lower steering arm stuck

Hi guys,
I'm new to the forum, hope someone can help! Someone fitted a new-model lower steering arm to my '86 110 before I bought it. There's too much play in the joints so I've purchased a new (older model collapsible) lower steering arm with upper and lower joints and bolts but... although I've loosened the bolts on the installed modern type lower steering arm and separated the arm at the middle joint, I can't get them to come off. I'm afraid I might damage the power steering box and the upper steering arm, so what's wise? Is there a trick to getting the joints off the steering box and upper arm?

Welcome

They are notoriously hard to shift

Large hammer and angle grinder if it does not budge

Thanks! I was afraid it might come to that... Guess the angle grinder is the safest option as I'm afraid the hammer blows might damage the power steering innards...
Chrs,
B

not sure what you mean are you trying to remove drop arm off stering box,or ball joints if ball joints you hit with largeish hammer end of arm near ball joint ,its held by a taper and will pop off harmlessly if hit right,earlier drop arms on steering box had ball joints in the arm which can be quite tricky to change as inner race can be hard to replace with drop arm in place ,later disco drop arms have a socket as ball joint is now the same as track rod end and is threaded into drag link luch easier to change as you can easily loose thread by hitting rod around joint thread either with 2 hammers or resting rod on something solid ,hit enough times all around area joint will unscrew easily

Hi James,

Thanks but no I'm trying to remove the lower steering arm (the collapsible one that runs from the steering column to the power steering box in the engine compartment). The universal joint won't come off...

all the joints have a split in them, soak well with penetrating fluid and open slot with a chisel etc to free them then tap them back

This I will try, thanks!

Make sure you fully remove the M8 bolts that go through the UJs. The shaft is slotted for these bolts and so the UJs won't come off the steering column or the PAS box if the bolts are still in place, even loosely!

Hi Retroanaconda, now THAT was the golden tip. Just goes to show how little I know every time I tackle a new item in the ol' heffalump. Took out the bolts and off the UJ's came. Many thanks,
Bram

I'm about to do the same job on my 2002 Defender.

Am I right in thinking if you take out the three M8 bolts, soak in penetrating oil and persuade it with a hammer, then you can replace the lower steering column without removing the PAS box or upper column ?

No need to remove pas box or upper column.