I work on subaru daily, it my main brand . All below done on car (easier on lift but fine on stands too) Before bolt snaps I air hammer it both ends and around thread areas help break bond, more heat and gentle use of a nano impact should get it moving,. Trick on balljoint is plenty fluid sprayed in through bolt slot so soaks in around groove in BJ, use a chisel in the slot to spread the knuckle just a fraction and help break bond and ease rust jacking pressure . Use air hammer rattle the BJ at knuckle insert area and help loosen any bonding between them (easy ones can come out at this step) Main trick now is feed it into wishbone but put a large wrench jaw or something between the knuckle and wishbone so takes up some of the slack but still allows the BJ nut catch and then gun it out, once moved it easy pry/knock out fully. I use an old wheel bearing outer race cut down as my space tool. With this method 99% of BJ's removed in under 15minutes on car no drama . First time take longer setting it all up but after that it gravy, 1 2 subaru baby :-) I love subaru lol, well pre 2006 subarus :-) newer models are junk ... ... well most new cars regardless of make are junk :-/
Went through almost everything you did on this 06 legacy. Had a torch on the knuckle, and a slidhammer hooked onto the ball joint bolt. Finally took a break and watched your video. Thank you! I went and grabbed the air hammer and it was out in 2 minutes. Liked and subscribed.
I'm not telling you anything you don't already know but part of being a mechanic and being able to figure out how to get around the challenges like this one you have presented. It's also the part of being a mechanic (or in my case, a DIY'er) that gives us satisfaction. You did a great job getting that drill bit in there so straight. That was a trick in itself! You may have an old Vantage to work on for your next video!
Thanks for this video. I tried all the other RUclips tricks and didn’t get mine out. Luckily I had air hammer chisel end and air compressor 16 gallon on hand on and got these out 30 mins per side. It was a battle for sure. Thanks!!!
Now that I'm retired I work on my cars at home. A jack and Jack stands. I just replaced the lower control arms on the 05 neon. It was a fight all the way. I watched this video and was thinking, do you ever swear. My repair showed on my right hand some sore knuckles or should I say bleeding knuckles. Anyways, on to the next part to the front struts. No video here, I'll let you and Eric do that. Good to see you post a video when you can.
I just did one of these yesterday. My pinch bolt came out without too much trouble - heat, lots of PB Blaster, vibration with a rattle gun everywhere including straight up against the bottom of the control arm bolt. After popping the control arm loose with a pickle fork, I threaded the nut back up against the bottom of the control arm (hand tight, no tools), and put a chunk of 2x4 down from above, between the CV boot and tie rod end, landing on top of the control arm. Two or three good smacks on the upper end of the 2x4 with a 2lb hammer produced about 1/4" of movement; a couple more and it was out.
I live in the rust belt and my pinch bolt on my 2010 Impreza came out intact! Thought for sure its gonna snap. First I sprayed it with penetrating oil, then I put a socket and extension on and gave the head of the bolt some good whacks, then I used a heat shield(piece of tile) and heated around the bolt. Then I turned it slowly...it didnt budge. I turned a little harder and it moved. At this point I wasnt sure if I was snapping the bolt or it was moving inside. So then I turned it back in...then out a little...then back in...etc. Slowly working it loose. Finally it came out...lol. Now on to the rest of the job... So...3 hours later its done! BUT...I had to remove the A arm because when I tried to pound the a-arm off the threaded part of the ball joint it wouldnt budge. I used a 2x4 and a big hammer but the whole ball joint came out of the steering knuckle. So I took the A arm off (marking the alignment bolts) and then pounded the ball joint out of the A arm on the ground. What a pain in the ass...lol. Anyways...I have been working on cars as a hobby since I was 16(now 48 years old) Im no pro but have learned how to deal with rusty bolts and parts being from the north. All I can say is use penetrating oil, use a propane torch, give the bolt a few good whacks and then turn slowly with gradual pressure and see if the bolt moves. Then work it slowly back and forth. On a rusty car this isnt an easy job on a garage floor with simple hand tools but it can be done. Try your best not to snap any bolts. Good luck.
My workplace, in remote Australian mines, rely heavily on the use of liquid and/or gaseous CO2 for both removal of seized parts, and the refitment of new/replacement parts, from wheelnuts on underground Toyota Landcruiser, which is a highly concentrated salt enviroment to headbolt removal on Komatsu 200 ton dumpies to geardrive pins on Caterpillar D12 dozers. Extreme ? Oh yeah !!!. Success rate ? > 95%. Satisfaction value ? 100%. Great vids. Great info. Look forward to the next. 👍👍
Magnificent drill skills, like a Surgeon! Cold welding. Ask Santa for a Big Nasty. I spent 3 days at 4 hours each on my Nissan ball joints. Pressed in with snap ring. Cold welded really bad. Sintered iron does that.
Great job!! Given the circumstances 🙈 Living in Chicago,I had my share of bad situations! Heated the knuckle exessively,and the pin or ball or whatever you wanna call it,shot out like a bullet,hitting the garage door! We were lucky nobody got hurt! So,it turned into a dangerous situation! Be careful doing these jobs!
