steering arm removal- how to? - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

Kartoon · 08-20-2005, 08:18 AM

how the hell is the steering arm removed? i am having the hardest time, anyone have any tips for me??!!

b454rat · 08-20-2005, 08:22 AM

heat it up and get the biggest ford tool you can get.....

Kartoon · 08-20-2005, 08:25 AM

huh?

Kartoon · 08-20-2005, 08:54 AM

i know theres a lot of people who have had to do this, and im in the process of lifting my truck right now, so i need to know asap!

skulznbonz · 08-20-2005, 10:24 AM

Once you have the three nuts off, beat down on it with a BFH. Then beat up on it. Repeat until thethree cone washers that start to come out. Get some channel locks, and work the cone washers all the way out, then the arm will come off. Oh yeah, for GM/Suburban 4X4 tech, CK5(.com) can't be beat.

John

wizard_Drd · 08-20-2005, 10:36 AM

Rock it with a BFH. Just takes a lot of pounding. Heat helps if you have some.

panty dropper · 08-20-2005, 11:14 AM

The last two I did, I removed all the cone washers and nuts, and heated it with a torch and broke my all steel sledge hammer and still never got it off. I ended up getting it loose then torching off the studs and grinding them flat and putting crossover steering on the trucks instead of trying to fix that horrible gm shit steering. I just bought another truck, not lifted and I am still gonna do crossover as the gm stuff is shit. Dont get me wrong Gm is good, just not all the time. If you are serious about the truck, just pony up the dough and get the crossover steering done before you drive it, you wont be sorry.

sunnyc123abc · 08-20-2005, 06:35 PM

What i did was carefully weld the nuts to the cone washers and just unsrewed them out.

mindenoffroad · 08-20-2005, 07:10 PM

BFH!! and hit the living Shit out of it and it will come off

KansasJoe · 08-20-2005, 08:45 PM

I cut through them horizontally with a torch which frees them up and usually takes less than 10 minutes (I always try to heat them with torch and try to pop it off with air hammer first) but the cutting method is guaranteed, just be careful

mudslinger99 · 08-21-2005, 01:30 PM

This is what you need to do the job

You need to beat down on it hard until you free up the cone washers.. Once you get the cone washers out that thing will come right off.. It is a pain in the ass no matter how many times you have done it but it will come off..

mindenoffroad · 08-21-2005, 07:05 PM

I'd pick the big one to start with that is my tip for the day!LOL

rcurrier44 · 08-22-2005, 01:05 PM

Never had one I coulden't get off with a BFH...

When you put them back together use some antisieze....it will make future work much easier...

MTMike · 08-22-2005, 03:20 PM

I couldn't get mine off either and my buddy helped by using his air hammer with punch bit on the side of the arm to help loosen the cone washers. That mixed with both of us taking turns with a BFH for 20-30 minutes finally broke it loose.

Mike

Hanr3 · 08-22-2005, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b454rat

heat it up and get the biggest ford tool you can get.....

Thats funny right there.

Ford tool- BFG or big fing hammer.

black jimmy · 08-22-2005, 05:41 PM

I poured used motor oil over mine and let it sit overnight then went at it with a BFH. I agree with the other guys though, get crossover steering, as my steering really sucks right now. Full hydraulic is next for me when I get the money saved up.

HickTrucksRus · 08-23-2005, 09:59 AM

I Like the idea of welding the nuts to the cones.. i wish i thought of that....

When these guys are saying get after it with a hammer, they mean it. I have removed 2 in my day and each one was a bitch, heat or no heat.. it took me a good 3 hours or whalling on it with sledge we used to pound tent stakes into asfault... dont give up beat that thing for all your worth...

yernkie · 08-23-2005, 12:52 PM

I have removed 2 in the last six months. 1 was off an 85 and the other was off a 76. Neither had ever been removed. I found that soaking them in PB (favorite penetrating oil) for a day or so really helps. Spray the piss out of them every hour and give it 10-20 good whacks with a big hammer, then let it sit. This also helped on the last one, place a pipe over one stud and beat down on it with a BFH, but don't mess up the threads. This helped break the last one loose.

Don't despair. It will come off, it just talks time and elbow grease.

positrack@earthlink. · 08-23-2005, 08:35 PM

I had to remove the arm on my '76 before I knew anything about this being a PITA, and it ruined my whole night!!! That puppy has got to be whacked! I ended up soaking it in Rust Eater (PB is excellent too), heating up the nuts/cones/studs with a torch, whacking the crap out of the arm with a small sledge, and quenching the cones with more penetrating oil. It smoked like burning tires, and may not be the safest idea (I keep a good extinguisher on hand at all times!) but it did the trick. The last one was particularly stubborn, and I did the same procedure, but took my air hammer and buzzed on the side of the cone to rotate it free. It worked pretty good. I wish I had thought of that in the first place. It did kind of bugger up the cone, but it was still usable with a little cleanup. Try not to screw up the studs because if they're anything like mine, they'll be tough enough to unscrew. The rust belt SUCKS!!! Really the best idea though is to forget the friggin' arm and go with crossover steering. You'll be happy you did.

monsterwillys · 08-23-2005, 09:14 PM

BEAT IT UP AND DOWN LIKE A GORILLA then gently remove the cones . primative but efective .

biglee · 02-22-2011, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kartoon

how the hell is the steering arm removed? i am having the hardest time, anyone have any tips for me??!!

you have to heat the cones that are on top of the steering are heat the until there red hot take all three of them out and the steering are will com off if you dont get the cones off you wont get the steering arm off

glenns89 · 02-22-2011, 12:09 PM

this gets better and better. You just took the cake on answering the oldest dead thread. 6 years old. If he doesn't have the arm off, something is majorly wrong.

