samneric Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Grrrr. I thought this was gonna be my last day putting my OBW back together. Just replace the ball joints while I'm at it... Yeah right! Broken one of the pinch bolts - got pissed off and drilled most of the rest of it out. There is still some left in there... what now.... new knuckle???? Haven't even got the ball joints out of the knuckles yet - Have been reading here and looks like a pickle fork is the way to go here... Annoyed Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 drill it out. use a tap to get the remaining out if it's just bits and pieces. overdrill it if you have to and then use a bolt and nut or retap if you have a tap and die set. multiple ways to do it, they're all just really annoying unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 drill it out. use a tap to get the remaining out if it's just bits and pieces. overdrill it if you have to and then use a bolt and nut or retap if you have a tap and die set. multiple ways to do it, they're all just really annoying unfortunately. I do have a tap and die set but the bit wasn't long enough - maybe just go with the bolt and nut approach Cheerz. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRX2FFU Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 (edited) This is what I have done. Take knuckle off of the car. Drill out the broken Bolt. (I have just used bolts and nuts...) Gently pry open the pinch. I say gently becuase the knuckles are cast and will break if you bang on them too much.(done that) Then take a cutoff wheel and cut the ball joint off flush with the knuckle. Then take the cutoff wheel and cut into the balljoint horizontally thru the pinch. Just take your time and cut as much of the ball joint as you can with out taking any of the pinch with it. Then take a drift and a hammer and crush the sides of the balljoint down near the cut. At this point the joint will start to move and you should be able to gently rotate it 180 degrees and then cut it again. At this point the ball joint will be soft and you should be able to break it apart and get it out. Then clean and debburr/derust the hole so the joint fits in easilly. I then coat the joint and the hole in anti seize. Put the joint in, put in your bolt and nut. The seal the entire pinch with high temp silicone. The antisieze and silicone are not manditory of course but If I ever need to do the joints again I don't want as much of a job. I have tried several other ways and nothing worked. Pickle fork broke on one(yeah, that sucked), I bent a LCA on another, I also broke an entire ear off of a knuckle as well. So i decided to do it the above way. It seems like a lot fo steps but goes quickly. Most of the joints I end up replacing are well plus of 150k miles... Also just FYI, the ones where the knucle broke the ear. I did have to get a new knuckle. I did not trust welding it back. BUT I had to do ball joints on the new/used knuckle too. GRRRRRR! Good luck! Edited October 24, 2010 by WRX2FFU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Most of the joints I end up replacing are well plus of 150k miles... Good luck! Yeah, mine has 209K on it. I have gotten one off now - I used a chisel to separate the ears. I am always careful with those because way back when, my dad told me that they are cast iron and can break easily. After the chisel I sprayed in PB blast and left it. Came back and used a breaker bar from both front and back directions - finally came off. The other side still needs the chisel and PB blast treatment. I did bend my breaker bar trying to pry it before this. My pickle fork is an air tool attachment and isn't wide enough to go around the ball joint housing. Its good for separating from the control arm though. I guess I can buy wider and thicker pickles because that is what is needed for that approach. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Just replace the ball joints while I'm at it... Yeah right! That should teach you for thinking like that! Bet you won't do it again! Yeah those break pretty often. I see cars in the junkyard with them broken all the time. I made a preemptive strike on mine and removed them with an impact wrench at work. The bolts were pretty much shot. Sections of threads missing. The heads were almost round, I had to pound a 12 point socket on them. Cleaned out the holes and replaced them with new bolts that I throughly coated in copper grease. Doubt I'll be able to get the ball joints out without removing the knuckle though (luckily I don't have to replace them... yet) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 That should teach you for thinking like that! Bet you won't do it again! Lol! No I won't Yeah those break pretty often. I see cars in the junkyard with them broken all the time. I made a preemptive strike on mine and removed them with an impact wrench at work. The bolts were pretty much shot. Sections of threads missing. The heads were almost round, I had to pound a 12 point socket on them. Cleaned out the holes and replaced them with new bolts that I throughly coated in copper grease. Doubt I'll be able to get the ball joints out without removing the knuckle though (luckily I don't have to replace them... yet) My problem was using my air tools on it. It didn't budge for at least 10 seconds of air tool. Then it started turning and I was like "Hurrah!". Then the bolt came out sheared and I was like "Boo!". The other side came out fine because it was covered in axle-boot grease I have new bolts that came with the new ball joints but now I must seek out longer tapping bits that can clear the first ear of the knuckle. Or just put a longer bolt in and stick a nut on the end. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I'd probably just drill all the way through and use a long bolt and nut. Much easier than trying to retap IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94Loyale Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I don't know if you are still having an issue getting the balljoint itself out of the knuckle. But at work I always use an air chisel on it and come down on the side of it. That takes 9/10 of them right out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 I don't know if you are still having an issue getting the balljoint itself out of the knuckle. But at work I always use an air chisel on it and come down on the side of it. That takes 9/10 of them right out. Side??? Not sure what you mean? