[mattcorby]

hi, i've had some trouble pulling a upper control arm on my 94 4.6 tbird. it has to do with where it's attached to what i believe what's called the spindle. that thing where you have to pry and hammer at the same time. my question is for someone who's done this, what tool did you use to pry it. i've tried everything including a pry bar, and just about everything will break or slip out of place when i pry really hard. i read a tutorial where someone hammered in a wedge. but i don't know where to find these and i don't know what size to use. any help would really be appreciated i'm starting to get frustrated. thanx!

 

[Bangster]

You did remove the bolt that pinches the top of the spindle to the ball joint on the UCA, right?

I didn't the first time I did the front end and I fought it for a little while, and before getting really physical with it I stepped back and took it out, and found the ball joint stud had a groove.

I had to slightly pry mine apart with a few different construction prybars (I think the wonderbar worked the best), but that is probably because I live in the desert and the cars entire lives have been here, so only surface/minimal rust. Even the used spindles I got that had spent time on the coast that part of them was fine, but the rest of the spindle had flaking rust, which I am spoiled to have really never dealt with.

 

[dwinthrup]

be sure to completely remove the bolt from the pinch flange thingy and pound a big flat head into the gab and take a hammer and pound up the upper arm

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I used a 3/8" chisel (Check at Lowes or Home Depot, heck even Wal*Mart may carry them) and a small pitman arm to push the UCA out of the spindle.
Advance or AutoZone will lend you a pitman arm.

Slide the pitmam arm over the top of the spindle and hammer the chisel into the spindle. The pitman should easily push the UCA out of the spindle.

 

[Distortion 5.0]

Damn, I didn't even run into this. I just knocked the bolt out of there and tapped up on the arm and it popped right out. I do remember thinking at first that I might have to pry it though, before I took the bolt out. You can also unbolt it from the body and then try and spin it around to break the rust loose first. I did that on my right side, but didn't on the left because it seemed unnecesary on that one.