Ball joint rust seized up after 11 winters, had to cut it out with a torch

I was doing lower control arms on my 2004 F-150 last Saturday in my buddy's shop near Akron. The ball joint was so rusted that my pickle fork just bent, and even the air hammer barely moved it. Ended up spending 2 hours with a torch and a cutoff wheel to get the knuckle off without wrecking the hub. I've seen people heat the knuckle red hot and beat it, but I was worried about cooking the bearing grease. What do you guys do when the rust wins, soak it overnight or just go straight to the torch? Is there some trick with a jack and wedges I'm missing?

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1 Comment

adams.taylor19d ago

Man, 2 hours with a torch sounds like my last relationship, just a lot of heat and nothing moving. I usually end up using the torch right away after the pickle fork gives up, but I wrap a wet rag around the boot and hub just to keep the grease from cooking. The jack trick only works if you have a second guy and a lot of patience, otherwise it's just you cussing at a rusty hunk of metal.