73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Brakes, Frame, Steering & Suspension => The Highs (Raising/Lifts) => Topic started by: bmaier on February 01, 2009, 01:17:53 am
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On my 79 K10 I have a 4" lift and found some play in the front end and found out ball joints and u-joints were shot and I decided to change 'em all out. I purchased a raised steering arm for lifted pickups from a buddy awhile and decided i might as well install that since I will be already workin on the front end.
Now here's my problem: I am having one heck of a time gettin' that steering knuckle broke free where the three nuts are. I've pounded on everything, soaked everything with PB Blaster for a week, pounded and heated some more and nothing will break loose. You guys have any ideas? I am stuck, literally :P
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Man do I feel your pain here. That stupid knuckel arm was the worst part of my lift. I finally got an air hammer and working around the arm from the bottom up, I finally got it. A friend told me I should put an above spring steering kit so the axle wouldnt be so cluttered up visually. After I learned I would have to take that arm off again, I told him to hang it in his ear. Hopefully, someone has a trick, I know Im gonna have to do it again one of these day.
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It was a big project for me too, to get that arm loose. You still have the cones in place? There's not even slightest hope to get the arm loose until the cones are off. Mine were so welded in with rust and time, that they looked to be like same part with the arm.
I had to cut deep grooves next to the studs with an angle grinder, so that about one third of each cone was cut off. Of course ground off some material of the studs too, and had to get new ones... Then I managed to hit the cones off, wasn't easy still.
If you do that, be aware that there will be a great amount of sparks, for there's a need to cut pretty deep. And try not to twist and brake the blade of the grinder while it's deep in the groove.
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Well I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who's suffering lol.
And yes, the cones are still stuck in place. I'm gonna have to see if i can get ahold of an air hammer and give that a shot. I've also been wanting to buy a grinder and now this just gives me an excuse to buy one :D
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I think when I did mine the cones were so frozen in they had the thread of the stud imbeded in them I soaked them in lube and used a chisel and tapped them as to unscrew them once they came up a little used vise grips and twisted them out. slow process but worked well.
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You can try to hit the cones down with s socket over the threads. It should lossen the rust in the threads to screw them out.
Good Luck
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thanks guys for the ideas. i haven't had much time to work on it since i last posted but i am determined to work on it all weekend til it comes off.
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wish i remember how we took mine off but it was stuck on there i tried a good bit to get it off and a friend came over took a heavy hammer smacks the arm i forget if it was the actual arm or what but it fell right off
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Taking the steering arm off of the knuckle is a lot easier like this: Remove the nuts, soak it good with penetrating oil. Heat the area around the washers with a torch and smack the arm upward using a BFH around 3lbs. Remove the washers and the steering arm.
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well i finally got it off today. it took an angle grinder, torch, BFH, and a few swear words :P. now i just need to remove the bolts from the steering knuckle which will probably be just as fun!
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Hey guys...... Just something to add. I have been on the "live chat" with Rough Country getting ready to purchase my 4" kit... Anyway of course I said to BEN that i heard getting the steering arm off was a PITA, and did he have any advice..... He said to me first use PB Blaster.... then he said contrary to what you might think after it penetrates take a 3lb hammer and hit down on the arm quite a few times.... he said that actually disloges the conical washers and makes getting the arm off easier.... Not sure if anyone has tried this method but he said he has done a bunch of these arms and that's the easiest method....
I will try it his way and see what happens.... anyone try it that way???
Thanks
Mike
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i finally got the front end done couple weeks ago and i must thank you guys for all the advice and ideas and tips, it was all very helpful. the experience would've been a lot easier had i known the studs on the top of the steering knuckle were threaded into it. i was told be several different people the they were just pressed in so that was half the problem itself.
this was the first time i ever changed the balljoints on one of these 4wds and i must say it was a pretty fun and cool learning experience.
thanks again everyone.
