Balljoint spacer install question
 

Got my bj spacers and rear blocks yesterday. Installed the rear blocks today, had to cut the u-bolts that I replaced two years ago, between the salt and mag-chloride they put on the roads here it rusts stuff up something awful, and my compressor for my airgun is too small (burned up my big compressor) after I twisted one ubolt off using a cheater pipe I broke out the angle grinder, I was replacing u-bolts anyways and had did enough upper body workout for the day ;). Anyways started in on the front and finally got one side apart. I know I've seen in the past people doing it without removing/replacing upper ball joints but can't find it now. Is there an easier way to get the four splined bolts out of the upper ball joint? I got two of them pounded out finally with a four pound sledge and the nut screwed on them but I couldn't get the other two drove out to save my life, I ended up dropping the ball joint out of the upper A-arm with it still attached and VERY carefully applied heat to the metal around them without melting boot on the balljoint. Then by bracing one hammer against the steering bracket and holding a socket on top of it and around the head of the bolt while having someone else pound on the bolt I eventually got them out. But it was a two hour project removing four bolts, so was hoping someone had some insight on an easier way to remove the ones on the other side.

Oh and I had a bottlejack under the hub to make it solid while bracing the hammer and socket on top so it was a real redneck engineered cluster!

Heavy duty C clamp with a socket on side you are pressing out.

I used heat and pounding on mine.

Not sure that I can get a C-clamp on the back two bolts, but may give it a try tomorrow. Got the one side back together today, but then had to go to the inlaws, will do the other side tomorrow.

Melrose,
Did you put heat to the bolts on top or did you reach up from underneath past the ball joint? I ended up pulling it down with the ball joint still attached to the hub and carefully putting heat to them, but that made it very hard to get the ball joint braced solid enough to pound on the bolts.

see my thread in my sig, post #147. I was heating from the top. I put the nut on each stud and hit the nut.

Thanks, and I came up with the 2x4 trick all on my own ;) Course the shop I'm using is actually more of a wood shop than anything else, so I just grabbed a scrap 2x4 off the pile of lumber and cut it to length on the table saw alongside the truck.

Got it all together (ended up using heat on the other side also but came up with a better 'anvil' ). Alas I came up with another problem. The rims I have on the truck are steel (I despise aluminum, particularly with the stuff they put on the roads here they corrode and stick to hubs awful, driving them off with a sledge is enough of a pain at home, when you have a flat in the woods in the pouring rain it takes on a whole 'nuther aspect) rims off a 2016 Tacoma. They rub on the UCA now, luckily it its time to put my summer tires on anyways and when I put them on they have clearance. Checking the summer rims have 3/4" less offset (stock steel off an 02 Tacoma) than the rims I have my studded tires on. Not sure how offset is officially measured but laying a board across the inner side of the rim and measuring from it to the inside of the part the lugs go through it 4 3/4" on the ones that came from an 02 and 5 1/2" on the ones that came from a 16. Both are 16" rims because I prefer to run 16" tires both for the availability of 10 ply tires and the availability of tires in taller, narrower sizes.

If anybody knows how offset is measured by the rim manufacturers I would appreciate them chiming in, since I will need a new set of rims for my studded tires before fall.

And the tires appear toed out, so the problem will be even worse when I get it aligned.