A frame ball joint fulcrum bolts siezed

Hi all

Had a bash at replacing my dad's A frame ball joint this afternoon. I didn't have much success.

It's a 1996 defender 90 and the bolts are siezed that go through the A frame and fulcrum. I can't even budge them. When doing my A frame ball joint, the bolts weren't the easiest to get out. But with a little persuasion and slight mushrooming from hitting the bolt I managed to get them out.

Any tips on releasing these bolts? I've tried a big breaker bar. Tried hitting the head of the bolt with a hammer. Not sure what next?

Thanks

Assuming you have got the nuts off it may be worth trying an impact gun on the bolt heads for a while to try and shock them loose. Otherwise you might have to try heating it with a torch. Make sure you fit the new bolts with plenty of copper grease on the bolt shanks

Kwakerman said:

Assuming you have got the nuts off it may be worth trying an impact gun on the bolt heads for a while to try and shock them loose. Otherwise you might have to try heating it with a torch. Make sure you fit the new bolts with plenty of copper grease on the bolt shanks

Click to expand...

Cheers Kwakerman . I forgot to add that I'd tried a cheap impact gun on it too.

I've bought new bolts after remembering what a ball ache mine was. Let's hope the joint comes out the fulcrum easier

Had the same problem with a friend's ball joint lately. I gave up and just removed the whole A-frame from the chassis brackets.

Doesn't help much but mine came out quite easily on my 1992 defender.....the upper a frame to bracket bolts were knackered, so had to take grinder to them. Pretty sure the a frame hadn't ever been changed......

Something to try would be put the nut back on slightly (so there's enough grab on the bolt, but not so much that there's no space for movement.

Then get two bit hammers and hit the bolt head, then the nut and keep repeating that, it should eventually start to give way.....also try get some penetrating oil around....

I had to use the on a few of the bush bolts (such as the rear trailing arm to axle bolts), you get tons of rust pouring out then it gives way.

Loads of penetrating oil, leave it for a bit, heat it up, bash it. Repeat as necessary. If that fails and you don't want to remove the whole frame, cut the heads off and drill the bolts out.

I seem to remember a thin disc on the 9" grinder being handy for chassis end and once off an on the bench the bush and what was left git pressed out and the fulcrum bolts walloped through once clamped in the vice

you can get new BJs in a new fulcrum, saves a lot of hassle in actually trying to change the joint itself!

dieseldog69 said:

I seem to remember a thin disc on the 9" grinder being handy for chassis end and once off an on the bench the bush and what was left git pressed out and the fulcrum bolts walloped through once clamped in the vice

you can get new BJs in a new fulcrum, saves a lot of hassle in actually trying to change the joint itself!

Click to expand...

+1 on replacing the fulcrum with new ball joint. Recently removed the ball joint and destroyed the 5 tonne bottle jack in my press in the process, had to replaced with a 20 tonne one and even then it was a nasty job. That was after having to hacksaw half the joint plate off so you can get the press to push against something. If I have to do it again I will just get a new fulcrum with joint.

Mine took ages, so huge amounts of patience needed if they are badly rusted. All of what the lads have mentioned above, just repeated over and over. Heat, hammer one end then the other, penetrating fluid, hammer, heat, hammer, etc etc. And loads of patience and perseverance.

Al2O3 said:

All of what the lads have mentioned above, just repeated over and over. Heat, hammer one end then the other, penetrating fluid, hammer, heat, hammer, etc etc. And loads of patience and perseverance.

Click to expand...

& lots of SWEARING

Rich.

Zed. said:

& lots of SWEARING

Rich.

Click to expand...

Do you recommend metric or imperial swearing?

Metric: "you f*%king ba%&*ard"
Imperial: "I say sir, you are a f*%king ba%&*ard"

One of the welsh off road parts places make a lurverly replacement part - plate and adjustable joint, with grease nipple.

Zed. said:

& lots of SWEARING

Rich.

Click to expand...

Oh, I. Bugger! I forgot about the swearing!

Al2O3 said:

Oh, I. Bugger! I forgot about the swearing!

Click to expand...

Seems to help

Rich.

zeaphod said:

One of the welsh off road parts places make a lurverly replacement part - plate and adjustable joint, with grease nipple.

Click to expand...

Gywn Lewis. That's the one I'll be getting as mine's clunking away at the moment.

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:

Hi all

Had a bash at replacing my dad's A frame ball joint this afternoon. I didn't have much success.

It's a 1996 defender 90 and the bolts are siezed that go through the A frame and fulcrum. I can't even budge them. When doing my A frame ball joint, the bolts weren't the easiest to get out. But with a little persuasion and slight mushrooming from hitting the bolt I managed to get them out.

Any tips on releasing these bolts? I've tried a big breaker bar. Tried hitting the head of the bolt with a hammer. Not sure what next?

Thanks

Click to expand...

If you are mushrooming the heads you are are using too big a hammer. A 1/4lb hammer tapping 20 times will often do more than a big hammer battering it 30 times. It's about the careful application of force.

Think of an air hammer, so amazingly effective because of the frequency, not the weight.

Give them a soaking in GT85 or a release spray then try and turn them with a 2 foot breaker bar while tapping them with a small hammer.