TR6 TR6 Front Suspension... Is there a trick?

I'm just doing the standard dismantle, clean and refurbish of the front end of my TR6 and am noticing that getting the Outer Tie-Rod ends and Ball joints off is a PITA!


Using a "Picke Fork" from the local Auto-Zone to do the prying and having little success. Is there a special Tool... not Churchil S122 ... that I should try?

If you use the pickle fork, apply tension, and tap on the side with a small hammer, it should pop right off.

If what Doug says does not work add this. Have someone lend a hand to pry with the fork while you hold a 2# hammer to one side of the arm socket and hit the other with a 1# hammer. This will easily cause the ball taper to come loose from the arm socket. The reason it works is the pressure caused by the force applied between the two hammers causes shock in the socket and at the same time momentarily expands the socket allowing the pin to loosen and pop out. One hammer alone can do the same thing but does not contain the energy to the socket as well.

Go to www.jcwhitney.com and search for part # ZX881770B

$11, works great! Usually available locally for around the same price, too. I'm just pointing you to JCW and what they list as a VW tool so you will know what it looks like.

I've got a drawer full of pickle forks and other suspension tools. This one works better than any of them.

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[ QUOTE ]
Go to www.jcwhitney.com and search for part # ZX881770B

$11, works great! Usually available locally for around the same price, too. I'm just pointing you to JCW and what they list as a VW tool so you will know what it looks like.

I've got a drawer full of pickle forks and other suspension tools. This one works better than any of them.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

The two hammers trick reminds me too much of the 2-bricks-and-a-thirsty-camel trick. That hurts. Don't waste your time with pickle forks and "bricks", use Alan's suggestion.


Bill

This problem comes up all the time, and everyone seems to have their favorite recipe and/or tool. I've been seperating tapered pin joints for forty years with nothing more then a hefty hammer. Give the side of the joint that surrounds the tapered pin where the nut came off a couple of hardy whacks, and it will seperate. The use of two hammers comes into play when you need to back up the swing do to the fact that what your hitting might move because it's pivoted or something. In other words, the joint gets sandwiched between the hammers...one stationary at rest on the joint, the other one hits the joint 180 deg opposite. I have only rarely ever had to use two hammers. The big hammer method has NEVER failed to work for me. Nothing has ever got damaged, including threads, rubber boots or suspension parts. No need to go out and buy fancy tools, when that BFH is just sitting there in the tool box waiting for action. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif Hammer and light leverage does the trick lickity split. The thought might make you squeamish but I have yet to see it damage anything either.


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You're replacing the joints and ends anyway right? So what do you car if a hammer leaves a mark? I've used the pickle pressure trick and two opposing simultaneous hammer blows for years. Voila. If it takes longer than 30 seconds, you're not whacking hard enough.

Can't comment on the brick trick because I have no experience with camels. But my imagination tells me that the camels don't like it much. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif