Help Needed - Frozen Ball Joints

[boony1968]

Anybody have good pickle forks with more experience than I do willing to help?

Trying to change lower front control arms on my daughter's Fusion. The ball joints on both side will not budge for me. I broke the bolt on the Harbor Freight tool I've use may times, fixed it with a grade 8 bolt and it snapped. Bent one (cheap) pickle fork, bought another cheap one from Autozone. Bought a torch, not luck. Using 6 lb sledge hammer.

Car is on stands. I live in Highland Lakes off 280.

Anyone? Thanks.

[spray004]

I've got a HF pickle fork and usually don't have a problem. Usually when I have a stuck ball joint I just heat the hell out of the spindle and then squirt WD40 or some other penetration liquid into the joint. It might take a few times but it'll eventually give. If you have an impact hammer you can get a pick fork extension that makes life easier. You might have to pull the control arm and spindle completely and press or hammer it out. Usually when I do ball joints I just replace the control arm completely because it's not worth the hassle of pressing the joint out of the arm when the whole assembly is an extra $20 or so.