My father and I were once heating that pinch bolt area red hot with a torch one day. I started walking away, got 25 feet away and I heard like a gun shot. My ears were ringing. My father, who was heating it up to expand the area to remove the ball joint almost got killed. The ball joint shot out of there and hit the Willies jeep fender and went through the first layer of steel and got lodged in the second. Like a bullet. We were heating the Subaru ball joint. The Willies was parked next to it. Now I have that that tool that either uses the slide hammer or just use a wrench and it pulls it out. Problem then becomes the frozen pinch bolt. In the 80's, cars rusted out fast but not so in the suspension parts. Today the liquid salt they spray eats them faster than stage IV lung cancer. I have a 2006 Subaru that has a frozen pinch bolt in it. Bad ball joint also. I only have map gas now so won't attempt it. If I did attempt it, it would for sure catch the ball joint rubber boot on fire and more so, perhaps cook the wheel bearing area. What I will do is just replace the: spindle, ball joint, hub/wheel bearing and call it a day. I found Chinese knockoffs on Ebay. I will only use Genuine OEM on the ball joint cause I know that those Detroit Axle ball joint's rubber boot rips a few years later. Lastly, I will coat each bolt with anti seize. Something that Subaru should of done from the get go.
I have a broken, seized pinch bolt as well. Im afraid my drill job didn't go as well so Im at a bit of a loss here. My extractor even broke off and I had to drill that out. Im going to use a torch next but Im running out of options. This video gave me hope.
Another option is that once you see it start to open up a little it is probably loose enough that you can get a pair of channel locks on it and start twisting. This makes it much easier because the twisting crunches up the rust.
Excellent and fun vid! But please don't let the rust belt cars and the magnitude of this job shown in some of these RUclips vids keep you from doing this job yourself. I'm in the southwest and just finished replacing both control arms with ball-joints on my 2006 Outback with 250k miles. Soaked the 14mm pinch bolt in penetrating oil first, and then leveraged the control arm against the steering knuckle. Literally no real hurking at all...The joints almost fell out. Total time to remove and replace the second control arm was 1/2 hour. I feel sorry for those who broke the pinch bolt, but if you don't have a department of transportation that insists on salting roads, you'll most likely be fine and only out the cost of the joint (or control arm). Good Luck!
Take a wedge,like a chisel or screwdriver end, and tap it into the slit in the ball joint pocket to open that pocket up a tad.. I pull mine the same way. I use an impact gun on the ball joint bolt with a spacer cup.. Pulls it right out every time.
I have found that sometimes the easiest way to get loose something once the pinch bolt is off is to hammer in a scredriver or wedge in the gap between the bolt holes to open up the bore.
You can try this next time: CTA Tools 4005 Suspension Strut Housing Socket. It separate the ball joint housing gap a little bit further so that the clearance is larger.
Ahaa ! One of them jobs ! Handled like a pro Sir. I wish I did enough work to justify an air compressor set. One day. One day..... You left me wondering how much extra work it was to remove the entire hub like you did ? Thanks for sharing the adventure Ivan.
those are the good easy outs. the reverse twisties work but as they go in they expand and add more pressure so if the bolt is stuck its now stuck more. the square ones cut in reducing it to 4 small pressure points. you had the right idea using the adapters. get a hammer head for that air hammer. put the pressure on the joint and hammer around the outside perimeter. the vibrations help break the rust up. never liked helen kellers (blind holes). they create a vacuum and as i seen when you put it in with the fluid film it tries to hydraulic
Great video! That rust is always a pain in the arse... Quick question here, why didn't you hammer in a chisel etc in between the pinch bolt ears? Usually I hammer in a thick flat head in there and it spreads enough to break the rust up and requires just some additional tapping to come out.
Look up vix bits... They're a self centering drill bit and should put a hole straight down the middle of a broken bolt like that. You may need to buy extra 1/8 metal bits to go with them.
hey ivan I found your channel from erics I have to say that twisted cam video was awesome! iam a master ase tech with L1 too with 25 years of doing this crap keep up your good work!
Just did the exact same thing on my 09 outback replacing the control arms and ball joints. Chiseled the ball joint out got the bolt out got the whole new arm and ball joint assembled and the bolt snapped in half going back into the knuckle
Ivan, I have quite a bit of stories to say that would make your head spin!!! LOL!!! In my suburban, you have to drill the rivets out and pop the ball joints out. Royal pain in the a&# !!! But once you know enough how you do them, wish I had Eric O's knowledge many years ago! Lol
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics all I had was electric drill and regular hammer, lol. We sure have come long ways to improve our trade as years go by! Lol
So, how are the Moog ball joints holding up? I've watched all your ball joint videos to see what brand of ball joints you use. I've seen a couple of Moog.
More Subi stuff, thanks Ivan. I hope not to have to do that to my 05 Outback. It's a big pain to replace spark plugs in it if you don't have U joint adapters and wobble extensions, still a bit of a pain though. She runs a whole lot better now :-)
I got some more Subie stuff up my sleeve ;) Spark plugs are not too bad on those. Valve cover gaskets can turn into a nightmare in the salty states. And then the head gaskets!!!
Good to know if I ever move to the Rusty Car Belt (not). Your getting really good opening boxes with one hand, thats a good trick in itself !! You dont have a place for a Lift, do you.
If you already have the bearing tool kit this is the cheapest way to do this job. Worth a try before you begin to buy specialty tools. At least for those who are going to do this maybe once in their life time.
That's what I was thinking. I'd put some anti-seize in the cavity, and also on the pinch bolt threads. As long as the pinch bolt has a lock washer, it should stay in place if properly torqued.
