How do I remove 63 chev pick up lower ball joint?

I just bought a 63 chev pick up. Some jack ass welded the castle nuts on the lower ball joints. I had one snap on me on the road today...very scary.
How do I remove the lower ball joints on this year pick up?

Thanks.

 

Remove the 6 bolts from the frame and slide a disk brake frontend under there.

Short of that maybe a torch?

 

it should be pressed in.

But just to be on the safe side look and see if there are either 3 bolts or rivets on a flange around the ball joint. if so either droill out the rivets or remove the bolts it will fall out.

Now back to the beginning, if its pressed in there are two ways to remove it the right way or the backyard way. the right way is to pull the A arm and get it pressed out, then have the new one pressed in.

now the backyard way is how I've done it alot. Put a block under the A arm to support it. then take a BFH and swat it real hard (several times). it will drive out through the bottom of the A arm. It doesn't hurt to heat it with a torch first, it may almost fall out that way.

Either way will work, but someone will tell you not to do it the backyard way. You do whatever you are comfortable with.

OH yea if you do it the right way, cut the coils while you got it apart. unless they still had torsion bars in '63 in which case disregard that last statement.

 

Thunderchunks is right, get rid of the farm machinery grade brakes and get a '73-'87 front end with disks and while you are at it, grab the P/S box too.

 

The cool part about the 63 (as opposed to the 60-62's) is :

1) no torsion bars
2) 'cheap' ball joints

Plus, you get the neat wraparound glass - best of both worlds. I like the 60-61's the most (love the hood) but the '63 has the benefits of both series.

 

Put a Jet intake hood on a 63 and I won't tell

I like the knee knocker cab too, but the windshield is too pricey.
I am putting the cool 63 dash in my 64.

 

I went the backyard route...Gotta love the lead hammer...However I will press them IN. Luckily there is a disc set up in front already...But I am going through the whole truck to see if there is any other "creative" engineering.