Separating drop arm from steering box - HELP!

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scamperbus

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I need to remove the drop arm from my steering box so I can get it refurbed. It's proving near impossible to get it off. :evil:

I've soaked it with WD40 and penetrating oil every day for the past week before attempting the job. I'm using this puller/bearing seperator

puller.jpg
which seems pretty heavy duty, I heated it with a heat gun before trying to pull it off but the thing won't budge.

Unfortunately the puller push rod bent in the process, and damaged the end threads of the box's shaft.

If I were to leave the puller's collar in place on the shaft around the drop arm, undid the bolts that mount it to the chassis and the steering coupler and whacked it with a big hammer, is this likely to help or will I just do more damage??

I don't know what else to try other than cutting the drop arm off (which I don't really want to do)

Anybody got stuck like this before??
 
This job is a pain in the bum
Only way to do it is get a lorry size ball joint splitter cost about £100 but will work every time .Be carefull as it will go with a bang
Hope this helps
 
Jeez! - £100 for a ball joint spliter!

I think Megabug were doing drop arms for about £30 a while ago so it'll be cheaper for me to cut the existing one off.

Didn't really want to do that but if it's going to save me £70 it's the way to go.

I'm following the how to from Camper & Bus magazine - it doesn't look like it should be that difficult. The puller they use looks lightweight compared to mine!
 
Had to cut mine off dude im afraid!

even though I had a spare, I didnt like doing it, but mine would not shift at all ..

.. oh and if your reusing your steering box, dont apply too much heat as it shags the oil seal ..

good luck mate

Hilly
 
2 mins with the angle grinder. i bought a refurbed box from megabug last week and they were nice enough to chuck a replacement arm in with the steering box.

careful you don`t leave the connector to the steering column (it has a pinch bolt) on the steering box shaft and then send that back with the old steering box. Don`t ask me how i know this.
 
Its tapered, you will need plenty of force to remove. I also went down the angle grind the bugger off route after a couple of days effort with no results. I guess you are lucky if you manage to hammer or pull the drop arm off.

Des
 
Thanks Everyone.

I've spent a couple more hours on it tonight but it's going nowhere so I think I'm going to have to cut the drop arm off. (I'll wait til I've got a replacement one first though just in case they're harder to come by than I thought!)
 
scamperbus said:
Thanks Everyone.

I've spent a couple more hours on it tonight but it's going nowhere so I think I'm going to have to cut the drop arm off. (I'll wait til I've got a replacement one first though just in case they're harder to come by than I thought!)

Before you cut it off, whack it hard on each side with a big lump hammer, then take it to your nearest garage with a hydraulic press. I take them off with a 100 ton press using an 8mm plate underneath the arm. Works every time - but they can come off with a bang. Don't forget to find the marks that line up on the arm and the shaft - mark them with white paint before you remove the arm.

BTW - your puller set is a bit of a patsy for this job :lol:
 
Ive done this with a cheap puller from machine mart :D
I must be one of the lucky ones though :lol: .Wd40 let it soak in over night,put the puller on and nip it up and get it square.Weld the puller arms onto the drop arm,this stops them slipping off.
Socket and wrench and wind away,when it gets too tight to turn any more get the blow torch on it.
Aim the flame at the back of the arm so you dont melt the rubber seal in the box.
At this point mine banged and came loose,but as ive said I might have been lucky ;)

I found getting the puller to stay straight and stop on the most frustrating part of it all,that's why i got the welder on it in the end
 
This was a nightmare on my bus too, to free it I used a air chisel (blunt one) tried to get it as close to the spline shaft as possible. Your doing all the right things though, you could always throw some money at it and change for creativeengineering steering rack kit, go on treat yourself.... ;)
 
Thanks everyone - it's good to know this isn't just "my" problem. I've ordered a new drop arm from Mega Bug so once it's arrived I'll be taking the grinder to the old one.

Does anyone know if just cutting the arm part off the drop arm is enough to allow the left over bit stuck on the splines to pass through the hole in the body work? It looks like it will. I'm thinking it'll be easier to get the left over bit off the splines once the box is off the bus.