Corey Young · 02-22-2011, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biglee

you have to heat the cones that are on top of the steering are heat the until there red hot take all three of them out and the steering are will com off if you dont get the cones off you wont get the steering arm off

Dont heat the cones! They are heat treated and you will screw them up, hit the arm with the biggest hammer you have and the cones will pop free, that is why they are tapered.

GMCTruxrule · 02-22-2011, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenns89

this gets better and better. You just took the cake on answering the oldest dead thread. 6 years old. If he doesn't have the arm off, something is majorly wrong.

Don't forget: its Toosday for the Noobs in here. Thats what they do best: revive 6 year old threads

zzz_z · 02-22-2011, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biglee

you have to heat the cones that are on top of the steering are heat the until there red hot take all three of them out and the steering are will com off if you dont get the cones off you wont get the steering arm off

Thank god for people like you otherwise that poor guy never would have known how to remove the arm. Too bad you answered him 6 YEARS LATER

08-20-2005, 08:18 AM	#1 (permalink)
Kartoon Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Member # 48957 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 28	steering arm removal- how to? how the hell is the steering arm removed? i am having the hardest time, anyone have any tips for me??!! __________________ 1990 GMC Suburban. 3/4 ton. 4" lift. 35" BFG Mud Terrains on 16.5 Mickey Thompsons

08-20-2005, 08:25 AM	#3 (permalink)
Kartoon Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Member # 48957 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 28	huh? __________________ 1990 GMC Suburban. 3/4 ton. 4" lift. 35" BFG Mud Terrains on 16.5 Mickey Thompsons

08-20-2005, 08:54 AM	#4 (permalink)
Kartoon Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Member # 48957 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 28	i know theres a lot of people who have had to do this, and im in the process of lifting my truck right now, so i need to know asap! __________________ 1990 GMC Suburban. 3/4 ton. 4" lift. 35" BFG Mud Terrains on 16.5 Mickey Thompsons

08-20-2005, 10:24 AM	#5 (permalink)
skulznbonz Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Member # 21630 Location: lookin' at your shitty welds in OKC Posts: 78	Once you have the three nuts off, beat down on it with a BFH. Then beat up on it. Repeat until thethree cone washers that start to come out. Get some channel locks, and work the cone washers all the way out, then the arm will come off. Oh yeah, for GM/Suburban 4X4 tech, CK5(.com) can't be beat. John __________________ yeah right

08-20-2005, 11:14 AM	#7 (permalink)
panty dropper Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Member # 23462 Location: oregon Posts: 452	The last two I did, I removed all the cone washers and nuts, and heated it with a torch and broke my all steel sledge hammer and still never got it off. I ended up getting it loose then torching off the studs and grinding them flat and putting crossover steering on the trucks instead of trying to fix that horrible gm shit steering. I just bought another truck, not lifted and I am still gonna do crossover as the gm stuff is shit. Dont get me wrong Gm is good, just not all the time. If you are serious about the truck, just pony up the dough and get the crossover steering done before you drive it, you wont be sorry. __________________ 89 yota/3.4 swap/auto/33 stt's 87 runner/3.4 swap/33 toyos 78 chev k30/400/th400/44 swampers 77 chev k20/400/th350/36's, no lift, lincoln locked front and rear 79 blazer-getting piratized as we speak 84 runner/9 inches taller,3.4/auto/crawler etc soon [url]http://www.myspace.com/slater442w30[/url]

08-20-2005, 08:22 AM	#2 (permalink)
b454rat Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Member # 16536 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 2,464	heat it up and get the biggest ford tool you can get.....

08-20-2005, 10:36 AM	#6 (permalink)
wizard_Drd Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Member # 40375 Posts: 351	Rock it with a BFH. Just takes a lot of pounding. Heat helps if you have some.

08-20-2005, 06:35 PM	#8 (permalink)
sunnyc123abc Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Member # 35235 Posts: 46	What i did was carefully weld the nuts to the cone washers and just unsrewed them out.

