front strut removal, stuck!! Options

[opera guy]

(IMG:http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads4/StrutReinforcement011104770018.jpg)
part 1, 2, and 3 are removed. also, the top end is removed from under the hood. in addition, the tie rod is removed (gonna install TTR), but the strut is stuck to the ball joint. how do i unstuck it?

i wanna install new ball joint later next week, and wanna clean up the lower strut housing a little (also wanna install some koni inserts)

please help

ps. should i do bump steer kit now? will lower the car about 1 inch

[Joe Ricard]

Little bit of that spray shit. Dang I'mm losing my mind today. then take a crappy big screw driver and hammer it into the split in the bottom of the strut. This will counteract the effects of the pinch bolt. Since you are replaceing the ball joint anyway use a pickle fork and give it a whack between the ball joint and the strut housing bottom.

PB BLASTER

[TravisNeff]

Place a jack under the rotor/hat and relieve some of the weight, smack the crap out of the A-Arm with a BFH -works like a champ (you could use a plastic 3lb dead blow to save yourself some scuffs)

[rhodyguy]

put the top back in if you can. that way you don't have to hold the strut with one hand and smack it with the other. have you tried removing the clamping nut on the bottom of the ball joint yet? that's much easier with the top attached.

k

[TravisNeff]

I couldn't get the nut off for the life of me, instead I used the same ones and when I got it aligned I had them replace them. It took them over 2 hours when they charged me for 1 (and it was a Porsche shop). Some things are just easier to farm out in the long run

[rhodyguy]

hard to change the balljoints (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif) . soak em'. chisel bit in the air chisel, place the chisel in one of the notches in the clamping nut. 30 seconds. if it's not loose, repeat soak.

k

[TravisNeff]

if you have air tools that's the ticket. I was using a 3lb sledge and placed my finger over the nut - then beat my fingers.. didn't work too well (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smash.gif) Actually I didn't have a brass drift and I was destroying the nut in the process - I quit while I was ahead.

[rhodyguy]

you can rent an air chisel cheap. know anyone with a compressor?

k

[TravisNeff]

I finally got fixed up, 3 compressors, lotsa tools. - and a brass drift - of couse I have them now, since I have already finished that project.

[opera guy]

i have an air compressor.....

i have the top back on. i should wack on the a arm? is it ok to do that?

[TravisNeff]

yes, jack under the rotor/hat, smack the a-arm (the big section, not the small round tube) with a big sledge - 3 whacks and you will be done.

[ajracer]

Just me $ 0.02 worth SINCE I just did this a few days ago.
Let me say that I had followed all the suggests mentioned
above and out there, but had little success. So I decided I
would attempt to remove the Ball Joint from the A arm and
Then try to remove the Ball Joint from the bottom of strut.

I used lots of penetration fluid, air chisel, pipe wrench, etc.
BUT no luck until I used a torch to heat the ball joint nut and
then air chiseled it came loose. Then all I needed to do was
place in a vise and heat the bottom of the strut and hammer
along with air chisel to break the ball joint loose from strut.
It was a difficult and time consuming job, but about two hours
later I had both removed and moved on to another project.
The Ball Joints were junk from the heat (seems some type of
deadly "plastic" in the joint) but saved everything else. Few
days later I then got some front suspension parts to replace my
RUSTED A-arms and then repeated the same procedure with
better success and even spared the ball joints and rubber seals
from excessive heat; now I can reuse these ball joints. (According
to my 914 friend he states the 914 ball joint hardly ever wear
out or fail, not sure if true but they are tight and sealed).
Trust this long winded comments might assist you.

Allan