cannot undo the control arm. any advice?

[legacysubaru]

95 legacy awd

 

I'm trying to replace the p-side cv axle. In doing so, I can't get the lower control arm off the ball joint. I tried removing the arm with the ball joint attached to by undoing the pinch bolt. The bolt head snapped, tried using an extractor and ended up drilling it out. Still could not remove the control arm. Now I've tried removing the c-arm from the ball joint itself and still no success even with a sledge hammer, heat, penetrating oil and a fork ball joint removing tool. Every thing is just plain seized and I'm getting frustrated. ANY WORDS OF WIDSOM??

[idosubaru]

don't touch that bolt next time, it doesn't need to be removed for an axle job and is a pain. remove the top strut mount bolt and loosen the lower, that's all that needs to happen to get the axle out. it's much easier and those bolts are not nearly as prone to issues like you're experiencing with the control arm and ball joint. strut/hub rotates out, axle comes out, and you're done. very easy.

 

as for your current situation, that just completely stinks. avoid using extratctors like the plague. they plain suck, they'll just break on a bolt that large.

 

as for the ball joint, it'll come right out with a pickle fork 100% of the time. borrow or buy one. they tend to rip the boot though - so proceed slowly and grease the snot out of the forks, or just plan on replacing the boot.

 

good luck, any machine shops close by you can drive the car too and let them extract the bolt? call around, sometimes you'll find a machine shop capable of actually working on something in the car.

 

personally i'd leave the bolt in place. not sure what it looks like or what's left, but you could drill and tap the existing bolt and put another bolt in it. That's what I would do.

 

Not sure if there's a way to slap a nut over top and weld it, doubt you have any material left close enough to the top to keep form welding to the crossmember, it needs to pivot.

[legacysubaru]

Thanks for the info. From now I'll avoid that bolt like the plague. I was just following the factory lame procedure. I did get the ball joint out finally. THe pickle fork did work after the 100th wack with the sledge. As for the stuck bolt I reamed it out and have a new one with washer/nut ready to go in.

 

Now, the old cv axle does not want to budge and come out of the hub/spindle. I'm using a with hammer and punch. I don't want to wail on it too much so to damage the teeth. i'll buy a puller (pusher in this case)of some sort of apparatus tomorrow morning. Any ideas what tool would work best?

 

I'm still stuck with the mangled boot and ball joint stuck in the control arm. Maybe it would be best to remove the control arm and put it on the ground where I can be over the old ball joint and hammer it out. Any suggestions?

 

It's slowly progressing but there is a lot of corrosion on these original parts keeping things at a snails pace.

[idosubaru]

ball joint is out of the hub but still in the control arm? that's really annoying. You probably need some heat - like a torch to expand the control arm. Penetrant is a good idea too - Liquid Wrench, PB Blaster, etc.

 

as for the axle being stuck, man you are getting HOSED on this job!! i'm surprised you seem to have a great attitude still - that's awesome, keep it up! i suppose a puller (pusher) is a good bet. In my experience you're never going to get it out but just beating on it.

 

Like you said you need to be very careful pounding on the axle as it starts to mushroom the head, destroy the threads. This makes the axle unusable and it won't pull through the hub if you get it started finally.

 

I just had to deal an axle like this recently, pounded the snot out of it before it would come out. I can't recall how I finally got it out. Again, penetrant is a good thing. Just be careful and don't get it in the bearings which are accessible from the inside of the hub (Where the axle slides in and seals against the wheel seal).

 

might want to ask for suggestions next time you have to dig into any hub related work in regards to all this sticking and corossion.

[legacysubaru]

Yeah this job is a bit of a nightmare. i'm not used to all this midwest rust. I just moved here from Arizona and the car I purchased here. We didn't have issues like this, even on my '73 international. Bolts would stick but rarely break off.

 

Just got done beaating on the axle again. FROZEN. I'll try a puller next.

 

I did buy a new ball joint. Maybe I can strip it out and dress the old one up. THat way I won't have to deal with the control arm issue. Any ideas about that?

 

THX

[GeneralDisorder]

Pull the control arm off the car if you can. You'll want to apply heat to the area around the ball-joint and smack that sucker with a BIG hammer. The more heat and the faster you can apply it the better but even a small map-gas torch will help a lot. They aren't usually very rusty as they are so tight that rust can't easily get inside - it's a tapered locking fit so you have to smack them pretty hard typically.

