customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

putting new struts in and i had about an 1/8" slop in the pass side spindal, ball joint is only about 4 yrs old, spindle was replaced at the same time (bent it hitting curb advoiding an accident)

i tried tightening the nut and the ball joint shaft just spins, i tired loosening it and it just spins, so i cant get the nut off!

but im not sure how the 1/8" gap got there between the nut and the spindle? and how it wore a 1/16"-1/8" groove into the spindle!

im assuming im gona have to cut the ball joint shaft and replace the ball joint. but my question is... is my spindle bad now? can i still use it and be fine with this groove drilled into it by the nut? see pics

gregsz-28

iTrader: (1)

Put a jack under the end of the A-arm to try and push the ball joint up in to the spindle, and use an impact gun to try and take the nut off.

Did you forget the cotter pin?

The spindle is probably still fine, but if you don't like the way it looks after everything is reassembled, you should be able to save the spindle by machining that area down until it is flat, but then there is a possibility you would have to use a washer under the nut. I doubt there is any damage to the taper, but obviosly you'll need to check that out to be sure.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

i had taken the cotter pin out to try and tighten the castle nut and thats when i noticed it woud just spin. I said screw it and im getting a new ball joint. I already have a jack under the Aarm but since i reinforced the Aarm with 1/8" steel plate i cant really get the jack under the ball joint. i should still have enough room to replace the ball joints.

im not that worried about the spindal... that thinks like an inch thick lol i just wanted to make sure. i doubt the impact gun would have any affect... it spins so freely it would just turn. i also had just removed everything (caliper, strut, brake line etc) to get the new strut in and i really dont feel like pulling that all off again.

any reason why there would be that much space/play in the ball joint?

gregsz-28

iTrader: (1)

Because the nut wasn't tightened down all the way...

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

ha! no that wasnt it. it was installed right.

what are the specs for tightening it down, i just followed the hanyes manual.

gregsz-28

iTrader: (1)

IDK, I've never used a torque spec for ball joints, maybe tighten them down to somewhere between 80-100 ft lbs, and stop where ever in that range that a hole in the nut lines up with the cotter pin hole.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

just finished it up... PITA! i can never get the ball joint fully seated on one side.

tq'd it to 80ftlbs by clinton manual. hanyes says 90ftlbs.

the hole was a good bit above the cotter pin hole. but i got it to work. hopefully it doesnt back off, i ended up not using a washer and just tq it down. the nut is about 1/16"-1/8" lower than stock so the hole has been pushed up that much

gregsz-28

iTrader: (1)

In the future, try using a nylon locknut instead of the stock castle nut, then there is no cotter pin to be forgotten, and it doesn't have to line up with a hole, just torque it to spec.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

really? huh i wouldnt have used that, id be too afraid of it backing off. idk wat the thread size would be

stoning_volcom

so what you are sayin is the spindal is like stuck on the shaft of the ball joint? if so hit the spindal where the hole is for the ball joint. It should flex and release it hit it was a hammer, sledge hammer which ever seems more appropriate lol let us no

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

the ball joint has been replaced for over a week now lol. the nut was stuck on the ball joint, and u cant grip the ball joint to remove the nut, i ended up having to hack the ball joint stud/nut off with a sawzaw. i then had to press it out of the front Aarm. but now i got big problem. i slid into a curb due to slidding on rock salt/ and sand after snow. and destroyed pass side front rim and i snapped the rear wheel off, snapped the rear pass axle like a twig. now i gotta pull it apart and see what ive ruined. i hope i didnt damage the front spindal/Aarm/strut. and i didnt bend the rear axle tube.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

oh ****, hopefully the wheels took the brunt of the force and spared the chassis

gregsz-28

iTrader: (1)

Didn't you do something like this before???

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

haha ummm yes but it was only with the front of the car. first time i shattered a GTA rim but i was able to drive it home as the air didnt leak out. i bent the spindal too.

so i pulled everything apart. the spindal looks fine, strut is fine too. i bowed the new J&M mount up about 1/2" off the strut tower, i flattened it out mostly and reworked the strut tower steel. I cant tell but the Aarm looks ok too.there is no play in the spindle. the rear on the other hand is gone. snapped the axle, destroyed a caliper, rear rim, BRAND NEW UMI double rod end LCA BENT! . i also seemed to bend the axle tube.

so my new rear is junk, looking for a new housing now. removed most of the brackets already, the one good axle, posi etc. front end is mostly back together but its not on the ground to see if everythings lined up.

chassis is good. no body damage, doors open and close fine. i guess that roll bar and SFC did a good job lol. scary is that the driver wheels were almost 4ft off the ground when i hit, it was tipped that much over. im glad it didnt flip

the first time it was my fault, goofing around in a newly paved parking lot, and i didnt know that new pavement likes to secrete oil from the asphalt for a while after... its like crisco! this time wasnt my fault, summer tires, 16degrees out, road is covered in sand/salt from snow that seemed to dissapear as fast as it came. i was goin the speed limit 35-40mph around a turn when my a$$ end swung out, instead of hitting a mountain wall i tried to correct, wheels hooked and i then swung 240 degrees across 4 lanes into a curb. lets just say it was a bad weekend

gregsz-28

iTrader: (1)

I've seen that happen before, people go off the road on new pavement because it was new and oily.

I always hate it when they put sand on the roads here. It seems to collect in intersections. I would rather deal with ice for 2 days than have sand covering intersections for the next 2 weeks.

At least the car is mostly fine. Maybe you can buy just 1 LCA and 1 strut mount?

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

agreed. thats where i lost control. at the top of a hill where theres an intersection/traffic light (of course the light was green) and i had been driving through patches of sand/salt that had to be like a 1/2" thick, felt like a mini speed bump. i knew how it was out so i wasnt driving like an ARSS! didnt matter tho.

not sure i have to call UMI and ask. but i can purchase some 1.25"x .120" DOM tubing off the internet for like 7.50$ a ft... so i might just cut the UMI ones by the threaded rod end inserts and weld in my own peice. im sure the UMI replacement one wouldnt cost about 20$ to replace lol. the rod ends/offset aluminum bushings are fine its just the tube.

not gona replace the J&M mount... the mount was just pushed up a bit, i was able to beat it in a vise back to submission. i marked the strut tower so its aligned when i put it back on. the bearing was fine and the strut is fine, i compressed it by hand and it did rise slowly, man the KYB AGXs are tough to compress.

1987earthquake

iTrader: (5)

I just had the same issue with my driver's side spindle. I found an easy way to get it apart though.. I used a 4" C-clamp and squeezed the spindle to the a-arm this caused the ball joint to press into the spindle to lock up in order to spin the nut off.