wont bugde!

[Switch]

well, i am replacing my sutr inserts with new konis, but i;ve run into a problem....

while attempting to remove the strut in the first place, i took the ball joint nut off the controll arm, and the control arm STILL will not bugde, i have become very agressive with it, and still nothing, is there a trick i am missing? are you just suppose to hit the hell out of it.... WHAT!@?!

[sschin]

Did you pop out the joints?

You can unscrew the nut half way... then put a Pitchfork inbetween the Strut case mount and joint and then hammer the pitch fork in and it should pop out...

It will make a Pop noise when the joint is out. You can also use a Tie-rod puller but it takes longer to do.

Pitchfork is a long kinda looks like this ------<
Looks like a crow-bar... i'm sure u can use something else.

Do you get it? I can take some pictures later when i'm off work and show u how to do it but that will be in like 6 more hours.. .hahaha

I'm sure someone will clear some stuff up for you.

[KenC]

1. Hammer the hell out of the side of the strut housing where the ball joint threads come through. It will loosen it up a bit.
2. Find a spare nut that fits the outer ball joint
3. Get a large hammer
4. Give the nut a couple of good whacks and it should drop out.

[Switch]

thanks alot sschin. i think i understand.. i donlt QUITE understand,. are u saying to unscrew the nut half, then stik the pitch fork in between the nut (on the thread?) and the strut housing? then wigle that?

but if thats the case, how does the ball joint coem out? (i must of miss understood) yeh i hammered the hell out of it already,

the tie rod put up a small fight, but i got agressive with it, and it came out (but broke on its way out lol) i went to screw tie rod back inm, and notice the thread would spin with the screw, but, picked up a new one today, gonna put it in tonight , then sunday morning shall make another attempt on installing my new Konis (drool) (this will make good feeling since my drivers side shock if completly blown *cough* .)


thanks for the suggestions..

PS, hell post some pics if its not any trouble. that would be great.

[Charlie]

Re: wont bugde!

well, i am replacing my sutr inserts with new konis, but i;ve run into a problem....

while attempting to remove the strut in the first place, i took the ball joint nut off the controll arm, and the control arm STILL will not bugde, i have become very agressive with it, and still nothing, is there a trick i am missing? are you just suppose to hit the hell out of it.... WHAT!@?!

PB blaster, smoke wrench, mini sledge.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

-Charlie

[KenC]

i went to screw tie rod back inm, and notice the thread would spin with the screw,

It's spinning because it's a ball joint. Put a jack under it to keep it from spinning.

[Switch]

you mean the tie rod wasn;t bad LOL WHOOPS< well, i kinda get parts wholesale, so the new one wasn;t that much, and the old one looked really bad, (the rubber boot was ALL torn up, grease was all over it. ) so i figure i repalce it , it tok me like an our and 20 mins thought, the damn thing was LITERALLY rusted in the steering rack, took me holding a wrench on the steering rack, and my g/f turning the actual tie rod, what a pain, but sure enough, IT FINALLY came out, put new one in (after marking the threads of the old on) works very nicly :)


tom morning i'm making another attempt at the blast control arm ball joints.. later

PS: whats PB blaster???

[Charlie]

you mean the tie rod wasn;t bad LOL WHOOPS< well, i kinda get parts wholesale, so the new one wasn;t that much, and the old one looked really bad, (the rubber boot was ALL torn up, grease was all over it. ) so i figure i repalce it , it tok me like an our and 20 mins thought, the damn thing was LITERALLY rusted in the steering rack, took me holding a wrench on the steering rack, and my g/f turning the actual tie rod, what a pain, but sure enough, IT FINALLY came out, put new one in (after marking the threads of the old on) works very nicly :)


tom morning i'm making another attempt at the blast control arm ball joints.. later

PS: whats PB blaster???

For god's sake man, please read your posts before you hit "submit". The lack of punctuation is painful and renders them almost unreadable. Seriously, this is sub-sixth grade writing level.

That being said, how was the tie rod rusted to the steering rack? There shouldn't be any rust there at all. Do you mean the outer tie rod was rusted to the inner one? Even if the inner one was stuck to the rack, a 32mm pipe wrench would make short work of it.

-Charlie

[sschin]

Sorry it was so unclear... If you still need help heres some pictures to kinda help you.

Hope its not too late... hahaha
Sorry for lagging on the pictures.

Taking Tie-Rod off:


Taking Control Arm off and reinstalling New Parts:


Hope this helps alittle bit... Sorry for my car being dirty under there... haha Also I hope you like the Arrows too!! hahaha

[Skafrog]

that is how you ruin a ball joint.

Look, just follow Ken's advice.
Except dont hit the nut, hit the strut material right around the ball joint.
Whack the shit out of it, it will drop eventually.
It's hard, but you dont tear your ball joints this way.

[mrsleeve]

I have not done any suspension work on a BMW yet but cant you use a low profile ball joint seperator on stuff like that. I have 1 and have used it on all sorts of fwd and and low clearence ball joints and tie rods.

[EtaSport]

I have a modified tie rod puller (from e28) that I use for the steering rod. Works perfect everytime. But it will not fit on the control arm. The fork will ruin rubber boots, but hammering usually does the trick. I've had mine off 3 times already. Idealy you would want to get a puller, but im not sure if they have one for both tie rod and control arm.

[mrsleeve]

No more so than useing a pickle fork.

http://www.otctools.com/newcatalog/products/308_1.jpg

I have the one in the front on the right side (not the verry front) of the pic. If you push it in there to get it started then tap it the rest of the way in carefully it wont bother the boot at all. Mainly because the fork part is recesed (sp) enough to alow the boot a place to go

Eventuly I will have the whole kit