Steering Stabilizer OME--Replacing old on 85-FJ60

[LittleRedWgon]

Howdy,
I am new here and need a little help. I have an 85 FJ60 and have just started to get my hands dirty working on it..I purchased it about 4 years ago from the original owner..no modifications at all. Clean and straight. I just installed a SOR heavy duty 3" lift kit and had a blast doing it. My problem came when I went to replace the front stock steering stabilizer...(with OME's new one) but I cannot get the old one off?
Maybe a dumb ass question, but I figured you guys would give me a mulligan since Im new and this is my first real work on the rig...The bolts just do not come out...Do I need a special tool or am I just a nut job?...Any help would be appreciated..Thanks!

 

[Elbert]

you most likely will need a tool called a "pickle fork" and a 5lb small sledgehammer...to beat the ever living daylights out of the stabilizer mount. I stared trying to be nice and easy ...that did not work....you really have to get serious with the applied force. You can also try tools that looks like a pitman arm puller....I tried that too...until I thought I was going to break the ratchet I was used with a 3foot cheater bar...with no movement at all.

They are a pain to get loose. It may take one hard hit on the pickle fork or it may take a lot...

 

[LittleRedWgon]

Elbert,
Thanks a bunch.. That helps. I was being pretty gentle with it.. That may have been part of the problem. Everything else came off without a fuss.. Which was a big surprise to me. Thanks again!

 

[Pedro60]

go to autozone and rent the small tie rod puller. It's the smaller of the two they rent.
Took me 2 min with the right deal

 

[WHG423]

Nice looking truck!
I am going through the same thing. Best of luck to us both!

 

[sk8salomon]

mini sledge for sure! a couple good whacks on the taper pin and it should pop right out. just grease the hell out of the pins on the new shock.

 

[Pedro60]

Here's the OEM brand puller I used, It's the perfect tool for the job

 

[WHG423]

Did mine this afternoon. I got my puller from Advance Auto. It was on clearance for $6 I had to really torque down on it, but the bolts eventually popped loose.

 

[Elbert]

you gotta play hard ball with it... mine had been on there 20+ years when I replaced mine as part of changing the suspension.

 

[Spudman]

I use the same tool as Pedro, very easy.

Off topic, has you truck recently been spray painted or what's your secret to getting that shine I'd luv to get mine looking like that

 

[WHG423]

Anyone know a trick to get the OME pins to seat down? I got them most of the way, but there is still a small gap. I greased them real good before I inserted them. Now the bolts are real tight. I don't want to strip anything. I assume however that since the old ones were in there so tight, install should take some force as well.

 

[Elbert]

I noticed the same thing about the tapered PIN....I tightened mine as far as I thought I could go before it would break...its not fully seated either. Its been on the truck 3 years or more now so..apparently its ok. I don't like it, but I never came across a solution. It would appear that the OME product may have a design issue? Surely there are not different sizes?

 

[WHG423]

That was my feelings. I quit at super tight and went for a drive. Glad to know yours has stood the test of time that way. I don't like having a gap either, but guess it has to be.

 

[LittleRedWgon]

Thanks for all the help!..I got a pickle fork and they popped right out (with some force) My OEM bolts seemed like they would not seat either, but Torqued them and they sat into place...Noticed a big difference when I took it for a spin. But also noticed that my steering wheel is not centered like it used to be...any body have that problem? Do I just need to adjust the steering linkage now? Also, when did everyone decided to get their rig re-aligned after the new suspension?

 

[LittleRedWgon]

I use the same tool as Pedro, very easy.

Off topic, has you truck recently been spray painted or what's your secret to getting that shine I'd luv to get mine looking like that

Hey Thanks, I will post the product..My buddy is a firefighter and has some pretty sweet tips (as they polish the hell out of everything) Im headed over there next week, he is gonna help me do a full detail. There is the Clay bar product that he uses that is unbelievable..I will get the name. Have a good one!

 

[LittleRedWgon]

Did mine this afternoon. I got my puller from Advance Auto. It was on clearance for $6 I had to really torque down on it, but the bolts eventually popped loose.

Thanks for the image this will help for any other ones I need to do. Looks like it went well!

 

[Spudman]

Hey Thanks, I will post the product..My buddy is a firefighter and has some pretty sweet tips (as they polish the hell out of everything) Im headed over there next week, he is gonna help me do a full detail. There is the Clay bar product that he uses that is unbelievable..I will get the name. Have a good one!

Thanks mate, that would be awesome

 

[FJ60Cam]

A tip I learned, and has worked well for me is, once you get it to this point, as tight as it will go, smack the mount as hard as you can with a ball peen hammer.

Whether it's the shock, or slight hole deformation, I don't know. But they almost always pop loose that way. I quit tearing up pullers after learning this.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I don't remember which model is the one to get, but the OTC puller like this is the absolute best one to use.

This puller, combined with the hammer method usually works without too much drama.