rayra
Expedition Leader
Thought about it but the other side came apart well enough and looking at the tool (while getting a loaner torsion bar unloader) and geometry of the suspension I couldn't see how I could make it work, without getting under the loaded lower control arm. After getting my hand caught / pinned to the ground under a '73 Firebird suspension when a coil spring compressor failed, I'm really gun shy about putting my hands in and around a loaded suspension. And hammering the fork on the driver side worked quite well. And did on the passenger side after I shimmed the fork some. Details and pics below.
well I got things finished today, with a few more improvisations.
First I went after remounting the torsion key crossmember an the torsion bars, as I needed the force of the latter to help separate the passenger side upper balljoint.
I couldn't come close to mouting two rubber washers to each face of the donut mounts. Best way to describe the old mount is 'prolapsed'. Permanently shifted rearward. Only under a very sketchy C-clamp applictaion could I drive the bolt sleeve close ot its proper balanced position. And I couldn't leave the clamp in place while driving the crossmember into place. Not enough room to work and it would have taken 5 hands to get it done. So I wound up with only one washer on each face of each mount. But that itself fell right where I wanted it, between the metal of the mount and the crossmember. Close enough for now. It should hold up long enough while I seek out some control arm bushings that will work.
Then it was back to separating that balljoint. I was resigned to wailing on it again with a torch and BFH. So much so that I removed everything else in the area as late yesterday I was making some poor strikes and hitting things I shouldn't. So I dismounted everything. Then I stuck my splitte r/ pickle fork in there and beat away. Again to no avail.
But as I was wrenching the fork out again I noticed how poorly it was held. It in its beaten state - I've had and used it for decades - it really wasn't tall/.thick enough to do the job. I'd tried yesterday to stick both pickle forks I had in there, but stacked together their wedge was too angular to bite and they'd just bounce out. So I started thinking about shims, placed under the fork to increase the stack height. After digging around and discarding the idea of using some aluminum bar stock and other 'found' objects, I lit upon the idea of using a couple steel washers as shims. Success! It didn't take 5 strikes to pop things apart. All the dread and it took <10mins today.
After that it was putting in the new parts. I went ahead and installed the re-assembled new CV axle, despite concern about its boot clamp tightness. I took some measurements, 3/8"x11"L ladder camp should work, over the top of the existing band clamp. And it can be installed later a the vehicle sits.
So in it went, etc. An hour later I was test driving around the neighborhood and it feels good. But I still have a rear brake rubbery squeak - need to inject more silicone lube in to the Spohn trailign arms. And see about lubing other parts.
While I had the passenger front apart I moved things around and unloaded the lower ball joint is obviously worn out and floppy list. So next month it will be lower control arm replacements, too.
Notes -
The torsion crossmember cant be lifted in from below. It needs to come in from above. Or leave on eend on the ground and come in high with the other and set the high end beyond the bolt hole location until after the low end is emplaced.
Never leave the upper control arm disconnected while wrestling the CV into place.
Taking the front sway bar links off makes it much easier the get the CV out and back into place.
My aftermarket keys are a bit larger than the factory pieces. There were indications of rubbing inside the top of the crossmember. So I shot some grease on those rub spots before re-assembly.
well I got things finished today, with a few more improvisations.
First I went after remounting the torsion key crossmember an the torsion bars, as I needed the force of the latter to help separate the passenger side upper balljoint.
I couldn't come close to mouting two rubber washers to each face of the donut mounts. Best way to describe the old mount is 'prolapsed'. Permanently shifted rearward. Only under a very sketchy C-clamp applictaion could I drive the bolt sleeve close ot its proper balanced position. And I couldn't leave the clamp in place while driving the crossmember into place. Not enough room to work and it would have taken 5 hands to get it done. So I wound up with only one washer on each face of each mount. But that itself fell right where I wanted it, between the metal of the mount and the crossmember. Close enough for now. It should hold up long enough while I seek out some control arm bushings that will work.
Then it was back to separating that balljoint. I was resigned to wailing on it again with a torch and BFH. So much so that I removed everything else in the area as late yesterday I was making some poor strikes and hitting things I shouldn't. So I dismounted everything. Then I stuck my splitte r/ pickle fork in there and beat away. Again to no avail.
But as I was wrenching the fork out again I noticed how poorly it was held. It in its beaten state - I've had and used it for decades - it really wasn't tall/.thick enough to do the job. I'd tried yesterday to stick both pickle forks I had in there, but stacked together their wedge was too angular to bite and they'd just bounce out. So I started thinking about shims, placed under the fork to increase the stack height. After digging around and discarding the idea of using some aluminum bar stock and other 'found' objects, I lit upon the idea of using a couple steel washers as shims. Success! It didn't take 5 strikes to pop things apart. All the dread and it took <10mins today.
After that it was putting in the new parts. I went ahead and installed the re-assembled new CV axle, despite concern about its boot clamp tightness. I took some measurements, 3/8"x11"L ladder camp should work, over the top of the existing band clamp. And it can be installed later a the vehicle sits.
So in it went, etc. An hour later I was test driving around the neighborhood and it feels good. But I still have a rear brake rubbery squeak - need to inject more silicone lube in to the Spohn trailign arms. And see about lubing other parts.
While I had the passenger front apart I moved things around and unloaded the lower ball joint is obviously worn out and floppy list. So next month it will be lower control arm replacements, too.
Notes -
The torsion crossmember cant be lifted in from below. It needs to come in from above. Or leave on eend on the ground and come in high with the other and set the high end beyond the bolt hole location until after the low end is emplaced.
Never leave the upper control arm disconnected while wrestling the CV into place.
Taking the front sway bar links off makes it much easier the get the CV out and back into place.
My aftermarket keys are a bit larger than the factory pieces. There were indications of rubbing inside the top of the crossmember. So I shot some grease on those rub spots before re-assembly.
