A Arm removal - easier to remove top or bottom of ball joint?

[grahamkissack]

I'm replacing my A arm bushings but the ball joints are good so I want to preserve them. Is it easier to remove the lower castle nut (@ 180 lbs torque) or the ball joint connection into the strut? I've read both the lower nut and retaining pin in the strut can be stubborn.

[Jesset100]

[brads911sc]

When I did mine I took the wedge bolt out. Youll need to replace this anyway. This allows you to put the a arm in a vice and do what you need to do with it without disturbing the ball joint. I replaced my ball joint anyway (cheap insurance), and it also made it easier to remove the ball joint. Just turn the a arm upside down and take an air hammer to the nut. this is all much harder to do when laying on your back...

Originally Posted by grahamkissack

I'm replacing my A arm bushings but the ball joints are good so I want to preserve them. Is it easier to remove the lower castle nut (@ 180 lbs torque) or the ball joint connection into the strut? I've read both the lower nut and retaining pin in the strut can be stubborn.

[runfaster]

It is easier to remove the wedge pin. Once the nut is removed, sometimes you need to bang on it pretty hard to drive the wedge out. Replace the wedge pin with a new one and hardware.

What kind of bushings are your replacement bushings?

[rusnak]

big pipe wrench...biiiig honkin pipe wrench. You'll thank me later.

[grahamkissack]

Originally Posted by runfaster

It is easier to remove the wedge pin. Once the nut is removed, sometimes you need to bang on it pretty hard to drive the wedge out. Replace the wedge pin with a new one and hardware.

What kind of bushings are your replacement bushings?

I'm planning on Elephant rubber from our hosts...I'm sick of the squeeking and the last thing I need is squeeky new bushings! So basically just OEM type. Everything else in there looks tight (perhaps newish ball joints) so all I need is to renew the bushings and get the TB back in the right position to stop the squeek....hopefully they're not too damaged from the rubbing.

[runfaster]

Yeah, I did mine also with the Elephant rubber...Mine was squeaking pretty good for about 6 months, it was driving me crazy. When I got the TB's out there was a good amount of metal worn away, so I decided to replace.

The bushings go on descent, but you need to have a good size bar clamp. The video makes it look simple but it was a little screwy, but they basically go on easy enough.

I can't remember but I think the first time I put them on they did something weird and I had to take them off and try again. If you run into problems, get them off before the soap dries...I think I even had to apply some heat to get them back off, but then I got them on perfectly the second try.

They work great, I am pleased with them.

[john walker's workshop]

if you have the tool, the bottom nut can be zipped off in seconds. the pins sometimes are difficult to budge and get damaged beyond reuse when beaten on. then the ball joint pin sometimes won't easily come out of the strut. bottom nut easier.

[BK911]

Yea, I agree with JW. Usually the safe bet. I use a jack to apply pressure from an air impact to the castle nut. Zap a few times, and it usually comes right off. Sometimes I have had to apply heat and WD40 a few times, but I am always victorious.

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

if you have the tool, the bottom nut can be zipped off in seconds. the pins sometimes are difficult to budge and get damaged beyond reuse when beaten on. then the ball joint pin sometimes won't easily come out of the strut. bottom nut easier.

Amen on what John said! I also have an '80SC and replaced the A arms. As other folks have suggested, I thought I'd just tap out the wedge pins and remove the A arms, balljoint and all. No such luck! After 30yrs of being together, some parts just don't want to come apart!! After hammering with a good size ball peen hammer, the wedge bolt started to bend without moving a bit! Gave up and got a BF pipe wrench and spun off the balljoint nut. But wait, there's more!! Now had to remove the struts to put them in my work bench vise, heat the wedge bolt area and bang like hell with a 3lb mini sledge to get the wedge pin out!! Now with the wedge pins out, I had to use a ball joint pickle fork and hammer to remove the ball joint from the strut. Same on other strut!
So as John suggests, get the ball joint "socket tool" , spin off the balljoint nut and get on with the A arm redo. You'll probably save yourself some headaches and money in the process.

[JeremyD]

I found it easier to just remove the whole suspension - then take apart

couldn't get the castle nut to budge - couldn't get the ball joint out of the strut - so just removed the whole dang thing and will work on in the bench. (also one of my TB wouldn't budge either)

Good times

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by uwanna

Amen on what John said! I also have an '80SC and replaced the A arms. As other folks have suggested, I thought I'd just tap out the wedge pins and remove the A arms, balljoint and all. No such luck! After 30yrs of being together, some parts just don't want to come apart!! After hammering with a good size ball peen hammer, the wedge bolt started to bend without moving a bit! Gave up and got a BF pipe wrench and spun off the balljoint nut. But wait, there's more!! Now had to remove the struts to put them in my work bench vise, heat the wedge bolt area and bang like hell with a 3lb mini sledge to get the wedge pin out!! Now with the wedge pins out, I had to use a ball joint pickle fork and hammer to remove the ball joint from the strut. Same on other strut!
So as John suggests, get the ball joint "socket tool" , spin off the balljoint nut and get on with the A arm redo. You'll probably save yourself some headaches and money in the process.