I remember replacing the king pins on the front of my 1978 Ford 3/4 ton Conversion Van. Everyone told me it was going to be impossible but I really didnt think it was that big of a deal. It may be because I used the right tools for the job. The pins actually came out rather easy. I had soaked them for a week with break away before even starting. I found that pre soaking a part for a week before attempting to remove the part really helps. That and a torch. Lots of heat really helps.
And that was your mistake, going to the breaker bar. You don't need more force you need more vibration, penetrating fluid, heat,and cold. Tighten loosen in a short burst of the impact gun, not a breaker bar. Oops! Always spray and "vibrate tap" with a hammer and even heat that knuckle or they will break. Use an impact driver but do not try and drive the bolt out. Actually, tighten first with the shortest trigger bust you can do. Then flip the switch to the loosen direction and do another burst. Keep doing this back and forth. I usually punch a mark the bolt on the other side or mark it so I can see when the bolt starts to move. If really rusty, do the same but with heat first and you will see the penetration fluid steaming out of the bolt. You want this. I also will get a bowl of ice cubes and put the corner of a cube on the bolt to shock cool it after heating the knuckle. I know spraying the penetrant kind of does this, but it's also cooling the knuckle, ice cubes always work best. Same procedure with the wheel bearing on Subaru's. Don't wait to do this procedure till after you snap the bolt especially if you see rust. You'll end up with three bolts on the wheel bearing that came out and a spun bolt head you can't get out. Then you have to pull the knuckle and take it to the bench or a machine shop. The whole time you are thinking, I got the other three out with no problem but rushed the first one. Ask me how I know.
Don't use the inner tie rod end tool to replace inner tie rod ends. Replace the whole unit. You need the OCT tool which holds the rack while you torque the nut. Otherwise you'll damage the rack worm gear! Then you have to replace the whole unit if you use that inner tie rod tool not from OTC.
Piece of pipe capped on one side and drill the cap for a threaded rod and with threaded rod running down the center of the pipe and weld a nut to the one end of the threaded rod, screw the welded nut on to the ball joint and then pull the threaded rod tightening a nut down on the top of the cap! They sell a version of the tool I'm referring to!
I've been procrastinating replacing the ball joint on my Chrysler Van that has a split boot. I have that same ball joint kit and a pickle fork. What could go wrong!! Just kidding. Mine is a rust free garaged 03 that is pretty easy to work on.
Next time just knock a small chisel into the gap where it pinches together to hold the ball joint .. this will release the hold on the ball joint and it will come out easier.
I think my problem is the inner tie rod. I came to that conclusion because I've already replaced every other suspension component at that wheel. I think Sherlock would be proud.
I was thinking just before the ball came out, I thought you would have chased the treads and used new castle nut and one less washer. thanks for the reply, means a lot to me. Wish you and Eric could team up more on the hard ones!
Just had the pleasure of doing a Subaru ball joint myself other day. Was thinking, Wonder if Ivan ever done his first Subaru ball joint yet? Remember you telling me you haven't seen one go bad yet hahaha... Well here I am getting on RUclips and Ivan posted a video doing one and oh boy was i smiling. They can be a real C*** sucker.
You'd think if a manufacturer was going to design something like this, they'd use STAINLESS STEEL, so this crap wouldn't happen! Guess you can't complain at 260k - my '07 Silverado's lower ball joints didn't even make it to 40k miles!! Uppers barely made 50k. Utter garbage. My '93 Volvo 940 is still on the OE ball joints at just under 170k. Campbell-Hausfield for the win! I have that same air chisel (in addition to Big Nasty) - bought it at Wal-Mart 17 years ago. 👍 Congrats on getting that hole drilled perfectly! I never seem to be able to do that - always walks off to one side, and butchers the threads. That's when the whole neighborhood hears cuss words echoing off the hills ... 😂 Luckily I haven't broke an EZ Out off in the hole for about 20 years - was working on a '81 Dodge Omni (what a gem, lol!), when the stupid t-stat housing bolt snapped off in the block ... and then my EZ Out snapped off in IT! I spent 3 days out in my apartment complex parking lot drilling, and drilling, and drilling! Finally got it out, and the hole was DOUBLE the size it was supposed to be. I filled it with Quiksteel around a Bic pen to locate the hole, then drilled and tapped it to size. That thing held! Never leaked a drop for the next 8 months, until my girlfriend at the time decided to pull out in front of someone, and got T-boned. Folded the car almost in half, lol - and I kept driving it afterward until one side of the rear axle ripped off the body when I hit the brakes, HAHAHAHA! The rear of the car suddenly jacked up 3' in the air! Off to the crusher she went. Good times! 😁
The reason you don't use stainless steel is because its weaker than a hard steel bolt and the cost is exponentially higher. They have their place, but in a higher stress area, I wouldn't use stainless steel. AvE is actually doing a comparison of a lot of different bolt types right now.
True - was just thinking of something that won't rust. There are a billion new types of steel alloys out there now that won't corrode either (at least not as easily), like what GM uses on their bellhousing bolts to the block, and on some suspension components on their '96-up RWD vehicles. I've worked on some crusty crap where those bolts were still spotless - that's the stuff everyone should be using!
