Sunday, July 3, 2022

One out of Four Trailing Arms aka Control Arms aka Lateral Arms is now removed!! Impact Drill plus PB Blaster to the rescue

Voidisyinyang Voidisyinyang Voidisyinyang Voidisyinyang 6 hours ago I just tried the ratchet 21 mm on that rear lower trailing arm nut - wouldn't budge. So I need a deep socket 21 mm? Or can I just use the - oh do what you did with the ratchet on the nut and the impact drill on the bolt head side. So I put the ratchet on so it can not turn to the left with the loosening of the bolt head? Sorry I'm new to all this stuff. haha.

Voidisyinyang Voidisyinyang

OK I got that lower control arm out finally - PB Blaster and a deep 21 mm socket - one of the nuts was so stuck it broke the ratchet wrench on the other side!! Luckily I bought two 21 mm ratchet wrenches. haha. First time in my life I ever cracked free a nut with an impact drill - even if it was a cheap cordless Bauer impact 1/4 inch. Also first time I ever used PB Blaster in my life - stuff is very toxic yet effective. Mineral spirits plus mineral oil I think.
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Right on man!
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 Good thing I bought two of the 21 mm ratchet wrenches. That one nut was so rusted on - when I finally broke it free after numerous impacts then it just kept turning. I couldn't figure out what was going on till I realized the ratchet on the other side was busted. hahaha.

That PB Blaster definitely helps. hahah. Stuff is nasty - mineral spirits and paraffin oil in a spray can !! nice.

The actual arm was in fine condition in my view but the trailing mount bracket was rusting out - so now I'll spray the bracket with phosphoric acid gel - let it sit overnight and pop in the new part.

I'll paint the bracket with that rust reformer protection paint - it's a tight fit so I don't want too thick of a paint layer.

Pretty exciting to put the new part in tomorrow!!

I had to buy a Deep Socket 21 mm - plus the PB Blaster - tonight.

Meanwhile the fireworks are blasting away - so perfect time to be hammering away on the impact drill.

The mechanic was freaked out by my phosphoric acid treatment that left the lateral arm all white!! haha. He had no idea - or maybe it was just car paint. I had painted white in that area. 

Anyway for whatever reason he told me that the "lateral arms" were rotting out - again the one I took out seemed fine BECAUSE of my previous phosphoric acid treatments - along with paint.

Still the bolts were very rusty - obviously - and that is probably what he meant - he can't align the back if the bolts are rusted out. So I sprayed the bolts and nuts down with PB Blaster.

The rubber bushings seemed fine to me - but I suppose they lose their spring power - to have the torque to hold in the back side from lateral movement....

The HARDEST PART of this job is figuring out which way is loosening the nut or bolt - since one side is the opposite of the other - or is it? haha. Since i'm upside and looking backwards - it gets very confusing very fast.

So half the time I'm tightening when I should be loosening, etc. 

Like I said - I broke ONE ratchet wrench but once I busted the nuts free then I use the good ratchet wrench left to slowly unscrew the bolt. I think most vids show them hammering out the bolts - but I figure why risk damaging the threads?

I still have no idea what I'm doing but so far no disaster has happened - lets hope my chassis frame holds over night - supporting the car weight. I think those frames are "over-engineered" - so even with some rust - or a lot of rust - them seem to hold up.


 

 

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