To DIY or NOT to DIY

[jakeru]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

Harbor Freight has those ball joint separators too. Be careful using them because they can mess up the end of the treads if the ball joint is in tight. It's best to loosen the nut all the way to the end of the treads before using the separator. Break the ball joint loose and then finish removing the nut.

The harbor freight ball joint separator worked very well for me when I rebuilt my 986 suspension recently. It does need to have its inside edge enlarged a bit (by something like 2-4mm diameter or so, if I recall correctly) to fit around the ball joints. (IIRC, it fits perfectly unmodified around the tie rod ends, though, but modified for use with the ball joints, it still works fine on the tie rod ends, so I do recommend the enlargement modification if you buy one.). A good tool for enlarging it is a die grinder with carbide burr, but probably an angle grinder would also do the job. I used calipers to measure the enlargement required.

Greasing the threads and contact surfaces on the tool with an extreme pressure grease (I used moly CV joint grease) makes it work very smoothly and it will probably last forever.

Also, be sure to seat the tool fully before applying clamping pressure. (You will not be able to do this on the ball joint unless you modify as described.) Using penetrating oil can also help.