Ghianightmare
Montreal
- Joined
- 25 Apr 2017
- Messages
- 608
So my top mount was seized to the piston. In the end I drilled the rubber to separate the main parts of the mount which just left me with the bushing on top. I had split it open by cutting it. There wasn't any evidence of rust, so it was just jammed on by interference fit it looks like.
Anyway - what should have been a quick job, turned into an ordeal - but it is sorted now and ready to go back in.
The RH coffin arm ball joint - that was an even bigger ordeal. I took hours as I didn't want to use excessive heat or force. The metal seat came off of the wheel carrier casting - and it still took a few hours including putting the whole arm in the freezer over night, and more gentle heat, and one of my ball joint scissor splitters broke, and then more heat and more leaving it for a few hours under tension, and eventually a few whacks and it popped off. Then Back in the freezer over night. I heated the casing with an electric heat gun - got it up to 90c (measured using laser thermometer) and then very quickly stuck frozen metal seat back on and a few gentle taps and it was seated again. It was one of those jobs that had all the potential to go wrong...
So, while changing arms is DIY for the most part, if it gets hairy, it helps to have good mechanical knowledge and tools and time...
Anyway - what should have been a quick job, turned into an ordeal - but it is sorted now and ready to go back in.
The RH coffin arm ball joint - that was an even bigger ordeal. I took hours as I didn't want to use excessive heat or force. The metal seat came off of the wheel carrier casting - and it still took a few hours including putting the whole arm in the freezer over night, and more gentle heat, and one of my ball joint scissor splitters broke, and then more heat and more leaving it for a few hours under tension, and eventually a few whacks and it popped off. Then Back in the freezer over night. I heated the casing with an electric heat gun - got it up to 90c (measured using laser thermometer) and then very quickly stuck frozen metal seat back on and a few gentle taps and it was seated again. It was one of those jobs that had all the potential to go wrong...
So, while changing arms is DIY for the most part, if it gets hairy, it helps to have good mechanical knowledge and tools and time...