I am really second thinking buying this car that lived in MAINE its whole life. Nothing is as it should be during dissasembly, and I am working with penetrants, heat, leverage, and will power and destroying almost everything coming off.

I am now on replaceing the front struts and am at the lower ball joint. The Hayes manual calls for a hex nut or taperd thread stud. I think I have the later after removing the nut from one side.

This stud I have map torched, and soaked with penetrant, and have pounded on with a mallet. looks like a little give on the other side but I don't think I am using the propers tools or technique. Any help or advise would be appreaciated... At this point it I am flatening the end of the stud.

John

John,

I just did this during my 5-lug conversion. I also had the tapered thread stud.

While it is a PITA to get out, I just used a hammer (they will need to be replaced anyway) and went at it. It eventually came out.

One recommendation is to put a jack underneath the ball joint and jack it up so there is just a little bit of pressure of the ball joint. This will help 'neutralize' the forces on the joint itself.

Also, if you have access to a tie-rod puller (ball joint separator), it can be maneuvered (depending on the style tool) and used to press out that stud.

All else fails, get a bigger hammer.

-Peter

My wife's SC has the same style ball joint. I used an air hammer to drive the wedge pin (ALWAYS REPLACE) out.

Sorry, I type it that way because every time the Bentley 911 manual mentions the wedge pin (ALWAYS REPLACE) they append a note that says "(ALWAYS REPLACE)".

I figured I might as well replace it, y'know?

--DD

so let me get this straight Dave, did you reuse the wedge pin?

Taking the a-arm off the car makes it easier to apply force to the pin.

Using an air driven impact hammer helps a lot as well, if you or a buddy has one.

John

as fugly as that strut assem looks, i think you'd be better of just starting with a pair less fugly that you can disassemble. wait until you get to the balljoint which i presume looks just as bad. that kind of rust has the castellated welded on.

k

The ball joint will have to be replace by the time I am done. I have already set it on fire with the torch. I tried the air hammer, nothing. I tried a regulay hammer, nothing. I tried a ball joint remover, won't fit. Now it is soaking.

You could take the lower nut off with a pipe wrench...its a large round nut on the bottom of the a-arm...
you need a 3 foot pipe wrench to get it moving.
Pull the cotter pin out first..and the locking plate.

Once that is off, you can pull the ball joint from the a-arm and pull the strut out.

From there, I would suggest you are not hitting it hard enough, but you may be tapping it.
One or two serious square hits will get that bolt moving.

Take it out of the car...then try it when you can swing freely.
or,
Stand up, turn wheel out...face in such a way that you can really swing and use a large hammer...give it a really hard hit...


rich

oh,
Once you pull it out, dunk the whole stru into PB blaster for the night.
They sell it by the gallon at Autozone.

USe a plastic window washing jug and cut the top off...then dunk that in PB for a night or two.

rich

I used an air hammer. You could also drill a hole into the opposite side of the pin to help relieve the grip the taper has. Just make sure you drill straight.

Not the greatest example of a person with patience I got out the cutting wheel.




I will deal with the arm and ruined ball joint later.

Now what I am left with. Did they send me the correct strut replacement? Look at the ends. Is the piece on the bottom actually part of the ball joint I cut off, if so, not too sure what I got here.

Got it out with a little finess ... see below, now I will soak the strut overnight. I assume that the strut now has to pull out of the arm?

ball joint is bolted from below the a-arm.
Its about a 2 inch round "nut"

Use a pipe wrench...
remove the cotter pin and locking plate.

It has teeth in it so it wont turn till the nut is all the way out.
once the nut is off, tap the ball joint from below, it will come out the top.

If none of that makes sense...lookup the part (you need new ones anyways...so you can see a picture.

Rich

Rich

It looks like you have the correct replacement but unfortunately you'll need a special tool to install it. BTDT. I got gouged calling Bilstein East and paid like $20 for it. If you need it try and borrow one or call Bilstein West. I hear the lady there is nice and might send it for free.

BTW - you still need to get the pin out to remove the ball joint remains from your strut.

Also I had better luck cutting off the round castle nut from the ball joint. Carefully cut it without messing up the arm. Then take a chisel and split the nut. It'll thread off easy.

Oh, and then you'll need the special P tool to install the ball joint nut. Apparently they're also gold plated at @ $50

Thanks guys,

All great information and help.

I will call Bilsein and order the special P tool..... Now if I could only get that 19mm bolt off the rear caliper

Remember my email about the MAP torch. Let's talk tomorrow.

no special tools needed.
put the strut housing in a vice.
Unscrew the nut on the top of the strut insert...look at your new part for reference.
Remove old strut insert.
notice the two words.
Strut housing and strut insert.
What you bought goes inside what you removed from the car.


Ball joint tool is just a large pipe wrench.

I hate to hear of people wasting money on tools that never get used again, and many many people here have used simple tools to replace the fancy expensive tools.

Rich

Rich

Now this is making sense. I thought the replacements wre too small to fit into the strut. I was anbojut to call AA and bitch.

Rather not buy tools for single use.

Ive always been a fan of the saying "Fire is your friend".
Heat the housing around the taper bolt and then revisit the hammer. You need to heat it fast with a hot torch, tryring not to soak the whole thing to much.

I had no luck withe the heat. Now that I have the strut out and Rich explained it to me, I think I will have the local machine shop press it out so I don't damage the thrut end.

You can use a pipe wrench, vice, chisel and a hammer. It'll look like Chewbacca knawed on your fancy new parts. Or you can use the right tool for the job and make it look like someone who knew what they were doing installed the parts.

Nice!

Hijacking and resurrecting a thread all in one shot....

What's the easiest way to cut this nut? I presume you have to come in almost on a diagonal because it's partially obstructed by the lip on the lower arm.

By the way, I have these parts out of the car so I can flip them around as necessary.

1st try the pipe wrench, with heat and pb blaster (not at the same time).

I made mine much harder trying to follow the chisel/hammer method first. After destroying the nut with a chisel and hammer, I used a dremel with a (many) cutoff wheel, it was a PIA but eventually it worked. Don't worry about cutting into the balljoint as it lifts out the top once the nut is removed and is replaced anyway. As stated be careful not to cut into the a arm.