My 89 Mazda MPV is still on the original front balljoints AND wheel bearings at 245k miles! the 96 Mystique also made it to 245k before I changed the front control arms and wheel bearings :)
Live in the north east. I use neveseize on everything. I know I will be the dummy that gets to do it again in 60 thousand miles. Also in the split I use a chisel to open it up as well then soak the crap out of it with PB blaster.
yeah that would be the ticket , bit on all rear trailing arm and track arm bolts be sweet too. Must be a simple pre bolt coating they could use making factory assembly no more of a procedure .
Haven't watched the video yet, but thought I'd ping your brain about my father's XL7. Has a large evap leak; code P0455. Local shop said gas tank was rusty up top. OK, makes sense, but they quoted him $1700 parts and labor. I found a new tank on rockauto for $122. They quoted him $735 for the tank "if they could even get it" plus another grand for labor. 10 hours labor to R&R a fuel tank seems a little over the top?
Yeah that’s what I’m afraid of. PS Sweet Subaru! How rusty is that thing in the rear? I unfortunately junked my 95 sedan a couple years ago due to rust and bad steering rack. Still ran great though. Never did the ball joints, but replaced way too many aftermarket cv axles.
Makes you wonder if Engineers on the car design things to be complicated and break and be very expensive for repair so way you have to buy a new car at the dealer for the cost of repairs?
Eric NO and JEW-BAR-U ballsjointz =p =p =p always heard to beat the old heat and beat :)))) RUST BELT IS RUST BELT, make it glow with a torch and whack it with sledge/zing it with air hammer and zing it off with air/cordless impact
I work on subaru daily, it my main brand .
All below done on car (easier on lift but fine on stands too)
Before bolt snaps I air hammer it both ends and around thread areas help break bond, more heat and gentle use of a nano impact should get it moving,.
Trick on balljoint is plenty fluid sprayed in through bolt slot so soaks in around groove in BJ, use a chisel in the slot to spread the knuckle just a fraction and help break bond and ease rust jacking pressure . Use air hammer rattle the BJ at knuckle insert area and help loosen any bonding between them (easy ones can come out at this step)
Main trick now is feed it into wishbone but put a large wrench jaw or something between the knuckle and wishbone so takes up some of the slack but still allows the BJ nut catch and then gun it out, once moved it easy pry/knock out fully.
I use an old wheel bearing outer race cut down as my space tool.
With this method 99% of BJ's removed in under 15minutes on car no drama .
First time take longer setting it all up but after that it gravy, 1 2 subaru baby :-)
I love subaru lol, well pre 2006 subarus :-) newer models are junk ...
... well most new cars regardless of make are junk :-/
Hate it when a 20 min job turns into 2 hours. Gotta love the salt. Nice fix Ivan
Went through almost everything you did on this 06 legacy. Had a torch on the knuckle, and a slidhammer hooked onto the ball joint bolt. Finally took a break and watched your video. Thank you! I went and grabbed the air hammer and it was out in 2 minutes. Liked and subscribed.
Astro makes a tool similar in premise to your original attempt with the ball joint spacers, washers, and castle nut. Astro 78620.
I'm not telling you anything you don't already know but part of being a mechanic and being able to figure out how to get around the challenges like this one you have presented. It's also the part of being a mechanic (or in my case, a DIY'er) that gives us satisfaction. You did a great job getting that drill bit in there so straight. That was a trick in itself! You may have an old Vantage to work on for your next video!
Cool! No guarantees though lol
I totally understand. I get home Sunday and will ship it Monday.
wyattoneable I agree. Nice work around Ivan
Old Vantage? Nice Wyatt! 👍
So did that old Vantage ever show up at the Pine Hollow shop?
Nice job Ivan, great idea using the ball joint press kit to come up with a way to break the initial rust bond.
Thanks for this video.
I tried all the other RUclips tricks and didn’t get mine out.
Luckily I had air hammer chisel end and air compressor 16 gallon on hand on and got these out 30 mins per side. It was a battle for sure. Thanks!!!
Now that I'm retired I work on my cars at home. A jack and Jack stands. I just replaced the lower control arms on the 05 neon. It was a fight all the way. I watched this video and was thinking, do you ever swear. My repair showed on my right hand some sore knuckles or should I say bleeding knuckles. Anyways, on to the next part to the front struts. No video here, I'll let you and Eric do that. Good to see you post a video when you can.
I just did one of these yesterday. My pinch bolt came out without too much trouble - heat, lots of PB Blaster, vibration with a rattle gun everywhere including straight up against the bottom of the control arm bolt. After popping the control arm loose with a pickle fork, I threaded the nut back up against the bottom of the control arm (hand tight, no tools), and put a chunk of 2x4 down from above, between the CV boot and tie rod end, landing on top of the control arm. Two or three good smacks on the upper end of the 2x4 with a 2lb hammer produced about 1/4" of movement; a couple more and it was out.
I live in the rust belt and my pinch bolt on my 2010 Impreza came out intact! Thought for sure its gonna snap. First I sprayed it with penetrating oil, then I put a socket and extension on and gave the head of the bolt some good whacks, then I used a heat shield(piece of tile) and heated around the bolt. Then I turned it slowly...it didnt budge. I turned a little harder and it moved. At this point I wasnt sure if I was snapping the bolt or it was moving inside. So then I turned it back in...then out a little...then back in...etc. Slowly working it loose. Finally it came out...lol.
Now on to the rest of the job...
So...3 hours later its done! BUT...I had to remove the A arm because when I tried to pound the a-arm off the threaded part of the ball joint it wouldnt budge. I used a 2x4 and a big hammer but the whole ball joint came out of the steering knuckle. So I took the A arm off (marking the alignment bolts) and then pounded the ball joint out of the A arm on the ground. What a pain in the ass...lol.