Bay-low 71: I'm not sure Creative still do the rack kit but I've been drooling over the Red9 wishbone set up. I was almost set to part with the cash - and it's a lot of cash :shock: - then I did a bit of research and it sort of put me off a bit - at that price I'd want to be 110% certain it was the right bit of kit for me, also I don't know if fitting it might be beyond my skills if it turned out not to be a "simple" bolt on job.

I don't get to use my bus any where near as much as I'd like to so having that fitted would be a bit of an extravagance!!
 
I know £100 is alot for a splitter but the one i borrowed was great and its there for next time.Try a lorry repair garage as they may hire it to you thats what im going to do next time
 
One last option is a hydraulic puller if you can beg, borrow steal one.

I did manage to borrow one from a retired mechanic friend. Worked a treat but
it was bloody tight and I thought I'd been shot when it eventually 'cracked' off.

James
 
How did you get on?

I struggled with mine for ages - I broke a set of pullers, bent another pair but in the end, I got a good blow torch, got nice and comfy under the front and got the arm nice and hot, then I got a forked ball joint splitter in there - two good whacks with a big hammer and off it came - simples........

16945_289973067564_594147564_4648066_6887242_n.jpg
 
Spence said:
How did you get on?

I struggled with mine for ages - I broke a set of pullers, bent another pair but in the end, I got a good blow torch, got nice and comfy under the front and got the arm nice and hot, then I got a forked ball joint splitter in there - two good whacks with a big hammer and off it came - simples........

16945_289973067564_594147564_4648066_6887242_n.jpg

That photo just epitimises that job......just did the very same with mine, patience is a virtue

(and a blow torch and hammer :D )
 
Well it's off :D but I had to totally butcher the arm with the angle grinder to get it off. Felt a bit bad about doing that when it was perfectly good but I swear I'd still be trying to get it off now otherwise.

Got a new arm from Mega Bug to put on when I get my rebuilt box back from power-steering.co.uk. The only thing I'm worried about is the first couple of threads on the shaft got a bit chewed up where the puller I was originally trying to use kept wanting to slip off. Hopefully those guys'll be able to tidy it up a bit so I can get the nut started back on easier.

Also treated myself to a new steering damper, steering coupler and drag link from Machine 7. Always get a fantastic service from them. I replaced the track rods a few months ago so I'm hoping my steering will feel as good as new when it's all back together.

They say it never rains but it pours - yesterday, the windscreen wipers on my bug stopped working for the first time in the 20 years I've owned it so at least Iv'e got something else to keep me busy while I'm waiting for the box to come back :lol:
 
Well, I got my refurbed box back yesterday. :)

Before I refit I have a few questions. Please excuse my non-technical terminology!

It came back from the refurb company with some greyish thickish oil in it but I'm not sure if I need to top it up (with the box standing on it's end on the bench, the level is approx 1 inch from the red plastic filler cap/hole). If it does need topping up, can I use Hypoid 80/90?

Obviously being a 1970 model there's no centre point or markings to help align the steering. By turning the input shaft it seems to go tighter after just under 2 and a half turns left or right. I'm figuring this tight spot must be the mid point as the flange that bolts to the coupler is at 90 degrees to the box itself at this place. but it doesn't seem a very precise way to figure it out :!:

How crucial is it to get this just right or is the accurate adjustment made by adjusting the drag link?

Also, by the same reasoning, how I can be sure I'm putting the drop arm back on in the correct place? There's a mark on the drop arm... should this line up with the big "dimple" at the base of the box near to where the splined output shaft is? Again, it all seems a bit "vague" but I can't see any other definite markings on the box.

I'm replacing my drag link too so for starters I plan to set the new one the same length as the old.

If after refitting everything, I find my steering wheel spokes aren't horizontal, is it wrong to simply take the steering wheel off and move it 'round the splines til I'm happy with it?

Out of interest, do buses generally have pretty crap turning circles even on full lock?
I find I often have to go "over" mini-roundabouts rather than round them when turning right!
 
If anybody has any ideas about how I should approach refitting the steering box, setting it up and whether I need to add any more oil I'd be really glad to hear them.

I've got a Bentley manual but I've never done this before so any extra guidance or advice appreciated!

Thanks
Ian
 
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