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Dust covers on truck and car steering ball joints wear over time and require replacement to pass yearly MOT / TuV / APK / ITV technical inspection. It’s a simple procedure given the conical rod of the steering ball joint comes loose. It can be a desperate fight without the right tools, have a look.
Steering ball joint removal tool
For the really though cases there are specialized tool to press the steering ball joint from the conically shaped socket in the steering rod. This heavy ball joint puller is made for Mercedes Benz truck ball joints;
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| Kukko Ball joint separator puller tool with dust covers |
This tool is from Kukko with product number 128-4 for steering rod ball joints found in Mercedes Benz 1017A – 1222AF – 1719AK. Kukko is well known in the automotive market – specially for all sorts of pulley / puller tools. German tools company Hazet has a similar tool - see further blow for more info.
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| Kukko Ball joint separator puller tool 128-4 for Mercedes Benz (Yes - the bolt was removed first...) |
The specialized Ball joint puller pushes out even the most reluctant ball joint pins from it's conical shaped socket. With a pneumatic / air impact wrench, the hammering motion adds even more effect to get the conic ball joint pin out.
Steering joint removal for dust cover replacement
Without a ball joint puller – removal is usually done;
1) with a good hammering on the steering rod socket. There must be enough space to swing a large heavy hammer, preferably from a grease pit in the garage floor. Without enough space producing a good hammer blow is quite difficult.
2) with a pickle fork / separator tool can also help, however ball joints in heavy trucks can just be too big or too firmly set into it’s socket.
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| Fork separator tool aka Pickle tool |
If there's enough space a jack can put extra putting extra force on the joint.
3) With thermal extraction, but be careful not to set your truck on fire!! First remove the rubber dust cover. Then heat the outside of the conical socket with a torch so it widens just a tiny tiny fraction. When it's real hot then quickly point compressed air (8 bar for a truck) at the pin of the balljoint. Then give the socket a good whack. The socket stays hotter, the pin cools quicker with the compressed air causing a tiny gap. Usually the hard cases should come of easily. If not use the ball joint separator from Kukko or Hazet.
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| Mercedes Benz 1719 Ball joint with broken dust cover and signs of frantic hammering |
For the 1719AK, all these techniques failed – the steering ball joint pin simply would not exit the conical socket. See the frantic hammering marks on the steering rod.
Ball joint puller tools and pneumatic torque wrench
The Chicago Pneumatic Air impact wrench with the Kukko pulley tool did the job in just 1 minute - the conical pin forcefully snapped from the socket with an impressive bang.
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| Air impact wrench from Chicago Pneumatic - CP734H |
Here's a summary of the tools with price indications;
| Kukko | Hazet | Chicago Pneumatic |
German tool manufacturer Gedore has a similar shaped tool as Hazet. Compared to Kukko puller the curved legs on the Hazet / Gedore puller seem less rigid.
The generic fork separator aka pickle tool;
Ball Joint Separator Tool Terminology
The technical jargon for the tools and parts involved in different languages;
Ball joint puller
Kugelgelenk abzieher
Kogelgewricht trekker
Ściągacz do przegubów kulistych,
Estrattori per snodi sferici
Fork separator tool
Pickle tool
Pickle fork tool
Trenngabel
Ball joint
Kugelzapfen
Dust cover / boot
Spurstangenmanschetten
US automotive workshop jargon refers to "tie rod end" pullers.