Anyways...I have been working on cars as a hobby since I was 16(now 48 years old) Im no pro but have learned how to deal with rusty bolts and parts being from the north. All I can say is use penetrating oil, use a propane torch, give the bolt a few good whacks and then turn slowly with gradual pressure and see if the bolt moves. Then work it slowly back and forth.
On a rusty car this isnt an easy job on a garage floor with simple hand tools but it can be done. Try your best not to snap any bolts. Good luck.
My workplace, in remote Australian mines, rely heavily on the use of liquid and/or gaseous CO2 for both removal of seized parts, and the refitment of new/replacement parts, from wheelnuts on underground Toyota Landcruiser, which is a highly concentrated salt enviroment to headbolt removal on Komatsu 200 ton dumpies to geardrive pins on Caterpillar D12 dozers. Extreme ? Oh yeah !!!. Success rate ? > 95%. Satisfaction value ? 100%. Great vids. Great info. Look forward to the next. 👍👍
Magnificent drill skills, like a Surgeon! Cold welding. Ask Santa for a Big Nasty. I spent 3 days at 4 hours each on my Nissan ball joints. Pressed in with snap ring. Cold welded really bad. Sintered iron does that.
Great job!! Given the circumstances 🙈
Living in Chicago,I had my share of bad situations!
Heated the knuckle exessively,and the pin or ball or whatever you wanna call it,shot out like a bullet,hitting the garage door! We were lucky nobody got hurt!
So,it turned into a dangerous situation!
Be careful doing these jobs!
Greetings from Waco, TX Ivan. And yes ball joints do just slide off here. 😆
My father and I were once heating that pinch bolt area red hot with a torch one day. I started walking away, got 25 feet away and I heard like a gun shot. My ears were ringing. My father, who was heating it up to expand the area to remove the ball joint almost got killed. The ball joint shot out of there and hit the Willies jeep fender and went through the first layer of steel and got lodged in the second. Like a bullet. We were heating the Subaru ball joint. The Willies was parked next to it.
Now I have that that tool that either uses the slide hammer or just use a wrench and it pulls it out. Problem then becomes the frozen pinch bolt. In the 80's, cars rusted out fast but not so in the suspension parts. Today the liquid salt they spray eats them faster than stage IV lung cancer.
I have a 2006 Subaru that has a frozen pinch bolt in it. Bad ball joint also. I only have map gas now so won't attempt it. If I did attempt it, it would for sure catch the ball joint rubber boot on fire and more so, perhaps cook the wheel bearing area. What I will do is just replace the: spindle, ball joint, hub/wheel bearing and call it a day. I found Chinese knockoffs on Ebay. I will only use Genuine OEM on the ball joint cause I know that those Detroit Axle ball joint's rubber boot rips a few years later. Lastly, I will coat each bolt with anti seize. Something that Subaru should of done from the get go.
'Don't break the head off....' The head WILL break off. I like your technique for extracting the bolt!
The most impressive feat here, I think, was that broken bolt recovery...
Just excellent!!!
wouldnt kill them to lube those ball joints at the factory. a few cents of grease or something is too much to ask lol
Right on. Why they don't paint these parts is beyond me.
I have a broken, seized pinch bolt as well. Im afraid my drill job didn't go as well so Im at a bit of a loss here. My extractor even broke off and I had to drill that out. Im going to use a torch next but Im running out of options. This video gave me hope.
Another option is that once you see it start to open up a little it is probably loose enough that you can get a pair of channel locks on it and start twisting. This makes it much easier because the twisting crunches up the rust.
Excellent and fun vid! But please don't let the rust belt cars and the
magnitude of this job shown in some of these RUclips vids keep you from
doing this job yourself. I'm in the southwest and just finished
replacing both control arms with ball-joints on my 2006 Outback with 250k miles. Soaked
the 14mm pinch bolt in penetrating oil first, and then leveraged the
control arm against the steering knuckle. Literally no real hurking at
all...The joints almost fell out. Total time to remove and replace the
second control arm was 1/2 hour. I feel sorry for those who broke the
pinch bolt, but if you don't have a department of transportation that
insists on salting roads, you'll most likely be fine and only out the
cost of the joint (or control arm). Good Luck!
What ever it take. Improvise and overcome. You did a great job drilling that bolt out free hand that is a less than trivial task.
Hey at least one thing went right with that headache job lol
Ivan it is often the "easy" job that gets you in my experience.
This is a true DIY video This is how I would work. Like you I do not have lift. Thanks for you videos.
It is really surprising just how much one can accomplish with a good basic set of tools and some ingenuity :)
Take a wedge,like a chisel or screwdriver end, and tap it into the slit in the ball joint pocket to open that pocket up a tad.. I pull mine the same way. I use an impact gun on the ball joint bolt with a spacer cup.. Pulls it right out every time.
I have found that sometimes the easiest way to get loose something once the pinch bolt is off is to hammer in a scredriver or wedge in the gap between the bolt holes to open up the bore.
You got to love the old Nano and Fluid Film. Great video Ivan keep them coming.
You can try this next time: CTA Tools 4005 Suspension Strut Housing Socket.
It separate the ball joint housing gap a little bit further so that the clearance is larger.
