Hi folks, I recently bought a nice 04 yukon and am working over the front end.
However this ball joint has me stumped, I cannot figure out how to press it out.
The top has 4 flared places on it to stop from moving down and bottom looks like will not go north.
Any help with this mule is much appreciated!
Ben
You need the proper ball joint press.
Once the new ball joint is installed, a cir-clip takes the place of the tabs.
Tester
Simple
First, you buy the proper tool set
Then you whack on those “stakes” . . . so that the portion of the ball joint which is protruding is round
Then you can remove it with the tool set, and install the new one with the tool set
The stakes hold that pictured ball joint in place
The replacement part will be held in place with a snap ring
Moog is a decent brand, FWIW
Can we assume the rest of the steering and suspension is okay . . . because I recommend an alignment after replacing those ball joints
If anything else is questionable, now is the time to do it
I’m assuming this truck probably has over 100K, and as such, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those other parts I mentioned aren’t also considerably worn
I have a press and pickle fork and new moog parts for top and bottom steering rod and stabilizer, I just can’t figure out how this comes out. What do you mean by “stakes”?
It has to press down the moog parts press up, but what about the flares on the top?
I can’t press that out can I? Thanks for the help. I was thinking about grinding off the flares on the top edge but it would be nice to know how to do this right!
In the interest of safety manufacture will make the ball joints semi-permanent, to be replaced as a control arm assembly. Aftermarket suppliers offer replacement ball joints for these.
The flared edges were staked by a press to prevent the ball joint from coming loose. Cut the 4 flared edges with a cut-off wheel or die grinder, do not damage the control arm.
I use a ball joint press to install new ball joints. To remove, I place a floor jack under the control arm and with two strikes of the hammer the old ball joint is on the floor.
Thank you! I had decided this must be factory press flares, I guess you guys in the know call them stakes, and I probably needed to just grin them off. All the videos I watched on this before I dove in and not a single one showed this problem removing the old ball joints. Thanks for the help for sure, any other tips much appreciated.
Yes, you CAN press the ball joint out
I urge you to resist the temptation to grind them off. You could easily nick the control arm
You can quickly “remove” those stakes with a punch and a hammer. And you’ll be done before setting up your cut-off wheel or grinder. I do this all the time
By the way . . . I recommend you use a dedicated ball joint installation/removal tool set . . . OTC, for example . . . not the hydraulic press. I’ve seen guys BEND control arms when they use a hydraulic press. It can happen quicker than you would imagine
Too bad you’re not my neighbor. I would have those suckers removed, and the new ones installed . . . using my OTC ball joint kit, not the hydraulic press . . . quicker than you could make a burger run. I’m saying that because you already have the ball joints explosed
I got the press from Oriely’s, it snatched the joint out of the upper arm lickety split. I actually tried to push those stakes with a sledge and a railroad spike, sorry Im improvising here, they didnt seem too interested. I will try it again with a little more gusto but I am tired of this puzzle and a grinder sounds like a REAL good way to finish it.
Thanks for the help guys I carefully ground them off and it popped right out.
You’re the man! 
Popped right out? Consider yourself lucky. They usually come out with a bang after you’ve applied enough force to start thinking twice…
You didn’t need to take the arms off to extract the joint. Done a number of them on the truck. No need for an alignment afterward if you leave the arms in place. I use a chisel or drift to peen the staked sections back straight enough to press out. You need something like 3 different kits for the OTC to get all the cups/sleeves for the GM. Better to just buy the master kit and be done with it 
Congrats on success so far!
Several years ago, I bought an OTC master ball joint kit . . . 6530, I believe
Not long after, they came out with yet more adapters
My kit is still sold, but it’s no longer considered a master kit 
But fortunately, I haven’t YET run into a situation where my kit didn’t do the job
Of course, I know I probably don’t see as many different kinds of vehicles as many of the other wrenchers on this website