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I am a little late on this but this is how I got mine done. Heat up the cones and they will work up on the bolt and wam bam, well something like that. I tried heating up the arm and no luck so a buddy at work said to heat the cones and thats when they started to raise up and out.
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i have done it about 15 times here is thee best way
1.) remove the 3 nuts holding on the old arm
2.) get your hands on a oxy. asc. torch and heat up the base of the arm so it dang near glows...
3.) get a big hammer or a sleage and hit the top of it a good 10 times really hard!!! careful of the studs tho...
4.) by now the cones should be lifted out a little due to the fact of the forces being aplied in the oppisate deriction of the cones tapper. now hit the arm from the bottom a few times then the top and repeat this about 6 times to spit the cones out a little (a air chizle works awesome to for that ;D)
5.) now grab the cones with some pliers i like channle locks. and remove them.....
6.) now pull off the arm!!!!!
7.) now heres the hard part... put on your new one and your done..... lol
-it takes me about 15 mins to do so this way figured i would put that in here for our next troubled individule ;)
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i tried that way the first time but no luck ended having to drive to work and use the torch at work and got her really hot and finally came out. hard to drive with 4 inch lift and stock arm!!
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hey guys i will be trying this some time in the summer would these kits help
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/accessories/accProductDetails.jsp?subSubPartId=&itemIdentifier=557231_0_0_&brandName=OEM&displayName=Ball+Joint+Press&categoryNValue=100006&sortType=&store=1244&fromWhere=&fromString=search&itemId=prod12104&navValue=101258&skuDisplayName=Ball+Joint+Press&filterByKeyWord=ball+joint+socket&productId=557231&appQuestionText=&categoryDisplayName=Tools&parentId=cat10033&subPartId=prod12104&questions=%5B%5D
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/accessories/accProductDetails.jsp?subSubPartId=&itemIdentifier=948075_0_0_&brandName=Great+Neck&displayName=Ball+Joint+Adapter+Set&categoryNValue=100006&sortType=&store=1244&fromWhere=&fromString=search&itemId=prod12103&navValue=101257&skuDisplayName=4WD+Ball+Joint+Adapter+Set&filterByKeyWord=ball+joint+socket&productId=948075&appQuestionText=&categoryDisplayName=Tools&parentId=cat10033&subPartId=prod12103&questions=%5B%5D
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If you're going to invest in a ball joint press just get a master set.
http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?M=ASTRO-PNEUMATIC&ID=1434316&ref=GB
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thanks vile would this make it alot easier on the removel?
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Dusty,
that kit you show from autozone i rented for my ball joint install and it worked great.BUT if your only going to use it for 1 time its better just to rent it and once your done to get your money back once you return it.Your going to need a impact gun to use the clamp on the ball joint to make it alot easier to install.
thanks
pat
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yea how long can you keep the rented kits?
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As long as you want but make sure you have the receipt to get your money back. But you wouldnt need it long if you got all the necessary parts then rent the tool and then return it as soon as your done.I used 1 of the press tools and rented it and returned it in 2 days time. I dont think you need it now cause its a waste to have it and just sitting .
thanks
pat
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yea i would just need to press out the ball joints so i would not need it long
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You wouldnt need the tool to press them out if you look here somewhere , someone did the ball joints w/o having the press tool to take them out.You would only need the tool to press them in.
thanks
pat
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ya the key is when you think its to hot just keep heating it, you want it to glow
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with the autozone rental you have 90 days to return it depends on who you talk to after the 90days that might say its yours now or might give you cash back. just when you do rent one use cash if you use a debit card or credit card they will probably return it to the card some people get upset when you do that i don't know why but they do. this one guy returned something then got pissed at me cause when i returned it he tried to give me his debit card "for the numbers" i told him i didn't need it cause the computer had the numbers on file. he thought that was wrong the autozone kept his personal info
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hey the ball joints on are trucks are they Press-Fit Ball Joints?