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Upper control arm/ball joint help


hyper31
12-06-2009, 12:38 PM
How the heck do ya gedt the pinch bolt out that hold the spindle on to the ball joint? I cant get it to budge!!!

Airjer_
12-06-2009, 04:37 PM
Sometimes you need to give them a little heat. Otherwise you can try to soak it in penetrating lube overnight and see if it will break free.

sarotara
12-08-2009, 12:31 PM
Replaced the upper control arms/ball joints on a 1993 T-Bird a few months ago. Simply hammered them out with a sledgehammer.

jd-autotech
12-08-2009, 05:39 PM
make sure the tention is off the upper control arm by placing the jack stand under the lower control arm. put the nut on the end of the bolt and hammer away, the nut will prevent mushrooming the end of the bolt or destroying the threads.

97Bird
12-08-2009, 10:10 PM
Take the nut off, turn it around and thread it back on until the flat side is flush with the end of the bolt. Start driving the bolt out with the hammer until the nut is up against the spindle. Spray some rust penetrant on the head end of the bolt and tap it back in again. Spray penetrant on the other end and tap in back until the nut is up against the spindle again. Loosen the nut a couple of turns and tap the end of it again. If you had soaked the bolt with rust penetrant you shouldn't have to hit it as hard at this point. As jd-autotech said, the idea is to avoid ruining the threads of the nut and bolt.

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