Well I got my Ivan fix on for the week still need more you genius you now for Eric.O keep em coming Y'all
Very creative sir. Things are going to change when you get that Max-Jack installed! Thanks!
Ahaa ! One of them jobs ! Handled like a pro Sir. I wish I did enough work to justify an air compressor set. One day. One day..... You left me wondering how much extra work it was to remove the entire hub like you did ? Thanks for sharing the adventure Ivan.
knuckle comes off very easily...just the tie rod end and strut bolts and it's out!
Excellent job improvising Ivan!
those are the good easy outs. the reverse twisties work but as they go in they expand and add more pressure so if the bolt is stuck its now stuck more. the square ones cut in reducing it to 4 small pressure points. you had the right idea using the adapters. get a hammer head for that air hammer. put the pressure on the joint and hammer around the outside perimeter. the vibrations help break the rust up. never liked helen kellers (blind holes). they create a vacuum and as i seen when you put it in with the fluid film it tries to hydraulic
Great points. Blind holes suck haha
Great video! That rust is always a pain in the arse... Quick question here, why didn't you hammer in a chisel etc in between the pinch bolt ears? Usually I hammer in a thick flat head in there and it spreads enough to break the rust up and requires just some additional tapping to come out.
I don't recommend that actually. I think its too much rust and those ears can start to break off. At least that was my experience.
Yep. SNAP.
snoopdogie187 I don't mean like actual bend the ears back. Just spread them like a mil or so
I know what you meant.
I thought about chiseling between the ears a bit...actually it's the OEM recommended procedure on some cars with similar designs (like Ford struts).
Look up vix bits... They're a self centering drill bit and should put a hole straight down the middle of a broken bolt like that. You may need to buy extra 1/8 metal bits to go with them.
Great video Ivan, too bad there's not a way to put a ball joint with a grease fitting on it in that location
hey ivan I found your channel from erics I have to say that twisted cam video was awesome! iam a master ase tech with L1 too with 25 years of doing this crap keep up your good work!
lol thanks for the encouragement! It means a lot coming from a professional tech :)
Just did the exact same thing on my 09 outback replacing the control arms and ball joints. Chiseled the ball joint out got the bolt out got the whole new arm and ball joint assembled and the bolt snapped in half going back into the knuckle
Now I’m trying to find a place who has the tools to machine the threads in the knuckle and get a new bolt in there
Ivan, I have quite a bit of stories to say that would make your head spin!!! LOL!!! In my suburban, you have to drill the rivets out and pop the ball joints out. Royal pain in the a&# !!! But once you know enough how you do them, wish I had Eric O's knowledge many years ago! Lol
I've done those on GMs...Chevy S10, Buick LeSabre etc. It's fun with a torch and air hammer ;)
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics lol, that's right. Back then, I didn't have the torch or air hammer. Too poor to get it lol
First ones I did was with an angle grinder...and a $20 air hammer haha
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics all I had was electric drill and regular hammer, lol. We sure have come long ways to improve our trade as years go by! Lol
U have to get a cold chisel and place it where the split area’s at. It will expand a little enough for the ballpoint to come out
Good work Ivan! You got the job done with the tools on hand.
So, how are the Moog ball joints holding up? I've watched all your ball joint videos to see what brand of ball joints you use. I've seen a couple of Moog.
More Subi stuff, thanks Ivan. I hope not to have to do that to my 05 Outback. It's a big pain to replace spark plugs in it if you don't have U joint adapters and wobble extensions, still a bit of a pain though. She runs a whole lot better now :-)
I got some more Subie stuff up my sleeve ;) Spark plugs are not too bad on those. Valve cover gaskets can turn into a nightmare in the salty states. And then the head gaskets!!!
Not sure if this was mentioned in the comments. You should use a solid nut and not a castle nut. Castle nuts are weaker.
Thanks. I’m going to try to air hammer and see if that helps. 🤞🏽
Good to know if I ever move to the Rusty Car Belt (not).
Your getting really good opening boxes with one hand, thats a good trick in itself !!
You dont have a place for a Lift, do you.
gee the stability control on the camera doesn't keep up with the air hammer?
great job! We always learn something. Thanks!
LOL guess not!
Today you can use MAC Rbrt extractor tools. Ez outs are old technology. And you have BJ extraction tools like Astro Pneumatic , SO or Company23Thanks
Nice job i ended up cracking knuckle where ball joints hold
If you already have the bearing tool kit this is the cheapest way to do this job. Worth a try before you begin to buy specialty tools. At least for those who are going to do this maybe once in their life time.
I've done about 5 or 6 of these. Only one came out easily. The others were a real bear to do.
LOVE IT!! Thank You! I would have done it the same way. Should you have put grease/anti-seize on the bolt threads and shaft? {For next time?}.
That's what I was thinking. I'd put some anti-seize in the cavity, and also on the pinch bolt threads. As long as the pinch bolt has a lock washer, it should stay in place if properly torqued.
I remember replacing the king pins on the front of my 1978 Ford 3/4 ton Conversion Van. Everyone told me it was going to be impossible but I really didnt think it was that big of a deal. It may be because I used the right tools for the job. The pins actually came out rather easy. I had soaked them for a week with break away before even starting. I found that pre soaking a part for a week before attempting to remove the part really helps. That and a torch. Lots of heat really helps.
That actually wouldn't have been my go to solution. But thinking about it yours is better and causes less damage.
What would be your go-to?
Great video and nice work getting yourself out of a jam!
