Re: removing struts in a 4kq

["Ken Keith" <ken.keith@specialdevices.com>]

Luis Marques <marques@rtis.ray.com> wrote:
> 
> From: Michael Williams <daserde@ucla.edu> wrote:
> 
> > Anyway, i have the socket for the axle nut, i have an offset wrench
> > that  will work for the top nut, my problem consists of two things:
> > the ball joint and tie rod.  Since im doing this on essentially a 0
> > dollar budget, i dont have money for an alignment.  I know that if you
> > do it a certain way, its possible to do this without needing one.
> 
> If you don't have the special tool, you may use a needle nose vice grips
> for the slotted nut under the top nut, or tap a blade screwdriver on the
> slots. The ball joint can be very difficult to remove.  Sometimes it's
> easier to remove the ball joint from the a-arm (make sure you mark the
> position of the ball joint prior to disassembly).  The strut may have to
> be compressed up a little with an extra jack for the bolts to clear the
> CV joint.

I've found that it's helpful to remove the a-arms from the subframe, to 
get the ball joint out of the strut housing.  (Also, if you drop the a-arm 
in this way, you do not have to remove the ball joint from the strut 
housing, unless that's what you are trying to do.  You can drop the a-arm 
down enough to get that bracket/bolt thing out, without interference from 
the CV joint.)  But if you don't want to have to realign, then you want to 
drop the ball joints, and leave them in the a-arms of course.

> As far as the tie rods, my big vice grips can usually pop them from the strut.

I use one of those simple puller devices.  Only like $8 or so at Harbor 
Freight Tools.  It's like a cast metal "C", with little "hooks" at the 
ends, and a threaded bolt though it that pushes the middle (the tie 
rod end stud).  Works good and cheap.  I even use it upside down to apply 
some pressure to the tie rod end assembly when I'm reinstalling if I've 
got a loose one that turns inside the end instead of allowing the nylock 
nut to tighten on the stud.  Be careful not to pierce the sheet metal 
cover of the end, tho', or overstress it.

Ken