'93 4x4 Ball Joint Pinch Bolt removal - rounded or rusted 12 pt.

[Fairlaniac]

Working on replacing my ball joints. Only to find the pinch bolt head 12 points are either rusted off or rounded off? Any tips on removal of the pinch bolt with the rounded head issue?
http://www.fairlanet.com/images/pinchbolt_1.jpg
http://www.fairlanet.com/images/pinchbolt_2.jpg

Thanks!

 

[sgtsandman]

You are going to need to heat that knuckle to break the rust bond and someone with a welder to weld a nut on to the bolt head. Make sure the surfaces to be welded are clean and rust free for the best weld and it may take more than one or two tries to get that out. And penetrating oil. Lots of penetrating oil.

 

[Curious Hound]

I agree with Sgtsandman.

You could try drilling it out. But that's a rough place to work. You're likely to drill crooked or off center and damage the threads in the knuckle.

 

[sgtsandman]

I agree with Sgtsandman.

You could try drilling it out. But that's a rough place to work. You're likely to drill crooked or off center and damage the threads in the knuckle.

Then there is the getting the remains out without damaging the knuckle.

 

[Fairlaniac]

I've got the welder. Done this on other busted or stripped bolts. Just wanted to make sure there wasn't a trick I was missing. I wish the head stuck out of the recess. Maybe I'll use a few sacrificial tapered lug nuts with the taper to the pinch bolt head.

Thanks,

 

[bobbywalter]

Depends on how bad of shape the beam is in.

Usually you can flap wheel it till it's nice and clean ....grind right to it.....fawk that pocket it sits in. ...weld nut internal and it usually comes out.

If it's a rotten piece of Michigan crap ....I cut the bolt right through the pinch .....

Drill and extract from the thread side and pop the stub out ...if the threads get janky....it gets reamed and use a nut and bolt

 

[Fairlaniac]

Well I welded a nut to the cleaned up bolt head. Three times I twisted the nut off. I'm actually twisting the weld wire material. I put a torque wrench on the second time and it clicked at 150 pounds and I'm twisting the nut off. Third time I cleaned it up again, flap disc the pocket down, drilled a hole though the bolt head about 1/4" deep, put a 5/32 piece of rod in and welded it. Then put the 1/2 jamb nut on and welded the nut, pin and bolt head. I twisted that off. This is not bad weld, I'm confident of my abilities. Anyhow this is a fail.

So my next move. Cut the bolt through the pinch slot. I have not done it yet but I'm not sure a 3" wheel will get through the bolt before it hits the features of the arm. Say I do get it cut. I assume the threads are only on one side of the pinch? A quick test it looks like the drill body will be contacting the brake caliper mounting ear. We'll see? If I get the bolt cut do I pry open the pinch gap and will the adjusting nut allow the ball joint stud to drop through? If I can remove the knuckle it will give me more space to drill out the bolt remains. Has anyone truly been successful with this method?

Thanks,

 

[Curious Hound]

Wow! Once the pinch bolt is cut/,broken/removed, that should release the pressure squeezing on the camber adjustment bushing. You SHOULD be able to lift/pry that out of the hole, leaving the top post of the ball joint flopping around loose. Then it should easy from there on out.

 

[bobbywalter]

Yes ....I use a small wheel die grinder and a sawzall. If you drill it it first will go fast.


If I get pissed off....I cut the ball joints off with a 6 in wheel or sawzall and bench it ..

But that is usually when I am taking stuff from the you pull