And that was your mistake, going to the breaker bar. You don't need more force you need more vibration, penetrating fluid, heat,and cold. Tighten loosen in a short burst of the impact gun, not
a breaker bar. Oops!
Always spray and "vibrate tap" with a hammer and even heat that knuckle or they will break. Use an impact driver but do not try and drive the bolt out. Actually, tighten first with the shortest trigger bust you can do. Then flip the switch to the loosen direction and do another burst. Keep doing this back and forth. I usually punch a mark the bolt on the other side or mark it so I can see when the bolt starts to move. If really rusty, do the same but with heat first and you will see the penetration fluid steaming out of the bolt. You want this. I also will get a bowl of ice cubes and put the corner of a cube on the bolt to shock cool it after heating the knuckle.
I know spraying the penetrant kind of does this, but it's also cooling the knuckle, ice cubes always work best.
Same procedure with the wheel bearing on Subaru's.
Don't wait to do this procedure till after you snap the bolt especially if you see rust.
You'll end up with three bolts on the wheel bearing that came out and a spun bolt head you can't get out. Then you have to pull the knuckle and take it to the bench or a machine shop.
The whole time you are thinking, I got the other three out with no problem but rushed the first one.
Ask me how I know.
Heated ball joints can explode
Don't use the inner tie rod end tool to replace inner tie rod ends. Replace the whole unit. You need the OCT tool which holds the rack while you torque the nut. Otherwise you'll damage the rack worm gear! Then you have to replace the whole unit if you use that inner tie rod tool not from OTC.
Piece of pipe capped on one side and drill the cap for a threaded rod and with threaded rod running down the center of the pipe and weld a nut to the one end of the threaded rod, screw the welded nut on to the ball joint and then pull the threaded rod tightening a nut down on the top of the cap! They sell a version of the tool I'm referring to!
I've been procrastinating replacing the ball joint on my Chrysler Van that has a split boot. I have that same ball joint kit and a pickle fork. What could go wrong!! Just kidding. Mine is a rust free garaged 03 that is pretty easy to work on.
Had tried to get a ball joint out of my 02 wrx for hours and watched this and got it in 30 seconds
Need some big nasty in your life Ivan. That would of got it done right away as Eric O. would do. Great video by the waythanks
Nice Job! It's not "Big Nasty", but it worked!
Next time just knock a small chisel into the gap where it pinches together to hold the ball joint .. this will release the hold on the ball joint and it will come out easier.
Have you tried in situations like this the 50/50 mixture of ATF & acetone, does it help getting rusted parts moving or is it just a RUclips myth? :)
I think my problem is the inner tie rod. I came to that conclusion because I've already replaced every other suspension component at that wheel. I think Sherlock would be proud.
Sherlock would NOT be proud of the parts cannon lol!
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics yeah. Watson would probably say "no shit, sherlock."
Hate when a job goes sideways. In theory it was a good idea but still a shit design. Great work 👍
Design is fine, joints last longer inverted and really not that hard remove even in new york lol .
The man with the master plan
And then it was time for PLAN B haha
I would had preassembled permatex anti-seize everything , ball joint, pinch bolt and holes where they go...
Good Job! In your opinion, is Fluid Film better than Anti Seize?
It's just easier to apply and coat the whole area evenly. Anything is better than nothing :)
Ok sounds logical. Lately I've been using both. Anything to fight rust!
Thanks for the reply
Nice one... hope you do an engine rebuild or replacement soon... Eric O. stopped doing them, that lazy boy... ☺
Want to see a Subie head gasket and valve job series? I've been hording that one for a year haha
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics well, time to release it
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics yes, please...
I like the intense mental focus I get when confronted with problems like this.
Me too! It's like OK, fire up the brain cells ;)
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics A little bit of panic is nice, isn’t it?
where sells a brand new knuckle ?!!!! Can’t find one for 02-07 wrx anywhere !
That job turned into a royal pain in the ass! Real life there huh Ivan!?
Well done :-D, that was a bloody nightmare, it fought you all the way.
Your drilling was spot on, i end up drilling a wonky hole lol :-D.
Do you think Fluid Film is better than Anti-Seize? Here is Salt-Belt Ohio, anything I unbolt from underneath gets a smudge of nickle-based anti-seize.
Good question! Antiseize can get very messy and is harder to apply, but probably works just as well if not better!
Thanks a lot! About to do mine.
Drill a hole in top of the knuckle above ball joint and hit the top of the ball joint with punch
not much room...and wouldn't want to weaken the knuckle!!
Moog is the best, Ivan.
So far I have had good luck with MOOG. Hopefully they don't turn into Dorman!!
excellent video ivan. subaru ball joints are supposed to be the easiest ball joints out their
I would vote they are the hardest!
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics yeah it looks that way
Where is the grease fitting on the new joint?
That's number 32 in my reasons for very owning a Subaru! Lol
*@**12:34** Gets happy, impacts the head off of new pinch bolt, also snapping off pinch ear. Camera off, quietly edit ending...*
As Eric O says; I'd rather be lucky than good! lol And my friend, you got lucky!
Not sure about that...if I was lucky, the bolt would have come out in one piece!! xD
I was thinking just before the ball came out, I thought you would have chased the treads and used new castle nut and one less washer. thanks for the reply, means a lot to me. Wish you and Eric could team up more on the hard ones!
