Dropped Sindles instalation/possible beam removal!

[AxlFoley]

As i am having to wait untill the 8th for my beam ajusters to arrive, i thought sod it, i'll just fit the Dropped spindles, and remove the beam at a later date, so tonight i started to remove the spinles, here are some photos;

Starting height!

as I left it tonight, i was having problems removing the two balljoints, but as i lowered the jack that was holding the lowwer arm up the top balljoint popped out! result, one down 3 to go.

I am having problems undoing this bolt, and as i am working in m garage with no power tools, i am going to have to try and source a battery imact gun, unless any one has any other ideas??

 

[stagger lee]

what are your problems? you haven't the physical strength to undo it, it's become 'rounded' or the taper is spinning in it's recess type thing? i'm assuming the latter? seeing as you have the knucke off, try and support the track rod arm on the knuckle (spindle) and smack the top of the tie-rod joint. hopefully it'll wedge it back in it's taper enough for you to undo it some. you might have to repeat this procedure. when turning the nut, do it really slowly, this seems to help prevent the taper 'breaking' free. maybe abit of freeing oil on the thread. careful not to get it on the taper, otherwise you'll never get it to grip. worse comes to worse, saw it off and replace the tie-rod for what they cost. maybe you'd be doing that anyway? if it's the first, man up and get on with it . good luck with it all.

 

[AxlFoley]

yeah its spinning in its recces, i may try and clamp it in to place with a G clamp, then undo it. i dont really want to cut it, it looks like a VW one, and if i replace it with a repro one it will never be as good

 

[stagger lee]

yeah, bit awkward to clamp, but a good solution. it'll be a sod that one side of the clamp will be exactly where you want to go, i.e. the nut. i've done it before by placing a descent bit of flat bar with on end on top of the joint, the other on the tie rod casting coming off the knuckle. clamp in the middle of this bar to put pressure on top of the joint. this has been when the 'smack' back in has failed. if the clamp fails a nut-splitter might work and still save the joint, seeing as you want to keep if you can.

 

[rob]

use a decent length bar and use it as a lever pushing down on top of the balljoint (it will hold it into the taper) and undo the nut at same time

 

[AxlFoley]

i got it sorted, i took the hub off, undid the track rod end, then hed it in a vice, easy peasy, the other side undid no problems at all! the offending track rod end!

I now have this

It looks 100% better, i'm looking forward to taking it for a drive, just once i have fitted the rear brake cilinder.

then stripping it all back down to fit the adjuster in the front beam!!

 

[faux]

Looking good!

There is a guy near me in Risca who is pretty cheap if you wanted to just drop the van off to have the adjuster welded in.

 

[AxlFoley]

Will he weld them with the beam in place?