Which Tie Rod Puller?

[Rigmaster]

+1 on using a hammer.

Doesn't necessarily even have to be a 4 or 8 lb hammer- if you use a good size ball pein hammer and put some force behind it, you'll be able to get any E30 tie rod loose.


I have yet to see a puller that does a more effective job than a hammer, and I've dropped lots of these in my time.

[accident]

Another vote for hammer. Preferably sledge.

[long tall eta]

well, here's my tie rod replacement story. it started last weds morning, the 1st of my 2 days off. having something to do thurs. i needed to do it weds. anyone living in south jersey knows that last weds was heavy rain all day and had to do it in the drive way. wheels off, calipers off, rotors off. loosen splash shields. removed the locking nuts from tie rods and tried the hamer. no luck, hamer not heavy enough. broke out the pickle fork tie rod remover and drivers side still gave me fits but eventually popped off. passanger side popped right out. hardest part for me was bending back the lock plate tabs to remove the rods from the rack. had to really bug them up but eventually got em up. all the while water dripping in my face, ear canal, eyes, grrrr. layed the new rods out next to the old ones and adjusted them to the same lengths. installed in reverse fashion and car drives straight as an arrow. no drift at any speed. guys, it would of made a great funniest home video clip. raining cats and dogs, me, soaking wet, having to roll over every 5 minutes to hit my right ear cause my left was full of water. the next day, the neighbors all said they where peeping out their windows laughing their asses off. f..king pricks. lol. any way, back on the road.

[Axxe]

The key to the hammer method is to use two hammers: one ball peen, one 4lb mini sledge. Line up the flat end of the ball peen hammer on your target (the knuckle where the tapered ball joint or tie rod passes through), and a couple good, sharp whacks from the mini sledge on the rounded part and all should come apart. Also, do NOT under any circumstance put any sort of lubricant (never seize or grease, penetrating oil to seperate is OK but unnecessary if you use the two hammer method) on the taper, it is designed to create solid connection when placed under tension with the nut, and lubricating it increases the likely hood of not torquing it enough to get the two surfaces to mate perfectly, which causes it to loosen and potentially oval the hole.

[F34R]

Been using one for 16 years, and my Uncle before me over 30 years. It just gets the job done, even more so if you use some Never Seez on the inner hole and sleeve.

[mikeedler]

a pickle fork is great, but totally unnecessary for a small euro car. plus you will kill the boot! a decent sized hammer is all you need. I didn't even use a pickle fork on Bradley tracked vehicles, a good sledge hammer is 10 times easier!

[BMWManiac]

a pickle fork is great, but totally unnecessary for a small euro car. plus you will kill the boot! a decent sized hammer is all you need. I didn't even use a pickle fork on Bradley tracked vehicles, a good sledge hammer is 10 times easier!

Umm.....there are no ball joints on a bradley, and I don't think a pickle fork is even part of the BII?

[pantelones]

I just did this last night so I figure I would give my .02 Mini sledge and a 1/2" diameter punch worked like a charm. Fuck using a fork, I tore the boot on the left side and I still couldn’t get it to go smoothly. I then used a hammer and punch, it only took 3 whacks and nothing got damaged.

[mikeedler]

Umm.....there are no ball joints on a bradley, and I don't think a pickle fork is even part of the BII?

good thing we have posts like this.........

[b*saint]

I use all the tricks depending on the least damage. Sometimes you can't swing a hammer to get to some ball joints and you have to use a fork on the end of a air hammer. Other times you have to use a bj press.

[Axxe]

I use all the tricks depending on the least damage. Sometimes you can't swing a hammer to get to some ball joints and you have to use a fork on the end of a air hammer. Other times you have to use a bj press.

This is why I heart my flat hammer attachment on my air chisel. 30 seconds on the flange and it pops right out, no need to damage the ball joint. But if the arm is going in the scrap and is stuck, pickle fork attachment on the air chisel is super effective.

[b*saint]

This is why I heart my flat hammer attachment on my air chisel. 30 seconds on the flange and it pops right out, no need to damage the ball joint. But if the arm is going in the scrap and is stuck, pickle fork attachment on the air chisel is super effective.

I have the same attachment!

But I find on some makes, it marrs the boss of the ball joints really bad.

[Mr. Tasty]

Bump, I am not having a problem with the ball joint, but where it connects to the rack. I have wrench on it and can't budge it. I have soaked it with PB and moved the little metal collar. Anyone?

[long tall eta]

Bump, I am not having a problem with the ball joint, but where it connects to the rack. I have wrench on it and can't budge it. I have soaked it with PB and moved the little metal collar. Anyone?

get it done? i had to use curved jaw vice grips and a make shift cheater bar. needed the extra leverage. wrap a shop towel around the tie rod then clamp down the vice grips, slide the bar over the handle and tourque that puppy off.

[cory58]

I've had good luck with this style ball joint puller and it was cheap, ~$15:


I think this style would work better, but I couldn't find one for a reasonable price locally:

Just did my tie rods with a tool like this. Broke loose in about 15 seconds. I got the tool at Harbor Feight for cheap.

Cory