TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:46 pm

I'm replacing the front shocks. Or rather, I'm trying to. :)

The shafts that the shock mounts to are pretty rusted. PB Blaster loosened up the nuts, but I think the sleeves from the old shock are rusted onto the shaft. Wondered if my assumption is correct and if there's a trick to getting these things off.

They're PB soaking now. Have tried vice grips and a little hammer persuasion.

Thanks!

Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:49 am

I had to drill a line of small holes along the sleeves and to break the sleeve apart with a chisel

Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:41 am

Or carefully use a Dremel to cut longitudenally(sp?) and pry it off. Just don't cut too deep.

Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:34 am

I had the same problem during my rebuild. PB blaster and heat from a torch loosend them up with no problem. Take your time.

Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:31 am

Same here. I had one come off with a few minutes of work, the other I struggled with for over an hour before it finally worked loose. Liquid wrench, vice grips, hammer and screwdriver (to try and spread it at the seam - yours may not have a seam) and heat. Everything helped loosen it a bit, but working it back and forth with the vice grips finally got it off.

Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:59 am

just heat it real hot with propane torch or mapp gas, heat it for a good 15 minutes, then just crank it off with a large vice grip.
I dont think you really need to do any cutting or drilling IMHO.
you can also vice grip it on the sleeve, then hit the side of the vice grip with a large hammer and/or chisel

Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:37 am

Will do. Thanks guys. I'll try the heat approach first, but I have a cut-off wheel at the ready if I need to go in that direction. I can't really see any seam on it, but it's caked with rubber bits and rust.

The PO replaced the front beam and ball joints, but not the shocks! Or the Tie rod ends for that matter. LOL I think he saw how fixed the shocks were on the shafts and decided against it. Probably had the BJs pressed on with the shock still attached. :)

Status to come. They've been soaking over night with a few applications of PBB.

Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:35 am

I had to cut mine off they were so rusted to the post, in fact I thought it was all one piece it was fused on there so tight. I thought I'd bought the wrong shocks because they didn't fit. :oops:

I'll post some pics of my "experience" when I get home tonight.

Odd that the PO would replace the ball joints and not the tierod ends, the tierod ends are BY FAR the easier of the two to replace...

[EDIT] I just noticed this is post 181 for me. How geeky [/EDIT]

Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:25 pm

when installing new shocks, be very, very liberal with copper or graphite grease on the shafts and bushings!

Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:06 pm

Thanks for the tip '61.

Sun Nov 02, 2008 8:05 pm

I will tell yall one thing about busting loose a rusted nut or bolt, or in this case a shock.

Give it plenty of time and spray it once or twice a day, If you can stand to let it set for a few days and give the PB Blaster a chance to creep.

I once let a small rusted air filter screw on my air compressor set for 2 weeks and sprayed it with WD-40 every other day or so, (after I broke my nice brand new screwdriver tip off trying to get it out.).
After 2 weeks it popped loose with no effort at all.
Since then; I use this method (like when working on brake lines, and bleeders) since I've wrung off more than my share.
My old 86 Bronco was famous for going thru front calipers, had to spray and wait afew days before I could ever break loose the bleeder screws without wringing them off, when they were ready, turned very easy. Worked good on busting the water pump bolts too.

Hope it helps,

T.

Mon Nov 03, 2008 6:45 pm

YESSSS!!! HEAT WORKS!!!!!!

Mon Nov 03, 2008 7:50 pm

Just to join in on this issue, I will say I have used all methods above to remove the sleeve from Thing lower front shock shaft.

The first time it is a huge confusion as to what to do????

The last time it happened, I used my diamond wheel on my dremel and cut it loose. I recently purchased as Dremel Lithium Ion 1100 rechargeable and love it.. Great automotive resto tool..

Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:44 am

if you have never tried it CRC Freeze-Off this stuff works excellant on everything, it does wonders to frozen brake bleeders.

Shaggy

Mon Nov 10, 2008 9:00 am

So I managed, after a week of PB, to get them off with the help of a little propane and some muscle! Was going to cut them off, but glad I tried the heat first. There was a spacer (KYB) that I needed to retain that had gone unseen at first.

Shocks installed, rear wheels off the ground and their bolts are frozen too (surprise surprise)! They're soaking in PB now. Should I use heat there too? I didn't mind it on the front because I had pulled the shock off, but I can't do that in the back. The smoke from the rubber is going to get nasty.

More thoughts? Or break out the vapor dust mask.