hey all, new to this forum. I recently hit a curb with my right front tire, this caused my lower ball joint to rip from the socket and my upper ball joint to do the same. I can replace the entire upper control arm, so that will take care of the upper ball joint. My real question is now that my lower ball joint has ripped out of the socket how do I get the pressed part of the socket out of the wheel carrier? I don't have pictures immediately but will post some when I can. I dont have a welder so I am unable to weld a threaded shank on and slide hammer it out... any ideas? Thanks

S

sorry my car is a w116 1979 300sd if that also helps

You will have to remove the hub, then disconnect the upper control arm either at the ball joint or completely from the car, then the spindle. You put the spindle in a vice and beat the remains of the lower ball joint from the spindle using a hammer and a drift of some sort, usually a large socket works pretty well.

I would be concerned that the lower control arm or possibly even the spindle could have been tweaked if either encountered enough force. Maybe the lower ball joint was ready to fail and it didn't take much but from the description you hit pretty hard with the entire force of the moving car behind it!