I snapped an axle down here in Baja … good news is I have a spare. Bad news is that when I was taking the cotter pin out of the castle nut on the upper control arm ball joint, the pin broke. I got most of the pin out, and being a complete idiot, I am, I thought I could just take the castle nut off. There was maybe 2mm of it sticking out and after fiddling with it for an hour I lost my battle with patience. Bad idea because the little tiny short piece of the cotter pin that was still on the backside, jammed up the threads and stripped out the castle nut so now I can’t remove it. It is almost off … but that’s all she I’ll move. Just free spinning now.
Both insults and ideas are welcome. I don’t have a grinder, but I might be able to find one. Or I was thinking about one of those tools that splits the nut? I’m not sure what kind of shape my ball joint threads are going to be in. I think I have a tap and die kit and I might be able to chase those threads if I need to just at the end of the ball joint thread. Both upper control arms n ball joints are brand new OEM. I have spare castle nuts and pins. Don’t have spare ball joints.
I’m currently in Mexico so there’s not a place to rent a ball joint press kit. To make things more interesting Hurricane Hillary is coming right at me. And I’m stranded lol.
Both insults and ideas are welcome. I don’t have a grinder, but I might be able to find one. Or I was thinking about one of those tools that splits the nut? I’m not sure what kind of shape my ball joint threads are going to be in. I think I have a tap and die kit and I might be able to chase those threads if I need to just at the end of the ball joint thread. Both upper control arms n ball joints are brand new OEM. I have spare castle nuts and pins. Don’t have spare ball joints.
I’m currently in Mexico so there’s not a place to rent a ball joint press kit. To make things more interesting Hurricane Hillary is coming right at me. And I’m stranded lol.