 

Yeah - try an 8" gear puller on the axle. I've had them stuck in the splines as well and after soaking for a couple weeks with yield I was able to pound the thing out with a 3 lb sledge and a brass drift. It was in there so hard that the 3/4" thick brass drift is bent and I can't straighten it cold - I'm going to have to torch it back straight

 

You don't want to apply heat anywhere near the wheel bearing - the cages for the roller bearings are plastic and you can't replace the outer seal without basically replaceing the bearing.

 

GD

[idosubaru]

i still can't believe you got the control arm bolt out, how did you do that?

[johnceggleston]

the one on my 97 gt was so tough, i had to take it to a machine shop. i expected them to use their press, but they had a big puller that worked. i stripped the one i rented / borrowed from autozone.

 

i beleived at this point i'd be buying a used knuckle, etc.

[valvestem]

I'd just like to add that when beating out a part that can be damaged by a hammer, invest in a lead hammer, more weight, no damage to steel. When whacking stuff, size matters.

[legacysubaru]

I guess I will not be able to reuse the ball joint.I'll pull the control arm off and wack the tar out of the old ball joint to get it off.

 

I also tried a puller on the axle tonight without any luck. I don't want to over tighten it in case the hub cracks from the stress. I'll let it soak overnight with tension on it, see if it yields by morning. If that won't work....

 

I'll pull it off and take it to a machine shop as johnceggleston had to do.

[GeneralDisorder]

Soak it in ATF thinned with a bit of deisel or whatever you have on hand.....

 

GD

[lewisd]

Trying to see if I understand where you're at now. You're trying to pull the cv axle out now and having trouble? If so, isn't there a securing (Cotter) pin you need to knock out before it can slide off? I replaced the entire PS cv axle on my 99 legacy wagon and did like the manual and fellows here said. It took some jiggling and prying with the crow bar but the wheel and assembly swung out of the way and then I pulled that securing pin and it slid right out. now getting that new securing pin was a pain in the rear. anyway hope my two cents helps.

[Fairtax4me]

I'm sure he has the castle nut and cotter pin removed already. Axles can be a real PITA sometimes. My favorite thing to do is loosen the axle nut to near the end of the shaft, and overhang it by about 1/8". Then pound away with a 3lb sledge. The axle nut takes the abuse instead of the end of the axle shaft. And it only costs $2 to replace it.

[GeneralDisorder]

You really can't do that with EJ axles due to the punch-down ring on the nut. They don't have a cotter pin either. If they are stuck (not typical), then you can drive them out with a punch or you can use a large 3 jaw puller to push them out - only needed if the splines are rusted into the hub.

 

Also if you hit it hard enough with the axle nut on then you won't be able to get the nut off - I've done it.

 

GD

[idosubaru]

Also if you hit it hard enough with the axle nut on then you won't be able to get the nut off - I've done it.

 

GD

yep. the impulse will be there, you'll think just a few taps to see. DON'T do it!! doesn't take much at all to mangle the threads.

[legacysubaru]

Finally got it all done!!

 

Had to take the axle in the hub to pep boys where they had a press. I just could not get it to come out on my own. As for the control arm I took it off and pounded the frozen ball joint out.

[legacysubaru]

After replacing the front passenger cv joint there is a slight shuddering mainly in 2nd gear (a little in 1st) under load and under 3000 rpm's upon acceleration I goes away after 3000 rpms and does not do it in higher gears. Alignment seems good, no pulling, no engine misfire, wheel vibration etc... The car is otherwise smooth but for just that small section in the rev range and in that gear. What gives? Could it be a worn motor mount? Could replacing the cv axle tightened things up thus showing other weaknesses? What should I be looking for?

 

By the way the driver's side was replaced fairly recently before I bought the car.

[Fairtax4me]

Normally signs of worn drive line components come in the lower gears when the most acceleration torque is being applied. If the shudder is apparent in both heavy and light throttle conditions then it is possibly related to the axles or a loose wheel.

If it's only there under heavy throttle I'd be looking at the U joints and drive shaft support bearing/bushing.

[idosubaru]

aftermarket axles absolutely are terrible. they are often problematic - vibrations, exploding to pieces, noises in a year, clicking...etc. seen it over and over again.

 

if you're time is valuable - use MWE or Subaru only axles. it's not hard to find used Subaru axles (i get them for $30) and you can reboot them. far better than aftermarket junk.

 

might be something else - like just a wheel needing balanced too, but i've seen so many bad "new" axles it's not even funny.