For the most part, separating ball joints from a spindle or splitting tie rod ends isn’t a major task. There is one very important thing to remember—when you a split ball joint, coil the spring will become free. You absolutely, positively must secure the spring! I use a spring compressor and for added safety, a ratchet strap tied across the car linking the right spring to the left. A floor jack under the control arm you’re working on is also an extremely good idea. Safety glasses are a must here, and in my world, I always wear gloves and stand away (ahead of or behind the spring) when splitting ball joints.

Here’s why I’m so cautious. When I first started getting serious about suspension systems, I didn’t have a lot of tools. When it came time to swap the springs on a 1968 Camaro I owned, I borrowed a well-used coil spring compressor. It was on the shaky side and the threads seemed a bit worse for wear, but the guy who owned the tool said it would all be OK.

Naïve me loaded the spring compressor into the spring pocket and split the ball joints with a borrowed pickle fork. When the unsupported lower control arm dropped to the floor, the threads let go on the spring compressor. It was an epic explosion. The coil spring cleared the car, made one massive bounce through the open garage door, and landed right in the middle of the street. I was unscathed, but the incident forever changed my level of respect for loaded springs.

There are three basic types of tools to remove ball joints:

Pickle Fork

A pickle fork is basically a two-prong wedge with a handle. To split a ball joint, wedge the pickle fork between the ball joint and spindle, then hit the fork handle with a good size hammer. However, there’s a better-than-even chance of damaging the rubber boot. That’s fine if you’re replacing the ball joint, but not so fine if you want to reuse it.

It is possible to use a pickle fork without damaging the boot, but you really must sneak up on it. Hit the end of the fork once with your favorite big boy hammer and check the pinch point. Sometimes the ball joint will separate easily without damage. But if the front end hasn’t been apart for many years, expect the worst.

Ball Joint Separators  

My favorite go-to ball joint tool is a scissor-action unit that is very similar to separators made by OEM Tools, OTC Tool, and Performance Tool available from Summit Racing. Using an upper ball joint as the example, slip the top finger over the ball joint stud and slide the bottom jaw onto the steering knuckle or spindle above the dust boot. The jaw sits away from the rubber boot, making it almost impossible to tear.

To separate the ball joint, tighten the large fine thread screw on the end of the tool. This effectively pinches the joint and pops it out of the control arm. The tool works equally well on lower ball joints and tie rod ends.

Claw Press

The claw press is just as the name implies—a one-piece tool with a two-prong claw and a threaded stud in the center. More commonly used for tie rod joints, it can be used to remove ball joints with a hammer. Tighten the press onto the ball joint stud to apply pressure, then give the joint a few light taps with the hammer. The ball joint should pop free.

You have to be careful with a claw press as there is potential for damaging the threads on the ball joint stud. To prevent this, thread the castle nut upside down on the stud (split side towards the joint) and apply the press. This keeps the head of the tool’s stud centered.

What if the ball joint taper spins when you try to loosen the nut? Try jamming a large prybar into the control arm and force the ball joint to bind. You can also drive a pickle fork into the assembly to tighten it up or carefully load the suspension with a jack. Now you can use an air or electric impact gun to loosen the nut. I’ve found on many occasions that a simple rattle on the ball joint nut with a 1/2-inch drive impact will get the job done without binding the joint with a pickle fork or pry bar.

As you can see, the right tools can make a big difference when separating ball joints. Remember my tale of woe and take the proper precautions and the job should go smoothly.

Ball joint and tie rod separator tools
Here are my well-used ball joint and tie rod end separator tools. When used with the big hammer of your choice, a pickle fork will definitely get the job done, but at the expense of a torn ball joint boot. That’s only a concern when you want to reuse the joint. (Image/Wayne Scraba)
K-Tool air hammer separating pickle fork
If you’re looking for even quicker method of splitting joints, Summit Racing offers K-Tool Air Hammer Separating Forks. The one in this photo is for use on tie rod ends. Hook one to an air hammer and separation is guaranteed. But be careful—it’s easy to tear stuff up. (Image/Summit Racing)
Scissor style ball joint separator
The favorite ball joint splitter in my toolbox is this scissor-style separator. Here is the tool ready to split a tie rod joint. The lower flat jaw fits between the joint and the steering arm. The top of the tool is positioned over the tie rod end stud. As you tighten the screw, the tie rod end is forced out of the steering arm. It works just as well on ball joints and won’t mess up the rubber boots. (Image/Wayne Scraba)
OTC Claw Style Ball Joint Tool
This OTC Heavy Tie Rod and Ball Joint Remover is a good example of a claw-style press. Claws can spread up to three inches and have a four-inch depth. It comes with cone-, flat-, and cup-style interchangeable tips. (Image/Summit Racing)
Performance Tool Front End Service Set
If you do a lot of front suspension work, consider investing in a tool set like this Performance Tool Front End Service Set. It comes with two types of ball joint separators, and three sizes of claw-style presses for tie rods and pitman arms. (Image/Summit Racing)
Separating ball joint with a hammer
Here’s a method of splitting ball joints with just a hammer. Remove the cotter pin from the joint’s castle nut, unthread the nut from the stud, then rethread it onto the stud with the split end facing the ball joint. This will ensure the threads are covered up with the nut. Now you can strike the nut with a hammer. This method will usually separate the joint but be careful so you don’t mess up the threads. (Image/Wayne Scraba)
Coil springs tied together with ratchet strap during ball joint separating
When splitting ball joints, I make it a practice to tie the two coil springs together with a good old fashioned ratchet strap. If the spring compressor lets go when the ball joint splits, the spring will be contained. This is also a good way to keep the spring positioned correctly during reinstallation. (Image/Wayne Scraba)
Keywords
ball joints , front suspension
Share this Article
Author: Wayne Scraba

Wayne Scraba is a diehard car guy and regular contributor to OnAllCylinders. He’s owned his own speed shop, built race cars, street rods, and custom motorcycles, and restored muscle cars. He’s authored five how-to books and written over 4,500 tech articles that have appeared in sixty different high performance automotive, motorcycle and aviation magazines worldwide.