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94Loyale Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 The side of the balljoint, the lip that sticks out the bottom of the knuckle. If you get the air chisel on it, you can drive it downwards and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vasy Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Grrrr. Broken one of the pinch bolts - got pissed off and drilled most of the rest of it out. What size socket fits the factory pinch bolt? I'm going to do the ball joint when my son brings his 96 OBW home next month. I'd like to gather the tools but don't have the car with me. Glad that I saw this - will be careful with that bolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 What size socket fits the factory pinch bolt? I'm going to do the ball joint when my son brings his 96 OBW home next month. I'd like to gather the tools but don't have the car with me. Glad that I saw this - will be careful with that bolt. I believe the socket was a 14mm. Which is theory all you need Then on standby (if the bolt doesn't move easily first go) you need - 1) a propaine torch to heat the bolt threads area of the knuckle - will damage the ball joint boot but you are replacing anyway. 2) a can of PB Blaster to get in the crevices and derust the joints. 3) A chisel to separate the ears of the knuckle (carefully - I only hit the chisel in between - no sideways hitting once its in) You should see a slight movement (not even a gap) which is enough to get the pb blaster up in there. 4) a punch and hammer to hit the heated bolt and break it loose (there was a thread on NASIOC I read about using the heat/punch combo). 5) I needed a c-clamp to hold the control arm to the ball joint so I could get the castle nut back on ( i had taken it off to replace my axles - you don't need to take it all the way off yourself - just loosen it) This list is getting long! - Basically you will need a socket set because I had to take the bolt of that links the sway bar to the control arm so the arm could drop enough - then theres the castle nut etc. I'd also search on the board for other peoples troubles and see what they did and used to get it done. Good luck!!! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 with the sway bar attached to the control arm the control arm is spring loaded. this makes it a littlke difficult to bang it loose. or even pry it loose. but if you are replacing the ball joint then a pickle fork it the way to go. the castle nut on the ball joint and the castle nut on the tie rod end are both 19mm, the same socket and threads as the lug nuts. so the last time i was swapping a knuckle and no pickle fork, i unbolted the sway bar link, removed the castle nut on the ball joint and threaded on a lug nut, an old one to protect the threads leaving it a little loose. then i place a jack under the ball joint/ lug nut combo and jacked it up and bang on the control arm. lower the jack and the control arm falls away. i have also used lug nut to protect the threads on the tie rod end bolt . usually i can just bang on the side of the knuckle and the rod end bolt will pop out. but sometime i have to bang down on the bolt and the lug nut does a better job of protecting the threads than the castle nuts do. during reassembly i usually do the lower half first, including the sway bar end link and the strut to knuckle bolts last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Update - Ball joint #2. Tried the air chisel on it - end up chiseling off any lips I hammered a chisel between the ears and pumped PB blast in there. Will leave, come back and re-try chisel and then if that fails do the pry bar technique again. My advice: TREAT THIS JOB AS A TWO DAY AFFAIR!!! That way you won't have dashed expectations like I did. I'm not that bothered now I know where I stand with it... Day 1 - Wheels off, spend the day carefully trying to remove the pinch bolt without snapping it... search forums for techniques. Then at end of the day, (when bolt is out!), hammer a chisel between the ears of the knuckle. Hit it with PB Blaster and let soak overnight. Day 2 - Try all techniques to get the hopefully a little looser balljoint out. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRX2FFU Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 If it's done the way I posted. It can be done on about 3 hours from start to finish. Both sides. I don't even try other methods now. Just get out the big tools... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 there are lots of threads regarding warnings on pinch bolt removal, especially cars in rust belt, and new orleans is near salt water, and prone to rust belt type issues. you might HAVE to replace the knuckle hub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 If it's done the way I posted. It can be done on about 3 hours from start to finish. Both sides. I don't even try other methods now. Just get out the big tools... The only tool I dont have is the cutter - when I get one I'll defo try your technique! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 there are lots of threads regarding warnings on pinch bolt removal, especially cars in rust belt, and new orleans is near salt water, and prone to rust belt type issues. you might HAVE to replace the knuckle hub. The spend most of its life in MD, then SC, then LA (about 2 months) I reckon it was the MD time that did it!! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share Posted October 26, 2010 UPDATE - Both ball joints are now out and the pinch-bolt threads have been re-tapped :banana: The PB-blast into the chiseled-knuckle, left over night and the pry-barred approach cracked it Now I clean it all out, anti-seize the hell out of it then re-assembly continues after a couple of days delay Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samneric Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share Posted October 26, 2010 The guilty suspects.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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