Just had the pleasure of doing a Subaru ball joint myself other day. Was thinking, Wonder if Ivan ever done his first Subaru ball joint yet? Remember you telling me you haven't seen one go bad yet hahaha... Well here I am getting on RUclips and Ivan posted a video doing one and oh boy was i smiling. They can be a real C*** sucker.
haha yeah Devon they are a treat :)
Awesome. Def time to upgrade to big nasty .498
this is only for rust belt cars. literally took me 20 mins to replace it and that included tool lookup
I have this job coming up soon, my Forester is 10 snowy/salty winters old. I'm NOT looking forwards to this :)
You'd think if a manufacturer was going to design something like this, they'd use STAINLESS STEEL, so this crap wouldn't happen! Guess you can't complain at 260k - my '07 Silverado's lower ball joints didn't even make it to 40k miles!! Uppers barely made 50k. Utter garbage. My '93 Volvo 940 is still on the OE ball joints at just under 170k.
Campbell-Hausfield for the win! I have that same air chisel (in addition to Big Nasty) - bought it at Wal-Mart 17 years ago. 👍
Congrats on getting that hole drilled perfectly! I never seem to be able to do that - always walks off to one side, and butchers the threads. That's when the whole neighborhood hears cuss words echoing off the hills ... 😂
Luckily I haven't broke an EZ Out off in the hole for about 20 years - was working on a '81 Dodge Omni (what a gem, lol!), when the stupid t-stat housing bolt snapped off in the block ... and then my EZ Out snapped off in IT! I spent 3 days out in my apartment complex parking lot drilling, and drilling, and drilling! Finally got it out, and the hole was DOUBLE the size it was supposed to be. I filled it with Quiksteel around a Bic pen to locate the hole, then drilled and tapped it to size. That thing held! Never leaked a drop for the next 8 months, until my girlfriend at the time decided to pull out in front of someone, and got T-boned. Folded the car almost in half, lol - and I kept driving it afterward until one side of the rear axle ripped off the body when I hit the brakes, HAHAHAHA! The rear of the car suddenly jacked up 3' in the air! Off to the crusher she went. Good times! 😁
Same problem with Subaru wheel bearing/hub bolt-in assemblies, except they don't usually last 260K miles!
The reason you don't use stainless steel is because its weaker than a hard steel bolt and the cost is exponentially higher. They have their place, but in a higher stress area, I wouldn't use stainless steel.
AvE is actually doing a comparison of a lot of different bolt types right now.
True - was just thinking of something that won't rust. There are a billion new types of steel alloys out there now that won't corrode either (at least not as easily), like what GM uses on their bellhousing bolts to the block, and on some suspension components on their '96-up RWD vehicles. I've worked on some crusty crap where those bolts were still spotless - that's the stuff everyone should be using!
My 89 Mazda MPV is still on the original front balljoints AND wheel bearings at 245k miles! the 96 Mystique also made it to 245k before I changed the front control arms and wheel bearings :)
Wow, that's great!👍
It would appear that manufacturers have forgotten how to build basic automotive components in the 21st Century, Ivan!
Live in the north east. I use neveseize on everything. I know I will be the dummy that gets to do it again in 60 thousand miles. Also in the split I use a chisel to open it up as well then soak the crap out of it with PB blaster.
MOOG..."The Good Stuff"...Made in Mexico...New Slogan.."The Better Junk"..or "At least its not made in China"
Yea, you looked up the torque spec. RIGHT!!!
Ya caught me red-handed Dennis xDDD
I think I would have slopped antiseize all over that pinch bolt, for karma. Too bad Subaru don't do that at the factory!
yeah that would be the ticket , bit on all rear trailing arm and track arm bolts be sweet too.
Must be a simple pre bolt coating they could use making factory assembly no more of a procedure .
They should include the never seize in the package so nobody skimps on it with a headache for the next tech...
Hopefully the replacement joint will outlast the car!!
Haven't watched the video yet, but thought I'd ping your brain about my father's XL7. Has a large evap leak; code P0455. Local shop said gas tank was rusty up top. OK, makes sense, but they quoted him $1700 parts and labor. I found a new tank on rockauto for $122. They quoted him $735 for the tank "if they could even get it" plus another grand for labor. 10 hours labor to R&R a fuel tank seems a little over the top?
J G it shouldn't take more than a couple hours , if the strap bolts come out easy 😉
J.G. Sounds like a good job for you to try if you have the tools and time
Yeah that’s what I’m afraid of. PS Sweet Subaru! How rusty is that thing in the rear? I unfortunately junked my 95 sedan a couple years ago due to rust and bad steering rack. Still ran great though. Never did the ball joints, but replaced way too many aftermarket cv axles.
Makes you wonder if Engineers on the car design things to be complicated and break and be very expensive for repair so way you have to buy a new car at the dealer for the cost of repairs?
I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case on newer vehicles lol
Ive got that same head torch. Ebay
I said it was the electrolytic capacitors that was your problem, but you wouldn't listen.
Eric NO and JEW-BAR-U ballsjointz =p =p =p always heard to beat the old heat and beat :))))
RUST BELT IS RUST BELT, make it glow with a torch and whack it with sledge/zing it with air hammer and zing it off with air/cordless impact
I am surprised that CH AIR HAMMER DID IT!
Subarus are awesome
Until you have to change a ball joint hahaha
Mine snapped just before the threads, drilled, re-tapped and after 8 hours of work.....done