Need a little help!

[Go-SpeedRacer]

Been trying furiously to remove these couple of items, tired beating, banging, twisting, pulling. prying, and even yelling at these and I can not seem to get them off. With this much grief, I have to believe that some of y'all have had this same problem, so please pass along your infinite wisdom.

First one that will not come off is the RT front spindle, the rest is free, just can not seem to get this bolt to back out or I guess the spindle to drop free.

The next one is these two bolts at the steering arms. The one on the right, the bolt will not back out, the one on the left, when you turn the nut, the whole stud just turns.

On this last one, I can get these hose clamp looking thingamajigs off, these are what hold the front sway bar on, but surely, there is some high tech, sweet looking, kick azz set up to replace these hose clamp jobers with? Please share if anyone has run across something better.

Thanks

[Ferretkona]

You need a tie rod splitter. It is a large fork you drive to force the tie rod off. You can use it to tighten up the spinning one to remove the nut.

[Ian Epperson]

Regarding the sway bar clamps - cut them! Use a grinder or tin snips or something to break them out. Here's the high-tech replacement:

from CIP

Ferretkona is absolutely right. The tool you want is called a tie rod seperator (or pickle fork) and you can get it at almost any parts store. Here's a pic from Kragen's website:

It usually destroys the boot as you pull it, so either plan on replacing the ball joint or be very very very careful. To get it out, sometimes you just have to hammer the fork hard into the gap to pop it off. Though, it looks like you already collapsed the thread trying to get it out, so you probably don't care.

[charter]

On the nut that spins cut it with a handgrinder, even with a pickle fork, hit the casting on the side where the tapper fits this helps to break things loose

[Ferretkona]

If you can find one they make a nut splitter, clamps on the nut. By turning a side screw a cold chisel splits the side of the nut.

[Go-SpeedRacer]

Thanks guys, hate when something simple turns into a complete PIA due to my own ignorance.

Ian, that is exactly what I was thinking had to exist, that looks much more functional than those Mexican hose clamps.

[MedicTed]

Actually, the original style sway bar clamps work very well. They are comprised of a circumfrential band that holds the bushing to the arm and then a tightening cap. The cap drives off of the clamp in one direction only. Since you should not reuse the clamps or bushings, cut the clamp with a die grinder.
_________________
Ted Wojton
70 VW Bus Westfalia camper
2003 GMC Sierra

[Woreign]

If I ever have to do it again, I'll go with the sway bar clamps that Ian recommends... The original style is a PIA to install. I had to use vise grips to pinch the edges together, get the lock plate in place, clamp some more, tap the lock plate some more, etc... And once you get one in place, you get to do it 3 more times!

Save yourself the headache and get Ian's clamps!

[74 Thing]

You can get the tie rod out with a tie rod tool or you can take two ball peen hammers and hit the spindle on either side simultaniously and it should pop out-wear eye protection. To loosen up the nut you can also take a bid "c" clamp and put it on from the top of the tie rod to the thread and then take an open ended wrench to get the nut loose-probably a nylock so once it it loose you can use some spray lube to get it off the rest of the way. For the sway bar clapms either cut off or take come channel locks or locking pliers to compress it and knock out the flat slide from underneath with a hammer and chisel.