Thrust arm removal, why don't you bang it out?

[BigKriss]

Bill R has provided an excellent way to remove control arms. The link is floating around somewhere. Anyway, I went to my local workshop today to install the other side of my RRT thrust arm. I had air tools at my mercy (a kick arse snap-on rattle gun). This piece of equipment makes life so easy. So i put her up on some jack stands and started going to work. About 5 minutes later the workshop manager (Anthony) comes over and says "What are you doing that for?, your doing it the hard way!". I replied "No I'm not, this is the easiest way". I was just about do undo the 3 19mm bolts underneath the strut when he says "Get out of the way". Okay then, I think, do the work for me!

The thustarm balljoint nut came off, then he proceeded to wack it out with a hammer, it tool 4 or 5 thuds and it was removed. damm that was easy. The new arm with a nylock nut went on with no worries. He had to lever the arm a bit with a long bar. I just watched. It took about 50 mins all up to do one thust arm. I didn't torque any of the bolts with a torque wrench, the rattle gun did all the work except for the spherical bushing bolt for which I couldn't get to. I can't believe my front end in without clunks now.

The spherical bushings make the front end about 20% firmer, meaning you can feel bumps in the road a lot more. It's hard to tell about performance and cornering ability becasue I have no places on the street to really test them out. The balljoint was so bad on the old arm, the boot was worn and there was no grease around the balljoint.

Do other members on here have the same experience? Is this method good, bad or what? Tell me your opinions!

[Dave M]

Wow, I could'a 'banged' mine all night like that. I'd have just ended up with a sore hammer. Was there nothing used to counter the movement of the suspension? I used a small puller with success and would do it again that way.

Maybe I'm missing something, nteresting method,

Thanks,

Dave M

[winfred]

yea a few good wacks in the right place works good if somebody hasn't assed the balljoint down to some absurd quanity of tightness, and those are delt with a 6' long torsion bar and a snap on air hammer

[RobPatt]

...and then "pop". first wedged pickle fork in hard, beat it, have a beer while the tension worked... beat heck out of it some more, jam the fork in harder, have a beer, let the tension work.... 1 or 3 more whallops and popped out - same both sides.

[Gene in NC]

I worked and worked on left side only to finally discover that the steering arm was not machined correctly and the thrust arm jammed against instead of coming all the way up. Went through my clam shell from Pelican, hammer, pickle which seemed to bottom against the vertical part of the steering arm, pulling caliper, disk, removing shield bolts for access for "U" shaped separator which wouldn't fit because the steering arm was not machined right in that dimension either. Pretty much by accident I swung the arm around toward rear of car and noticed that pickle could come in from a different angle. A few whacks and popped out.

Replacement thrust arm was a little deeper at the ball joint and I couldn't get the ball joint to drop into the hole in the steering arm. Fiddled around and finally noticed odd machining on the steering arm that blocked access.

Right side was a snap. Left nut on with good "hole" for lower end of pelican to fit into. Popped right off, but suspect that it was not nearly as tight as the left side.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. First timer on thrust arms but would not hesitate to do it again.

[bmcdanold]

When I worked at a BMW dealership a few years ago, whacking with a hammer was the method of choice. We'd pull out an air hammer if one was really stuck, but overall the hammer method was quick and effective. I always loved to do a "front end flush" on an E34. We'd replace almost every suspension component in front. It paid good, but the best part was when the customer would call back raving about their "new" car.

[632 Regal]

someone must have impacted mine cause it took half a case of beer and about 10 swings with the #20 sledge, next time it should be easier since I torqued them to spec.

[Zeuk in Oz]

I think you will find it is one of the recommended methods in Bentley.

I tried that method first, but no chance, so ended up using the pickle fork !
because i only had the car up on jacks, i couldn't get enough of a swing.

[632 Regal]

makes me wonder how many people/mechanics busted up a fender missing the shot.


I think you will find it is one of the recommended methods in Bentley.

I tried that method first, but no chance, so ended up using the pickle fork !
because i only had the car up on jacks, i couldn't get enough of a swing.

[rob101]

spherical bushings? as in rose joints? what brand did you use are there other threads with pictures. thats pretty hardcore are you looking to track your car?

[bmcdanold]

makes me wonder how many people/mechanics busted up a fender missing the shot.

<whistling> ;)

[Paul in NZ]

my indy called over his brother.With a bar they put some tension on it and three or 4 bangs later it was off...mind you the car was six feet up in the air....

[632 Regal]

Hahaha...
<whistling> ;)

[wingman]

my indy called over his brother.With a bar they put some tension on it and three or 4 bangs later it was off...mind you the car was six feet up in the air....

This is a good point. If you have the right tools the job is easy. The rest of us slave for hours or simply say f**k it I'll pay someone else to fix it.