How do you get the frickin' bolt out of the frickin' control arm???
09-08-06, 05:04 PM
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How do you get the frickin' bolt out of the frickin' control arm???
Seriously.
I need to pull the arm so I can get the ball joint I ruined out so I can put the new ball joint in so I can move the damn car away from the flooded basement.
I don't want to cut the bolt if I don't have to, and I don't really feel comfortable taking the torch to the underside of the car.
Ideas?
I need to pull the arm so I can get the ball joint I ruined out so I can put the new ball joint in so I can move the damn car away from the flooded basement.
I don't want to cut the bolt if I don't have to, and I don't really feel comfortable taking the torch to the underside of the car.
Ideas?
09-08-06, 05:12 PM
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I wasted two days on this same project, just over one damn bolt. I even tried a large C clamp and a couple of sockets to "press" the bolt out. All this did was deform the arm so that it had to be replaced. For the other side, I didn't even mess around. I went to Harbor Freight and spent 20 bucks on a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder and a cutoff wheel. With that in hand, the other side took 2 minutes. New bolts are easy to find....
09-08-06, 05:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Kentetsu
I wasted two days on this same project, just over one damn bolt. I even tried a large C clamp and a couple of sockets to "press" the bolt out. All this did was deform the arm so that it had to be replaced. For the other side, I didn't even mess around. I went to Harbor Freight and spent 20 bucks on a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder and a cutoff wheel. With that in hand, the other side took 2 minutes. New bolts are easy to find....
09-08-06, 05:27 PM
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lol, I bought a sawzall first and it didn't even make a dent in the bolt. It was also nearly impossible to get a good angle on it without the end of the blade bottoming out. This was another waste of a day. If I had gone straight out and fot the grinder first thing, I would have a couple of days of my life back... The sawzall, after about 15 minutes of rubbing against that bolt, had made about 1/16" impression on it. The angle grinder on the other hand, was completely through the bolt in about 5 seconds. This has proven to be one of my most used tools since then...
09-08-06, 05:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Kentetsu
lol, I bought a sawzall first and it didn't even make a dent in the bolt. It was also nearly impossible to get a good angle on it without the end of the blade bottoming out. This was another waste of a day. If I had gone straight out and fot the grinder first thing, I would have a couple of days of my life back... The sawzall, after about 15 minutes of rubbing against that bolt, had made about 1/16" impression on it. The angle grinder on the other hand, was completely through the bolt in about 5 seconds. This has proven to be one of my most used tools since then...
09-08-06, 05:59 PM
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They actually make a tool for such a job - Ball Joint Sepreator - It looks kinda like a weapon from a predator movie hahah. I think it costs about $20 and Ive seen them for sale at juat about every autoparts store. Im going to have to replace my left front control arm as well. Its a bit out of alignment
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09-08-06, 08:39 PM
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Man, I feel really lucky...mine came right out. But hey $100T2,,,you seem to have a ton of technical ability, but it seems like you're always pissed about something or somebody. I understand that you just got your basement flooded, but you seem to be doing ok financially, so take it easy! There are worse things in life. You'll get through it! And yes, I have been through a flooded basement...it's not much fun, but there are a bazillion people out there that would love to have a flooded basement be the worst thing they have to worry about. My support goes out to you, just keep things in perspective.
Just $0.02 from an old fart
Rich
Just $0.02 from an old fart
Rich
09-09-06, 08:56 PM
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Penetrating oil huh? Who'd have thought of that? lol. Or, how about a torch to heat it up? Or maybe pounding it out with an old screwdriver? Or maybe one of the other two million things I tried on mine that didn't help.... 
Trust me, this can be a weeklong headbeating session or a five minute R&R. Get the right bolt size (quality, of course) then cut the old ones off. Sawzall might work if you have an hour to spare, and don't cramp up easily. But a good cutoff wheel will do the job in seconds. Literally. Once that bolt welds itself to that steel bushing, they become one. At least that's how it works here in the rust belt.
Trust me, this can be a weeklong headbeating session or a five minute R&R. Get the right bolt size (quality, of course) then cut the old ones off. Sawzall might work if you have an hour to spare, and don't cramp up easily. But a good cutoff wheel will do the job in seconds. Literally. Once that bolt welds itself to that steel bushing, they become one. At least that's how it works here in the rust belt.
09-09-06, 10:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Kentetsu
Penetrating oil huh? Who'd have thought of that? lol. Or, how about a torch to heat it up? Or maybe pounding it out with an old screwdriver? Or maybe one of the other two million things I tried on mine that didn't help....
Trust me, this can be a weeklong headbeating session or a five minute R&R. Get the right bolt size (quality, of course) then cut the old ones off. Sawzall might work if you have an hour to spare, and don't cramp up easily. But a good cutoff wheel will do the job in seconds. Literally. Once that bolt welds itself to that steel bushing, they become one. At least that's how it works here in the rust belt.
Trust me, this can be a weeklong headbeating session or a five minute R&R. Get the right bolt size (quality, of course) then cut the old ones off. Sawzall might work if you have an hour to spare, and don't cramp up easily. But a good cutoff wheel will do the job in seconds. Literally. Once that bolt welds itself to that steel bushing, they become one. At least that's how it works here in the rust belt.
It's just one thing after another with this car.
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