seba Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Well i had an accident a long time ago with my supra and have just now come to repair it. A lot needs to be done so i started yesterday with the most obvious thing to me and that was replacing the hub. The hole where the lower triangle rests in was bent, a member offered to sell me his entire hub so i decided to jus swap everything. Now please don't comment my stupidity as this is probably the first time i'm doing something more technical on a car than opening that little door on the back of the car where that hose goes in that spits fluid wich burns up in the engine. I surprisingly enough found myself able to losen the wishbones, take the brakes of etc but the lower arm just wouldn't come of the hub where the balljoint connects. So i tried many things edit: i tried hitting it with many things and eventually it came of but with the result that i had damaged the thread of the balljoint... rendering it useless.(the red circle on second picture) Now i still have a spare "triangle" or whatever it is called so i thought hey i might just swap that too. Easy enough said but for a noobie like me it seems to hard to do the job. I got everything loose again except the 2 bolts circled in blue. Any of them coming loose is ok just need one to come out but wth, how? They are stuck to the thread so the entire thing just keeps spinning as it is a balljoint too i asume? And no way of getting grip on it as the space between it is so small and i don't want to damage the rubbers. I sprayed it with WD40 and waited a couple of hours but no luck. Now am i retarded? Or should i just let it all be and get back behind my pc playing videogames and let a pro do it? Any advice would be nice as i don't really know how to get further. Thx Seba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTRickeh Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 You can put an allen key inside the bits circled in blue to stop it spinning. Doesn't usually work though, just rounds off. Sometimes getting a ring spanner over the nut then a set of small mole grips on the thread works. Failing that... cut them off and buy new ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 If the allen key doesn't work, just give up and get the cutter in there to remove them. Get yourself some new ones. They are an absolute PITA mate, honestly. I've got an impact gun now so I'm hoping that will make the job better, I'm not holding my breath though. Without doubt the worst job I have done on a Supra, and it wasn't even mine. Mine is still in the queue to have this done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seba Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 (edited) I'll try the allen key tomorrow, but i'm not getting my hopes up on that. Can't believe there is no other way than cutting. But you mean i just cut the bolt itself or what? I mean this is a balljoint or not? How will i be able to replace it? edit: and isn't it possible to just replace the balljoint i messed up in the first place? Didn't take a look at it as i didn't want to damage the rubber. Edited June 14, 2011 by seba (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Not sure if you are getting crossed wires here or not. The bit you want to cut off is the drop link. The blue marks in the pic are both ends of the droplink. When you buy a new one it should come with new nuts, so just split the nut. Either use a nut splitter or a dremmel, angle grinder to cut into it. It's a pig of a job but I would recommend doing both sides so they wear evenly (passengers & drivers). If you have a torch, put a lot of heat on the nut. Get it almost glowing red if you can, till you see the boot of the droplink smoking. Do the same on both ends. Once it cools spray it with penetrant (Plus Gas is excellent). Really drown it in the stuff. Again, do the same on both sides. Leave it overnight then try it with the allen key the next day. If that fails get a set of long nose molegrips and try gripping the joint from behind (the bit that rotates when you try to turn the nut). If that fails it's time to get the cutter out. To be honest I wish I had bypassed all that stuff and just went with the cutter as I had to in the end anyway. Up to yourself though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignum Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 No, the balljoint is part of the complete lower arm, with the arb link make sure to clean the thread up thoroughly with a wire brush ideally, loosen the nut 1st with a ratchet then fit your allen key, spray the nut/thread with wd40 or plusgas is better as you undo the nut, keep the allenkey as square as you can or it will round off, you may need to loosen then tighten the nut several times adding lube as you go, also have you tried the 2 large bolts holding the lower arm in the subframe, the rear 1 tends to get jammed in the bush, then your troubles begin, real pita, if/when you complete the arm swap you`ll need to get your geo setup again as the 2 large bolts adjust camber/castor, hope this helps sorry its so long but ive done these a few times now and know what you`ll be going through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 No, the balljoint is part of the complete lower arm, with the arb link make sure to clean the thread up thoroughly with a wire brush ideally, loosen the nut 1st with a ratchet then fit your allen key, spray the nut/thread with wd40 or plusgas is better as you undo the nut, keep the allenkey as