Wait a second.

If you removed the balljoint nut with a pipe wrench (as I suggested), then why did you still remove the wedge pin? I'm trying to recall, but I think the balljoint would come out, releasing the a-arm? This is what I was alluding to. If you're servicing the struts, then you have to remove the wedge pin. I used progressive larger hammers until I got out the 12-lbs sledge, and tapped it out with that. If you are removing the wedge pin, then you should keep the balljoint nut on until the pin is out, then remove the balljoint nut.

I am not an advocate of pickle forks, at all! Use a tie rod separator, and save your tie rod rubber seals. Otherwise, you may tear the tie rod end seal and have to buy new tie rods.

Always replace the wedge pins every time you remove them.

I went with the Elephant Racing rubber bushings and I love them. My recommendation is to bolt the suspension onto the car before the soap is allowed to dry overnight. You will probably need to re-clock the suspension mounting tabs a little bit, and it will be much easier if the soap is still wet. Then let the car dry overnight with the suspension bolted into place before installing the torsion bars and lowering the car. You'll see what I mean. I used a hydraulic press to install the bushings and they went on like clockwork.

[dpitman9]

I just completed full bushing and strut replacement along with new ball joints and tie rods on my '80 SC. Best method I found for getting the suspension freed at the ball joint was to make a spanner to match the castle nut by purchasing a large socket (can't remember what size) then grinding reliefs so trhe tabs fit the castle nut. Using a jack propped up at the correct angle of the ball joint allowed the spanner to fit perfectly - load some pressure on the bottom of the breaker bar (not too much or you will compress the threads on the ball joint) and the castle nut will come free. To get the taper bolt out I followed the directions in "101 Projects" and soaked the taper pin in penetrating oil then pounded the bejeepers out of it unil it came free. Bent both of them, but I was replacing them anyway.
One word of caution on ball joint reinstall - be sure the tab and the slot in the A-Arm are fitted up before torqueing the castle nut.

[jimbauman]

Why are you removing your ball joints? If all you are doing is bushing replacement, leave the ball joints in the A-arm.

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Wait a second.

If you removed the balljoint nut with a pipe wrench (as I suggested), then why did you still remove the wedge pin? I'm trying to recall, but I think the balljoint would come out, releasing the a-arm? This is what I was alluding to. If you're servicing the struts, then you have to remove the wedge pin. I used progressive larger hammers until I got out the 12-lbs sledge, and tapped it out with that. If you are removing the wedge pin, then you should keep the balljoint nut on until the pin is out, then remove the balljoint nut.

I am not an advocate of pickle forks, at all! Use a tie rod separator, and save your tie rod rubber seals. Otherwise, you may tear the tie rod end seal and have to buy new tie rods.

.

The reason I removed the wedge pins and the balljoints was I was replacing the A arms with new ones that had new balljoints already installed! I was also replacing the Bilstein inserts, so it all had to come apart. As far as the pickle fork, I had to use it to remove to balljoint to strut connection after the wedge pin was out, it was STUCK! and there was no other way to get the balljoint shaft out of the strut! I own a tie rod separator and use it on the tie rods, not a pickle fork.

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by jimbauman

Why are you removing your ball joints? If all you are doing is bushing replacement, leave the ball joints in the A-arm.

If you can get the wedge pins and balljoint shafts out AOK, but as John stated "Sometimes the wedge pins don't "tap out"and the balljoints are stuck in the struts" In any case, be prepared for a worst case scenario on a 30yr old car!!

[bkreigsr]

I'm bumping this old thread in the hopes that my experience will help people using the search function on this topic.
I've done the torsion bars and bushings on my 73 and 77 with no problems. On my 85 - I couldn't get the strut tower to release the ball joint pin, no matter what I tried
.....and I tried for over 7 hours, bfh, wedges, pickle forks, hydraulic atomic wedge (clam shell) spreader with 1.5 tons of pressure. The pin would come out to the point that the grove for the wedge bolt was hanging up on the bottom of the strut.
Then I stepped back and saw the angle between the 'a' arm and the strut was pretty severe.
Then I realized that my 73 and 77 did not have the ER quick adjust camber plates. (I'm running 16x8's 225/50's on the front) with an extra 1 1/2 deg negative camber.
.....So, long story longer - I undid the shock tops, dropped the struts down abouth 7 inches - pulled them toward the fender - and the pin and 'a' arm just dropped out by itself. - (well, they had been soaking in Kroil and PB Blaster for a couple of days)
duh!
happy wrenching
Bill K

[88911coupe]

Isn't there some sort of gerneric 4x4 tool that can be used to remove the large threaded nut off the bottom?

[rusnak]

Pipe. Wrench. Pipewrench, pipewrench, pipewrench.

[euro911sc]

LOL Rusnak!

The factory tool is fine... or you can use a pipe wrench

HINT: when using a pickle fork place a strip of old plastic milk carton between the rubber of the ball joint and fork. You can put a little wd40 on it too if you like. This will protect the rubber of the ball joint from the fork.

Enjoy!

-Michael