08-20-2005, 07:10 PM	#9 (permalink)
mindenoffroad Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Member # 26530 Location: In the middle of bumfuck and you got a pretty mouth Posts: 116	BFH!! and hit the living Shit out of it and it will come off

08-20-2005, 08:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
KansasJoe Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Member # 47287 Posts: 175	I cut through them horizontally with a torch which frees them up and usually takes less than 10 minutes (I always try to heat them with torch and try to pop it off with air hammer first) but the cutting method is guaranteed, just be careful __________________ [email]joe@generalspringkc.com[/email] [url]http://www.generalspringkc.com[/url]

08-21-2005, 01:30 PM	#11 (permalink)
mudslinger99 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Member # 37519 Location: here Posts: 1,263	This is what you need to do the job You need to beat down on it hard until you free up the cone washers.. Once you get the cone washers out that thing will come right off.. It is a pain in the ass no matter how many times you have done it but it will come off..

08-21-2005, 07:05 PM	#12 (permalink)
mindenoffroad Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Member # 26530 Location: In the middle of bumfuck and you got a pretty mouth Posts: 116	I'd pick the big one to start with that is my tip for the day!LOL

08-22-2005, 01:05 PM	#13 (permalink)
rcurrier44 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Member # 15404 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 3,079	Never had one I coulden't get off with a BFH... When you put them back together use some antisieze....it will make future work much easier... __________________ Life begins where the pavement ends!

08-22-2005, 03:20 PM	#14 (permalink)
MTMike Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Member # 42806 Location: Billings, Montana Posts: 196	I couldn't get mine off either and my buddy helped by using his air hammer with punch bit on the side of the arm to help loosen the cone washers. That mixed with both of us taking turns with a BFH for 20-30 minutes finally broke it loose. Mike __________________ Need to find a trail? Help contribute GPS info and pix online at www.OurTrails.net

08-22-2005, 05:41 PM	#16 (permalink)
black jimmy Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Member # 21249 Location: Cookeville, TN Posts: 379	I poured used motor oil over mine and let it sit overnight then went at it with a BFH. I agree with the other guys though, get crossover steering, as my steering really sucks right now. Full hydraulic is next for me when I get the money saved up. __________________ Patrick 1972 GMC Jimmy 350/350/205, 44 front, 12 bolt rear welded w/redneck shackle flip, 4 in spings front, 35 in MTRs. [B]Sold it![/B]

08-23-2005, 09:59 AM	#17 (permalink)
HickTrucksRus Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Member # 27040 Location: Bridgewater, CT Posts: 628	I Like the idea of welding the nuts to the cones.. i wish i thought of that.... When these guys are saying get after it with a hammer, they mean it. I have removed 2 in my day and each one was a bitch, heat or no heat.. it took me a good 3 hours or whalling on it with sledge we used to pound tent stakes into asfault... dont give up beat that thing for all your worth... __________________ lame 88 2door xj.

08-23-2005, 12:52 PM	#18 (permalink)
yernkie Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Member # 37553 Location: Flatlands of Kansas Posts: 140	I have removed 2 in the last six months. 1 was off an 85 and the other was off a 76. Neither had ever been removed. I found that soaking them in PB (favorite penetrating oil) for a day or so really helps. Spray the piss out of them every hour and give it 10-20 good whacks with a big hammer, then let it sit. This also helped on the last one, place a pipe over one stud and beat down on it with a BFH, but don't mess up the threads. This helped break the last one loose. Don't despair. It will come off, it just talks time and elbow grease. __________________ I find that immaturity trumphs professionalism anyday

08-23-2005, 08:35 PM	#19 (permalink)
positrack@earthlink. _Differential 'Dozer Join Date: Jul 2005 Member # 51113 Location: Princeton, IL Posts: 568	I had to remove the arm on my '76 before I knew anything about this being a PITA, and it ruined my whole night!!! That puppy has got to be whacked! I ended up soaking it in Rust Eater (PB is excellent too), heating up the nuts/cones/studs with a torch, whacking the crap out of the arm with a small sledge, and quenching the cones with more penetrating oil. It smoked like burning tires, and may not be the safest idea (I keep a good extinguisher on hand at all times!) but it did the trick. The last one was particularly stubborn, and I did the same procedure, but took my air hammer and buzzed on the side of the cone to rotate it free. It worked pretty good. I wish I had thought of that in the first place. It did kind of bugger up the cone, but it was still usable with a little cleanup. Try not to screw up the studs because if they're anything like mine, they'll be tough enough to unscrew. The rust belt SUCKS!!! Really the best idea though is to forget the friggin' arm and go with crossover steering. You'll be happy you did. __________________ '76 K20, 400, NV4500, LoMax 205, 14b/Detroit/discs, D60, 4.56s '78 K30, 400, TH400, 203, 14b, D60, 4.10s '79 Cherokee, 360, T18, D20, W.T.D44s

08-23-2005, 09:14 PM	#20 (permalink)
monsterwillys Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Member # 39223 Posts: 60	BEAT IT UP AND DOWN LIKE A GORILLA then gently remove the cones . primative but efective .

02-22-2011, 12:09 PM	#22 (permalink)
glenns89 Mr Mom Join Date: Jul 2007 Member # 94897 Location: rancho cucamonga, so cal Posts: 1,595	this gets better and better. You just took the cake on answering the oldest dead thread. 6 years old. If he doesn't have the arm off, something is majorly wrong. __________________ 89 jimmy D60/ff14bolt/400/203/205. Detroit rear, open front for now.

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