Lower Control Arm stuck!

[AmosCake]

Doing a suspension refresh but the control arm is stuck to the subframe. Any advice?

[roguetoaster]

Hit it from the bottom until it falls out, you can also add leverage while hitting to make it pop.

[Vincenze]

You need a fork.
Hammer it in.

https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...tor-63519.html

[AmosCake]

I’ve been hammering at it with a fork and it would not budge

[AmosCake]

Hit it from the bottom until it falls out, you can also add leverage while hitting to make it pop.

this was the first method I did before buying the fork and they both haven’t worked.

[Vincenze]

I’ve been hammering at it with a fork and it would not budge

Then you have to use PB Blaster from the top a few times and wait for a day.

Maybe, you can hit the bolt from the top, but the access is very bad.

[roguetoaster]

The stud rusts in the bore and sticks, it's just something you have be persistent with. In some rare situations you may be able to tighten the nut beyond normal and break it free, but you risk deformation and sticking the assembly in place. You also may be able to get a socket that fits over the threads with no nut and hammer on that from the top, but the angle stinks and with lots of extension the impact is lessened.

[AmosCake]

The stud rusts in the bore and sticks, it's just something you have be persistent with. In some rare situations you may be able to tighten the nut beyond normal and break it free, but you risk deformation and sticking the assembly in place. You also may be able to get a socket that fits over the threads with no nut and hammer on that from the top, but the angle stinks and with lots of extension the impact is lessened.

Yeah I’m scared of deformation. I might do what Vince suggested and soak it with PB blaster and what’s your suggested to hammer the top. Although I have tried hammering the top, maybe the pub blaster will loosen it.

[AmosCake]

Update. PB Blaster with some hammering did not work. Control arm still very mush stuck. Next method will be using a 8 pound sledgehammer

[nando]

I don't know if this works on RWD E30s - but on my ix, I put a short socket on top, with the nut threaded to the top of the ball joint, and hammer it from the top. It's way easier and I don't have to crawl under the car. You have to remove the airbox to do the passenger side but that only takes a couple minutes.

Fuck hitting ball joints with a hammer. I have never, ever had that work once in my life.

[AmosCake]

I don't know if this works on RWD E30s - but on my ix, I put a short socket on top, with the nut threaded to the top of the ball joint, and hammer it from the top. It's way easier and I don't have to crawl under the car. You have to remove the airbox to do the passenger side but that only takes a couple minutes.

Fuck hitting ball joints with a hammer. I have never, ever had that work once in my life.

This was the first method we tried with no luck. It doesn’t budge

[AmosCake]

Final Update! I hammered the joint at a different angle and it literally just slipped out as if it Wasn’t stuck. Hammering the ball joint all around was the only method that worked for me. Thanks