Control arm difficulties
08-05-2018, 02:55 PM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 62
Control arm difficulties
A little late posting this, but a few weeks back we tried to tackle a control arm replacement (front LCA's) on my brother's 2005 GT. Was able to finally figure out that some bolts and some nuts were fixed in place so only certain sides of certain fasterned were able to be loosened (eg: front lower LCA bolt turns but nut was welded; steerign rack nuts turn but bolts are tack welded) which was rather frustrating. Got everything loose and ready to go, pulled the steering knuckle to ball joint bolt and even got the steering knuckle to budge a little on the ball joint... Unfortunately after a lot of prying and sweating and cussing were were never able to actually seperate the ball joint from the steering knuckle. Like I said, I was able to break the ball joint loose from the knuckel, but were could only get a fraction of an inch of travel. We tried prying open the knuckle and using large pry bars but never made any more progress. The knuckle bolt was fully removed as well.
For those who has done this, whats the trick we missed? Even tried a BJ seperator without success. I've done control arms on multiple vehicles (as well as a ton of other jobs), so to meet with total failure was frustrating situation and one I am NOT used to. Did we need to pry the knuckle open further? I didn't want to pry too much and risk cracking the casting...
For those who has done this, whats the trick we missed? Even tried a BJ seperator without success. I've done control arms on multiple vehicles (as well as a ton of other jobs), so to meet with total failure was frustrating situation and one I am NOT used to. Did we need to pry the knuckle open further? I didn't want to pry too much and risk cracking the casting...
08-06-2018, 01:29 AM
#2
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2,327
The slot for the ball joint in the knuckle, is compression hold. You need to
widen the hole once you pull the bolt out. You should only need to pry it
open at the slit with a decent pry bar, and it only needs to spread open another
8th of an inch, or less. Then the ball joint will release from the grasp. I had an
'06 HHR, and they were the same deal. If it's rusted in, you will need some heat.
I use a propane torch for just about all this stuff, and only once thus far did
I need to use MAPP gas, needed more heat than what propane delivered. I
had to burn off a sleeve from an LCA, that wafer bushing...
widen the hole once you pull the bolt out. You should only need to pry it
open at the slit with a decent pry bar, and it only needs to spread open another
8th of an inch, or less. Then the ball joint will release from the grasp. I had an
'06 HHR, and they were the same deal. If it's rusted in, you will need some heat.
I use a propane torch for just about all this stuff, and only once thus far did
I need to use MAPP gas, needed more heat than what propane delivered. I
had to burn off a sleeve from an LCA, that wafer bushing...
08-06-2018, 06:26 AM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: NJ
Posts: 193
Michigan the salt capital.
Reseat the balljoint and take a small file or use sandpaper and clean up the portion sticking out of the spindle. Open up the slot a little you don't want to crack it,and you should be able to tap it out.
Reseat the balljoint and take a small file or use sandpaper and clean up the portion sticking out of the spindle. Open up the slot a little you don't want to crack it,and you should be able to tap it out.
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