Removing Ball Joints With Astro Thor Air Hammer

Using the Astro 498K Thor air hammer to remove Dana 50 ball joints. Very impressive air hammer for automotive use!

[@stanleykachuik2589]

Nice. I was deciding between this one and the Air Cat 5250. Went with the air cat due to better modulation. However the internals of the Thor are sure to stand up to daily use with all steel construction.

[@davehaggerty3405]

Daaaang! What a vice! The big Wilton!

[@SouthMainAuto]

Best air hammer on the planet 👍

[@TechnicianRed]

Wow, I feel honored to get a comment from Eric himself!

[@user-zi6mk5ye8j]

No, RRH10P, RRH12P, RRH14P TOP Planet Earth 0.498

[@rcs0296]

where has that thing been all my life,lol I am retired now

[@TechnicianRed]

It's a life saver. You can even drive some carrier bearings right off a driveshaft without cutting anything just by hitting them on the outer race.

[@yeayeasautoadventures1161]

@@TechnicianRed I worked at a chevy dealer years ago and the old 4wd front ends were nightmares, I remember our front end guy using a snap on air hammer (no such thing as big nasty) for hours on ball joints,he got a standing ovation when he was done

[@charvakkarpe]

Is this okay for the bore in the knuckle? Especially hitting the second one out at an angle, could deform the bore slightly.

[@TechnicianRed]

Perfectly safe so long as you don't go hitting the bore with the punch.

[@timcanizares5240]

Made quick work of that

[@tainchains]

If you balljoint had to come out the opposite way by using the tool on the bottom threaded side do you think it would work?

[@TechnicianRed]

No it won't work. I have tried. It will just push the ball stud through the back end of the ball joint leaving you just the outer "race" (which is now hollow) in the housing.

[@tainchains]

What do you suggest in that case? That is the way mine come out. And that exact thing happened to me only with a balljoint press and not an air hammer. I had to cut the top of the ball joint off and then use the press to press out the race.

[@Dlx1458]

You can use the Thor to install a ball joint. But you need to support the outside of the joint. Use the cups in the Astro ball joint kit. That being said it’s somewhat like performing heart surgery with a jack hammer; you’re one step away from grabbing the c clamp and pressing it in. The beauty of being able to hammer a ball joint OUT is that often an impact on the c clamp isn’t enough.

[@dfestus]

I have a big nasty . Not quite that easy on a rust belt ball joint.

[@brianfiedler6927]

Too easy, sometimes.