Steering arm removal

[Linville33]

I have searched this forum and Google. I'm doing the ball joints on my 87 V10 got the passenger side done and noe I'm stuck on this dreaded steering arm. Any help? I have been trying everything pb blaster bfh and a chisel but I can't get it freed up. It looks like its never came off before. Any tips to get the cone washers out? Do I need to replace them?

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[yevgenievich]

they rent a separator fork at parts stores that should get it off. There is also a nicer tool that like a c clamp but in reverse to separate.

 

[VAL]

Bfh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Linville33]

Just keep beating it? Don't want to break something. Really don't have cash to replace much more right now

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[VAL]

You gotta beat on it in all the right places, at different angles. When I say BFH, I don't mean a 20lb sledge hammer, just a good size shop hammer. And if you can, apply heat to it. I beat on mine for a good 20-30 min, before that fugger came loose. It'll take quite a pounding before it'll break. But if you can get the right tool like Yevgenievich recommended, I'd go that route. I myself didn't have any luck with the fork deal. The washers have to be shocked by the vibration, they will eventually give in.

 

[bigcountryguy19]

Get a brass drift punch and smack the arm from the top, be carefully not to hit the studs, soaking and some heat will help also. We have same type of washers on the forklift wheels, this is how I usually get them loose.


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[hirschdalechevy]

Those cone washers are a bitch , I have never heard of a tool to get them out and trying to wedge anything between the arm and the axle will not work. Hitting downward and sideways on the arm is the way to go , (and it takes a while). If you can get them to pop up just a tiny bit you can take a chiesel and rotate them out counter clockwise. Just stay with it and hit that baby hard and it will come , good luck

 

[marks86]

Those cone washers are a bitch , I have never heard of a tool to get them out and trying to wedge anything between the arm and the axle will not work. Hitting downward and sideways on the arm is the way to go , (and it takes a while). If you can get them to pop up just a tiny bit you can take a chiesel and rotate them out counter clockwise. Just stay with it and hit that baby hard and it will come , good luck

couldnt of said it any better cone washers are such a bitch, thats exactly what I did

make sure to wd the crap out of it

 

[Linville33]

Alright thanks guys I'll give it a shot

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[nvrenuf]

Do you need to take the arm off?

 

[bucket]

Right, the arm doesn't need to come off to do ball joints.

 

[Linville33]

It does now Haha in the process of beating the **** out of it my aim was a little off and I ****** up one of the studs. Any tips to pull the stud?

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[VAL]

Did you break the stud or just mess up the threads?

 

[friscobob]

By "steering arm" do you mean the Pitman arm on the steering box? Or is this arm on the spindle? OR do you mean the idler arm? All of these parts have their own names so we can talk about them and know what each of us is on about. The pitman arm needs a special puller or heated up with a torch. Tie rod ends are easily separated with a correct size pickle fork as is the idler arm.
Bob

 

[nvrenuf]

By "steering arm" do you mean the Pitman arm on the steering box? Or is this arm on the spindle? OR do you mean the idler arm? All of these parts have their own names so we can talk about them and know what each of us is on about. The pitman arm needs a special puller or heated up with a torch. Tie rod ends are easily separated with a correct size pickle fork as is the idler arm.
Bob

This is a V10 so there is no idler arm. Also, there are no studs on the pitman arm (ref post #12).

His terminology is correct; steering arm (mounted on the knuckle).