Exploding ball joint!

[svxfiles]

I had something really weird happen to me tonight!

I was replacing a ball joint and spindle on a 124k Legacy sedan tonight, and with the VERY used replacement spindle in my shop vice, I heated the spindle to loosen the pinch bolt that clamps the ball joint into the spindle.
I had removed the rubber boot and wiped clean the excess grease so that chance of fire would be low.

I had positioned the spindle so that the ball joint was at a 45° angle to the concrete floor.

Not as a precaution, but only to make the pinch bolt accessable.

I heated the lower spindle to low red hot, and broke the pinch bolt loose.
I turned it out about 3 or 4 turns and turned around to switch to a ratchet for faster removal.

While my back was turned, I heard a VERY LOUD explosion!

Much like a 45 fired just above your head!!!!!!!
I looked around and saw no fires, so I ran upstairs to have Di look me over for damage from the explosion!

Sometimes when there is an explosion, you don't know that you are burned, cut, stuck with metal objects, etc.!

When She saw no damage I/We went back to the garage and found the ball joint had exploded and shot out of the spindle, across the garage and punched a hole in a plastic one galon oil jug that now holds braake fluid from my brake bleeding ventures.
Two parts of the ball joint were inside the oil jug.

The used brake fluid was still smoking, a metalic smell filled the air.

So, watch your @ss when heating a ball joint!
In 40 plus years of mechanics I have not seen this!

It could have been worse.