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shocking events!
Sep. 1st, 2020 08:17 pmI just couldn't resist the clickbait title.
Yesterday after work I put the driver's side front of the van up on the jack stand, took off the wheel and sprayed all the bolts for the front suspension with penetrating fluid. I chose not to try to break free any of the bolts, instead I planned to let them sit for a day and think about loosening up.
Today after work I went out and loosened bolts. All went very well until the end. The only two challenging bits were the upper ball joint which was so worn it actually started to spin as I was removing the bolt and the tie rod end which was astoundingly rusty. That tie rod may be original.
I saved the nut on the top of the shock for last because those can be tough to get off. This one was all of that. I got the nut almost to the top of the threads when it rounded off. I couldn't get my angle grinder in that small space to cut the nut off. I cut bits of it off with the dremel tool, that was an exercise in futility. Knocked bits of it off with a chisel. At least that gave the satisfaction of pounding something with a hammer. Bent bits with a punch that could reach places the chisel wouldn't fit. Finally I used the hacksaw and cut through the bolt and threads twice, but I didn't cut down far enough so that was just wasted effort. Finally, I gave in and cut a little lower, cutting through the rubber bushing below the nut and the shock. So all the other nuts took a half hour, that one took an hour and a half.
I am often reminded of my brother-in-law's saying for working on vehicles: "It requires the patience of Job and the fingers of a sparrow."
Ordered the replacement bushing tonight.
Yesterday after work I put the driver's side front of the van up on the jack stand, took off the wheel and sprayed all the bolts for the front suspension with penetrating fluid. I chose not to try to break free any of the bolts, instead I planned to let them sit for a day and think about loosening up.
Today after work I went out and loosened bolts. All went very well until the end. The only two challenging bits were the upper ball joint which was so worn it actually started to spin as I was removing the bolt and the tie rod end which was astoundingly rusty. That tie rod may be original.
I saved the nut on the top of the shock for last because those can be tough to get off. This one was all of that. I got the nut almost to the top of the threads when it rounded off. I couldn't get my angle grinder in that small space to cut the nut off. I cut bits of it off with the dremel tool, that was an exercise in futility. Knocked bits of it off with a chisel. At least that gave the satisfaction of pounding something with a hammer. Bent bits with a punch that could reach places the chisel wouldn't fit. Finally I used the hacksaw and cut through the bolt and threads twice, but I didn't cut down far enough so that was just wasted effort. Finally, I gave in and cut a little lower, cutting through the rubber bushing below the nut and the shock. So all the other nuts took a half hour, that one took an hour and a half.
I am often reminded of my brother-in-law's saying for working on vehicles: "It requires the patience of Job and the fingers of a sparrow."
Ordered the replacement bushing tonight.
