’s 2WD 98 C3500 for a complete rebuild. I have most of the tools I need, except for an air compressor big enough to run an air hammer. I ran into a similar problem when I replaced the front CV axles on my wife’s Subaru a few weeks ago. I needed an air hammer to drive the driver side axel out of the wheel bearings because DAMN it was stuck. No amount of heat or sledge hammering budged it.

I do have a concrete rotary hammer, it took all of 20 seconds to push the axel out with a pointed chisel bit. Win!

That got me to thinking, can I (cheaply) adapt a pickle fork to a SDS+ rotary hammer chuck?

Behold! The union of a cheap pickle fork and a 1/2” ground rod driver. I got the local muffler shop to weld it together. When he stopped laughing he asked me for the Amazon links where I got both parts. LOL

When I finally get to use it in a few weeks I’ll post back in this thread to report on how it worked.

 

[GrimsterGMC]

Mate, that's real practical thinking. Sometimes a lot of smaller impacts work just as well as a great big thump, but put less strain on the surrounding parts.

 

[pandatruck]

Looks good to me

 

[Caman96]

I’m ordering front end suspension parts for the kid’s 2WD 98 C3500 for a complete rebuild. I have most of the tools I need, except for an air compressor big enough to run an air hammer. I ran into a similar problem when I replaced the front CV axles on my wife’s Subaru a few weeks ago. I needed an air hammer to drive the driver side axel out of the wheel bearings because DAMN it was stuck. No amount of heat or sledge hammering budged it.

I do have a concrete rotary hammer, it took all of 20 seconds to push the axel out with a pointed chisel bit. Win!

That got me to thinking, can I (cheaply) adapt a pickle fork to a SDS+ rotary hammer chuck?

Behold! The union of a cheap pickle fork and a 1/2” ground rod driver. I got the local muffler shop to weld it together. When he stopped laughing he asked me for the Amazon links where I got both parts. LOL

When I finally get to use it in a few weeks I’ll post back in this thread to report on how it worked.

@el torro your on a roll here!

 

[el torro]

Mate, that's real practical thinking. Sometimes a lot of smaller impacts work just as well as a great big thump, but put less strain on the surrounding parts.

I’m hoping I just smack the knuckle a few times and it pops out. The driver side has been oil soaked for who knows how long so it will probably come apart without issue. The passenger side I’m expecting to give me problems. But I didn’t want to need a tool and not have it. My goal is to have the suspension rebuilt in a weekend, so in reality it will probably take at least 5 days. LOL

 

[el torro]

@el torro your on a roll here!

Thanks man! I’m all about figuring out a way to fix something with the things I have on hand, as long as it’s fixed right.

 

[Caman96]

Me too.

 

[Schurkey]

I have learned to despise "pickle forks" for separating suspension joints. They have the potential to damage the iron/steel around the tapered hole that the ball stud goes through. They also tend to murder the rubber boot, which is no big deal if you're replacing the joint...but if you're just separating the joint to do other service work, you're stuck buying a Polyurethane boot--or just ignoring it.

Bought the KD/Gearwrench/NAPA/OTC "Front end service set" and I haven't used a picklefork since. Mine was "KD" until I wore-out some pieces and had to have the entire set warrantied. NAPA replaced it with a Gearwrench-branded set, but same part number (41690.) The same thing is sold by OTC and others, and there are crappy knockoffs also--so beware.

Original set:

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Replacement set:

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Schurkey]

I’m hoping I just smack the knuckle a few times and it pops out.

Guys at the shop I took my Trailblazer to, "smacked the knuckle" to separate the lower ball joint stud. Damaged the knuckle. Pounded a bigass ridge into what should have been machined flat; upset the area the ball joint boot rode on.

To the upper-right of the ball joint stud hole in this photo.

You must be registered for see images attach

The half-circle evidence they left of their hammering. I have ground the upset material flat again.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[el torro]

I know enough that if it doesn’t pop right out by lightly hitting the knuckle once or twice with a ball pean hammer to stop and approach the problem for a different angle. I’m not worried about saving these joints, they are completely worn out. The boots are all but gone. The knuckles/spindles are surprisingly in good shape. When I did the front brakes/calipers/rotors/and bearings the machined surfaces of the spindles looked new.