square as you can or it will round off, you may need to loosen then tighten the nut several times adding lube as you go, also have you tried the 2 large bolts holding the lower arm in the subframe, the rear 1 tends to get jammed in the bush, then your troubles begin, real pita, if/when you complete the arm swap you`ll need to get your geo setup again as the 2 large bolts adjust camber/castor, hope this helps sorry its so long but ive done these a few times now and know what you`ll be going through. You've been very lucky with yours. I especially like the loosen the nut off part I hope I get as lucky with mine, a properly stuck set won't budge via conventional methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignum Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 You've been very lucky with yours. I especially like the loosen the nut off part I hope I get as lucky with mine, a properly stuck set won't budge via conventional methods. What, adding lube as you go, ooh sir lol:d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 What, adding lube as you go, ooh sir lol:d That, and the fact that it actually loosened You must be a pro with the lube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seba Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 To be honest I wish I had bypassed all that stuff and just went with the cutter as I had to in the end anyway. Up to yourself though I have no torch, i do have candles? I think i'll just go for the cutting as i have a spare arb link, just think it's a shame cutting stuff that is in good condition... No, the balljoint is part of the complete lower arm, with the arb link make sure to clean the thread up thoroughly with a wire brush ideally, loosen the nut 1st with a ratchet then fit your allen key, spray the nut/thread with wd40 or plusgas is better as you undo the nut, keep the allenkey as square as you can or it will round off, you may need to loosen then tighten the nut several times adding lube as you go, also have you tried the 2 large bolts holding the lower arm in the subframe, the rear 1 tends to get jammed in the bush, then your troubles begin, real pita, if/when you complete the arm swap you`ll need to get your geo setup again as the 2 large bolts adjust camber/castor, hope this helps sorry its so long but ive done these a few times now and know what you`ll be going through. When i read "loosen the nut" it made mi giggle out of miserie indeed, no way it will loosen i think. For the 2 large bolts...you surely are right, got the front one loose without too much trouble, but the back one is another story, still working on that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I have no torch, i do have candles? I think i'll just go for the cutting as i have a spare arb link, just think it's a shame cutting stuff that is in good condition... Can't be that good if you can't get it off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavin.starr Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 With the anti roll bar link, clean out the Allen key hole as best as you can. Then tap the Allen key in as far down as it will possibly go and keep it as square as possible. Like mentioned above use the ring end of the spanner to go over the nut. I find a set of ratchet spanners makes it a lot easier, that way when it does loosen off you don't have to keep taking the spanner off to re adjust. I bought a small re-fillable blow torch for cooking with, and found it really good at helping to release the nuts using WD40 too to impregnate the bond between the threads. There are these also that just take a normal re-fillable lighter http://images.maplin.co.uk/full/fz992182.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavin.starr Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 With regards to the lower swing arm ball joint, If you have a tap and die kit you could clean the threads up with one of those. another note to take into account with the ARB links if you do find yourself rounding off the slot for the Allen key, get your self the next size up. Get a socket of the same size to match the Allen key. Cut he elbow off the Allen key so its a straight bar, grind a small lead/ taper on the end of the Allen key and tap/hammer it down the original allen key hole to make a new on. If you know what I mean. Or you gould get your self of these as i find them a lot better than an Allen key if space isn't to tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seba Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) Job done !! What a horrible experience ! Thx for all the info guys you helped me out a lot. Tried the allen key but didn't work for me, allmost tough, just put a little bit to much force on it and it rounded inside. I didn't have a torch so i just cut the annoying thing. But after that came more problems wich i won't bother you with. I can tell you this, when i finally had the arb link in my hands i spit on it, cursed it, cut it again just to show it who is in charge, kicked it 10m into the garden and finally had to go and pick it up again as i'm against pollution. And i'm angry with my parents as instead of warning me about girls and how easely they get pregnant, and warning about all the horrible things that are out there in the world, they would have done a better job warning me about arb links and how these things can really f*ck up your life. Edited June 17, 2011 by seba (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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