[Vwdiesel] minor tragedies--A4 suspension work

[Patrick Dolan]

Yeah, that's how.  I use the big hammer still and small one swinging technique, but the best VW mechanic I have ever seen or heard of (with whom I had the tremendous privilege to work for two years) did this with two equal size hammers, both swung freely and hitting the opposite sides of the arm PRECISELY together.  He made it look easy, but for obvious reasons, I do NOT recommend anyone else trying to do it that way...at least not for the first few hundred tapers.

The prescribed way is to use a "puller" that actually pushed on the end of the stud.  I don't know if you can still buy them, so I protect my pair (one ball joint and one tie rod size) furiously.  Pickle forks are a ultra crude way of doing it.



----- Original Message -----
From: Erik Lane <eriklane at gmail.com>
Date: Sunday, February 27, 2011 6:45 pm
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] minor tragedies--A4 suspension work

> So the basic idea is to have both hammers basically at right 
> angles to the
> taper? (On a tie rod they would both be horizontal, or parallel to the
> ground?)
> 
> I've never heard of this before, and it sounds like possibly a 
> much better
> way than always pulling out the pickle fork and sometimes tearing 
> the rubber
> seal. I have yet to have one beat me, but I don't like how much 
> beating on
> it that it will take sometimes.
> 
> Thanks!
> Erik
> 
> On Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 3:37 PM, James Hansen <jhsg at sasktel.net> 
> wrote:
> > Works every time, even on big stuff. It forces the taper out of 
> the tapered
> > hole, even on old rusty junk, or a tractor that has been 
> together since the
> > 40's
> > -james
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com] On
> > Behalf Of LBaird119 at aol.com
> > Sent: February-27-11 11:12 AM
> > To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> > Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] minor tragedies--A4 suspension work
> >
> > In a message dated 2/27/2011 5:58:26 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> > pmdolan at sasktel.net writes:
> >
> > > There are trade secrets in how do do some things as well.  
> When I hear of
> > > people looking for pullers for tie rod ends and other tapers, 
> I kind of
> > > chuckle.  Yes, I have a mess of them, but they seldom need to 
> be used.
> >  It
> >
> > > takes some practice, but the way it is done on the floor is to 
> loosen the
> > nut
> > > a bit, then use a fairly big (3 lb) ball peen as an anvil and 
> strke the
> > > opposite side of the steering arm with a smaller (2 lb) ball 
> peen at
> > right
> >
> > > angles to the taper centerline.  Usuall in one or two hits, 
> the taper
> > will
> >
> > > pop right out.  Not love taps, but pretty agressive stikes are 
> needed.> >
> > >
> >  I've tried and tried that and never seem to get it to work.  
> Lack of
> > swinging room for one.  Did a bunch of tie rod ends lately and had
> > to pickel fork them all.  At least it works.  It's the first 
> time I had
> > that thing work successfully time after time too!  Grrrr.
> >    Loren
> > _______________________________________________
> > Vwdiesel mailing list
> > Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Vwdiesel mailing list
> > Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Vwdiesel mailing list
> Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
>