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Thread: Thrust Arms: I give up....

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Gainesville, FL
    Posts
    549

    Default Thrust Arms: I give up....

    Ok, I give up, the control and thrust arms are impossible to seperate from the steering knuckle. I'm just going to buy a new steering knucle and throw the entire assembly away.

    I started to just remove the bushing bolts and steering knuckle- per Bill R's Method until i realized i had no room on jack stands to work on anyhting.. so i removed the strurt housing/rotors on each side.. took brake callipers off.. removed the entire sway bar/links... finally got the steering tie rods seperated.

    and here i am, pounding the balljoints with a sledge hammer getting absolutely no where. I bent a massive bolt on a tie-rod seperator when i tried using that.... How were these put together? i'm starting to think they welded them on my car and just not everyone elses.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,839

    Default

    you might need an acetaline torch to heat the area right before you smack it with the picklefork...mine was the same way, first the 5lb then the 10 and finally the #20 sledge and then had to do the heat and it popped right off. The reason that it is so tight is someone before you over tightened it (most likly).
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    4,150

    Default Did you unbolt the thrust arm and control arm assy from the

    frame and set them on something solid like I posted before at this link
    If so it will just pop off without even hitting it that hard. If you're trying to wack it on the car its a lot harder because there's no way to support the assy rigidly so your hammer to can work.




    Quote Originally Posted by infinity5
    Ok, I give up, the control and thrust arms are impossible to seperate from the steering knuckle. I'm just going to buy a new steering knucle and throw the entire assembly away.

    I started to just remove the bushing bolts and steering knuckle- per Bill R's Method until i realized i had no room on jack stands to work on anyhting.. so i removed the strurt housing/rotors on each side.. took brake callipers off.. removed the entire sway bar/links... finally got the steering tie rods seperated.

    and here i am, pounding the balljoints with a sledge hammer getting absolutely no where. I bent a massive bolt on a tie-rod seperator when i tried using that.... How were these put together? i'm starting to think they welded them on my car and just not everyone elses.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,839

    Default

    **** Bill, thats cheating!
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    West Palm Beach, South Florida
    Posts
    1,011

    Default

    oh man I've been there, spent a good 8 hours on trying to get them out. Sadly, I didn't have the time to continue working on it and had to take it to a shop. They only charged me like $75 to put them both in, so it wasnt bad, but I wish I could have taken the pride in doing it myself. But yeah, thems are SOBs to get off.
    93 525i / 01 330Ci / 98 Camry / 91 Volvo 240 / 99 Jeep GC

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    1,825

    Default

    I feel lucky. Mine came out in less than a Minute.

    www.KaRealtySF.com
    Build Date: 05-1995 /Engine: m50tu /Automatic Transmission /ABS /NO ASC /Open Differential /EAT Chip

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Gainesville, FL
    Posts
    549

    Default Update

    Yes bill, i had the steering knucle supported on bricks and was wacking the balljoints with a hammer... Mine were just in tighter than the average bear.

    I finally gave up and took it to a shop and had them do it. $20 and 20minutes of pounding (or whatever they did) got them all out. I wish I had done this days ago!

    Anyway, now its time to put everything back together. I still don't know how i'm going to hold the Thrustarm brushing nuts still... I'll just go get my wrench ground down at a shop somewhere.

    Since the balljoints turn when i try to tighten the nut, i have to use a big clap and hold the top side of the ball joint against the steering plate to keep it still, correct?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    4,150

    Default Rather than pay a shop to grind down the wrench go

    buy a 4 inch angle grinder from harbor freight for 14.99 , probably less than you'd pay to have it ground and grind the sides off to this dimension






    Quote Originally Posted by infinity5
    Yes bill, i had the steering knucle supported on bricks and was wacking the balljoints with a hammer... Mine were just in tighter than the average bear.

    I finally gave up and took it to a shop and had them do it. $20 and 20minutes of pounding (or whatever they did) got them all out. I wish I had done this days ago!

    Anyway, now its time to put everything back together. I still don't know how i'm going to hold the Thrustarm brushing nuts still... I'll just go get my wrench ground down at a shop somewhere.

    Since the balljoints turn when i try to tighten the nut, i have to use a big clap and hold the top side of the ball joint against the steering plate to keep it still, correct?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Olympia, Wa
    Posts
    278

    Default

    I took the nut off the joint. Hand tightened it back on to just cover the threads. Then held my air chisel with a blunt bit on it and knocked them right out. Only took a couple of minutes per side with air tools.
    Ted K
    90 535 5-speed

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,839

    Default

    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

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