Gland nuts rusted solid.

[Cletonius]

The front half of the exhaust looks original to the car, I'm a little scared to remove it. Rusty+++ and I'm not prepared to replace it at this time. I've got the O2 out and that gave me a some extra room. Gonna try with a cut wrench today and see how it goes.

I'm hoping I can get the rear subframe out today as well.

[ravenlord89]

I had replacement bilsteins. They have a nice threaded collar so there isnt a need to use the stock collar. So all I did was weld a piece of angle iron to the stock collar and out it came. Not really any use if you don't have replacement collars.

As for that balljoint, just remove the exhaust, and put the impact gun with extension onto the nut and she comes right off... Or use a stubby 22mm wrench. I prefer to remove the exhaust myself.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Like I said, your probably going to be OK using heat. Doesn't mean it doesn't pose a risk. Honestly, there isn't any need to use heat though.

[F34R]

As stated above, large pipe wrench and a 3' section of pipe to extend the handle. Put the housing in a vice and apply force. I have personally used heat before, never blew up on me.

[Cletonius]

Dafuq? You cut it??
When it spins you put a jack under it and put the weight of the car on it.

We tried that. Even lifting the car off the stands by the one joint wouldn't stop it from spinning. We took the nut most of the way off and then it stopped. We cut it off as close to the arm as we'll could so we'd have something to grab with vise grips.

[pandaboo911]

Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to pick one up. Sucks when it gets loose enough where it starts spinning. That's why we had to cut the left side one. The piece is still in the cross member. :(

Dafuq? You cut it??
When it spins you put a jack under it and put the weight of the car on it.

[TimKninja]

22mm long ratcheting wrench for that inner ball joint.

Mine where rusted worse then that. Lots of PB, heat. And a huge pipe wrench freed them up .

[Cletonius]

Use a 7/8 crow foot and extensions. Lots of them.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to pick one up. Sucks when it gets loose enough where it starts spinning. That's why we had to cut the left side one. The piece is still in the cross member. :(

[flyboyx]

well, for future reference next time, heat the hell out of the nut and upper area with a torch. i have done it several times and had no issues ever. most of the time, you are taking them apart because the struts are blown anyway. if the aren't, the seals on the shock/strut are plastic or rubber so they will melt before anything will explode.

[Rigmaster]

Living in the rust belt sucks. We had to replace 2 housings on a 318is that were just too far gone. Youre lucky you didnt just destroy whats left of the threads

WTF? What happened to the God's Country of legend?

[blunttech]

We ended up cutting it on the left, we got enough out to get a die grinder in there and went nuts. Finished with an air chisel.

I don't want to pull the exhaust so options are limited for the right.

Living in the rust belt sucks. We had to replace 2 housings on a 318is that were just too far gone. Youre lucky you didnt just destroy whats left of the threads

[agile30]

Use a 7/8 crow foot and extensions. Lots of them.

[Cletonius]

Have fun with that.

Haven't had to replace one yet on an e30, but in my experience a good adjustable wrench and cheater bar will do the trick. That is, if you have the clearance.

We ended up cutting it on the left, we got enough out to get a die grinder in there and went nuts. Finished with an air chisel.

I don't want to pull the exhaust so options are limited for the right.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Penetrating oil and the 36" pipe wrench did the trick!

Thanks guys!

Now to tackle the inner ball joint on the right hand side.

Have fun with that.

Haven't had to replace one yet on an e30, but in my experience a good adjustable wrench and cheater bar will do the trick. That is, if you have the clearance.

[Cletonius]

Penetrating oil and the 36" pipe wrench did the trick!

Thanks guys!

Now to tackle the inner ball joint on the right hand side.