Years ago I got a little ten dollar puller at my FLAPS for my
daughter's Honda. It does a dandy job on the Vanagon. It's probably
the same price as a pickle fork and a lot easier and less destructive.

Jim

On Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 5:35 PM, Jake de
Villiers<crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have a giant pickle fork that fits Chevy Truck, Fiat and now Vanagon ball
> joints - its usually just 2 whacks with a 2 1/2 lb ball pein hammer... �=)
>
> On Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 2:32 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>> upper control arm bushings ?
>> just grind off the spot welds, and press them out on a press. Easy to do.
>>
>> I use the hammer method on upper ball joints. �It's a larger tapered part ,
>> than the tie rod is, so you'd need �a pretty wide/large pickle fork for the
>> upper ball joints , if you wanted to pickle fork them. �Hammer method for
>> me
>> on those. Sometimes I have to back up what I'm whacking on with a sledge
>> hammer held behind it .
>>
>> 'careful' brute force, let's say.
>> Scott
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Troy" <colorworks@gci.net>
>> To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
>> Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 11:16 PM
>> Subject: Re: Tie Rod end removal/Control arm bushings
>>
>>
>> �I'm replacing both, and own a pickle fork (don't you love these names?) so
>>> think I'll go that route. Works on upper ball joints too I suppose? I love
>>> the wisdom of an experienced mechanic-- be on the damn thing until it
>>> gives! Any wisdom on control arm bushings? One person simply said to
>>> hacksaw the thing into two, and then use a cold chisel to punch it out,
>>> apparently works great. Brute force wins again!
>>>
>>> Troy
>>>
>>>
>>> �hi.
>>>> I specialize in removing tie rod ends ......
>>>> that tapered thing.
>>>> 'the way' is to give the end of the steering arm that it sits in ( after
>>>> the nut is loosened but not removed ) ....
>>>> wahck the hell out of that mother , with a good medium size ball been
>>>> hammer ......
>>>> sharp whacks, not dull thuds . On the 5th to 20th sharp hard whack, the
>>>> tie rod will jump out of the steering arm.
>>>> Loosen the nut pretty well, but leave it on to protect the threads while
>>>> you hammer nearby.
>>>> check it once in a while to see if it hasn't jumped out.
>>>>
>>>> other methods -
>>>> if you know you're just going to toss the tie rod end ...........pickle
>>>> fork. �Wedged fork thing - it destroys the boot though.
>>>> Pullers - sure .....but pulling on a taperd thing ..........or pushing .I
>>>> mean ......
>>>> just isn't the same as the hammer method. �The few times I've tired it
>>>> .....well, ..the hammer method is fast and easy.
>>>> Huge affect - shocking that hole dimension in the steerying arm. �Makes
>>>> it just jump right out.
>>>>
>>>> Related - - � same for screws and bolts �......a sharp whack on the end
>>>> of those �( like CV joint screws ) ( �with a hammer and drift )
>>>> ........makes them a lot easier to unscrew. �Major affect. I've had CV
>>>> screws that felt like they'd strip for sure after pulling hard on them,
>>>> after the first go around of whacking. So whack on that screw some more.
>>>> Try it again, Stil no, whack on it five more sharp hard times......and
>>>> eventually, it'll unscrew.
>>>> And so will a tie rod end pop out. �If it's an extreme case, and the nut
>>>> is downward, so the tie rod end goes out upward, I might jack on it with
>>>> a bottle jack ....but still ......sharp hard whacks with a nice medium
>>>> hammer.
>>>>
>>>> I shortened the handle of my favorite ball been hammer just a litle to
>>>> get better control of it.......of a medium ball been hammer ........about
>>>> 30 years ago. �I carved grip notches in it by holding it up to a grinder
>>>> ....in a grippy spiral pattern. �Your own custom tools are really nice
>>>> aren't they ! ?
>>>> That hammer has undone one helleva lot of tie rod ends. �! :)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>
>
> --
> Jake
>
> 1984 Vanagon GL
> 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
>
> Crescent Beach, BC
>
> www.thebassspa.com
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>