Steering Stabilizer
- Thread starter 4WDFORC
- Start date
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rrv333
SILVER Star
BFH...May not be what you want to hear, but a big fricking hammer can convince alot of things to move.
a number of threads on the same topic.
one course of action is the right size "pickle fork" and beat the every living #$%# of it with a BFH to get it loose like I did.
Another course of action is to use a pitman arm puller in the right size to remove.
I tried the puller route first...but with concern I was going to break something with my my 3 foot cheater bar on a ratchet driving the puller...when it would not break loose (I did not have air tools where I was working at the time). Its been my experience that you really have to use some force with the "pickle fork".... once I made up my mind that it coming off regardless of the force used....about 3-5 very hard licks with the hammer it decided to come loose.
one course of action is the right size "pickle fork" and beat the every living #$%# of it with a BFH to get it loose like I did.
Another course of action is to use a pitman arm puller in the right size to remove.
I tried the puller route first...but with concern I was going to break something with my my 3 foot cheater bar on a ratchet driving the puller...when it would not break loose (I did not have air tools where I was working at the time). Its been my experience that you really have to use some force with the "pickle fork".... once I made up my mind that it coming off regardless of the force used....about 3-5 very hard licks with the hammer it decided to come loose.
- Thread starter
- #4
I tried using a crowbar and a hammer. Also tried beating the stabilizer near the mount and just bent it. This pickle fork should work?
Wile E Coyote
Out in the streets, they call it murder!
There's usually more than one way to skin a cat, but there are plenty of times that using the right tool for the job is where its at...sounds like this is one of those times. A pickle fork is very inexpensive and should be in every shadetree mechanic's tool box. This OTC puller below is the cat's meow, and decidedly better in every way than a pickle fork, but is 3 times the $$.
http://www.otctools.com/products/pitman-armtie-rod-end-puller
http://www.otctools.com/products/pitman-armtie-rod-end-puller
Yes...Thats why I recommended it. Pickle fork is a known solution and its a tapered pin. Yes go forward with a pickle fork
as noted... a puller is good....when a puller does not work with hand tools you resort to other things. Now if you have a puller plus air impact...then a few things will happen in the situation I described. (1) the item might come loose (2) the puller might break or you might break other tools attached to the puller. When you get the kind of leverage a 3 foot bar provides and the puller refuses to move and you don't have a an air tool.....you go to option two...which is the pickle fork and which is a good option.
When in the field one makes do with what you have. When you screw around with things for a while you get that feel or "eye" for when things start to flex or when you are applying a great deal of force or leverage and nothing is happening....its time to regroup and figure out what the issue is.
Bottom line the stabilizers that sit on there 20+ years are sometimes a royal pain to remove. Sometimes they come off like nothing....other times it takes a few love taps with a large hammer. IF I had a good air impact to use with the puller it probably would have been game over at the time...
When in the field one makes do with what you have. When you screw around with things for a while you get that feel or "eye" for when things start to flex or when you are applying a great deal of force or leverage and nothing is happening....its time to regroup and figure out what the issue is.
Bottom line the stabilizers that sit on there 20+ years are sometimes a royal pain to remove. Sometimes they come off like nothing....other times it takes a few love taps with a large hammer. IF I had a good air impact to use with the puller it probably would have been game over at the time...
RE: pickle forks. Do yourself a favor and get a Lisle pickle fork, and skip those sold at Harbor Fright or Pep Boyz-in-the-hood (the 'Performance' brand). When you pound on the cheap ones, they subtly (or not subtly) deform and the energy from the hammer blow goes into mushrooming the head. When you use a US-made tool, and you whale on it, the joint pops apart. Also, you need a narrow style pickle fork for Japanese cars, and many parts stores only carry the wide ones, which work great on an F350, but won't work for us, here.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002SRG4S/?tag=ihco-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002SRG4S/?tag=ihco-20
