I'm changing the Pitman Arm, Idler Arm and inner and outer tie rods on a 1992 Chevy Blazer S-10 4.3L 4WD.
This inner tie rod is a complete mess (pic related). When I try to take it off like they do in the videos, it just squishes the grease until the pickle fork is all the way stuck in. I've tried bashing the pickle fork from side to side and tried sticking the pickle fork up from below, but the fricker absolutely refuses to come off. Grease is pouring everywhere and it's driving me nuts.
I can't get a puller in there and the pickle fork I have is not working. Does anyone have an idea on how to get this inner tie rod out? I'm at my wit's end
The image uploaded turned the wrong way for some reason. Turn it 90 degrees clockwise to have it be correct. I tried uploading it again but 4chinz won't let me do a duplicate lol
Here is the photo in the right orientation
Hitting BOTH sides of the eyelet with hammers at once often breaks those loose. Heavy hammers preferred.
If needed an abrasive disc in an angle grinder can cut any of those parts.
Dont regurgitate things here, stfu and lurk it you dont know what you are talking about. Theres not the room for that if he cant get a puller in there and an abrasive disc is for sanding and wont cut through anything.
Op, search ball joint popper. You need a lot less room, you use that guy to get good tension on it then hammer the outside of the joint from the angle you can.
You need sharp pop, as it is the rest of the suspension is just taking the energu from your pickle fork.
Ive doen an astro van, same drivetrain. Miserable, but tension and hit. Heat up redhot wont hurt.
If you really get stuck, just order new center links too, then just sawzall the center links apart letting you move things around for more access.
Good luck anon
>an abrasive disc is for sanding and wont cut through anything.
>lurk here if you don't blah blah blah
"Abrasive disc" is the kind of shit that ChatGPT or Amazon affiliate websites would say. Anyone who uses them on a regular basis calls them "cut-off wheels", y'know, like it says on the label.
This. Who the frick says "go get me that abrasive disk" when talking about a cutoff wheel?
"Abrasive discs" are commonly the flexible fiber grinding disks using a rubber backing pad. I get mine at the welding supply as they're cheaper than grinding wheels and excellent for flat surfaces.
They can be flat paper discs with grit adhered to them or the fanch quick disconnect Roloc style which also kick ass.
I call em wiz wheels
Anon, you have no idea how fricking moronic you look. Those are cutting wheels. An abrasive disc... im not even gonna tey. You want me to greentext it again??
Shut the frick up
Lurk moar
Do not search for things on the internet and copy and paste forum posts you find and try to look smart if you do not know what you are talking about
Good lord.
>abrasive disc is for sanding and wont cut through anything.
.....youre a fricking moron
Get the pickle fork to hold some tension apart for you
Or better yet if possible forget the pickle fork and have a buddy hold tension with a pry bar
Hit the knuckle where the tie rod goes into it with a good size hammer like 24 ounce or bigger. Probably won't release first try, but it will eventually. Try to set it up in such a way that give you room for as powerful a swing as you can.
t, I do these all day. If you've got a mutant problem I've never seen in my professional life oxy fuel might be the only choice but I very much doubt it.
Wedge something between the arm and whatever is above it so it can't move upwards, then just hammer the shit out of the end of the tie rod stud from the bottom until it comes out. It will most likely destroy the threads on it, but that doesn't matter if you're replacing the tie rod end.
Don't do this unless you want to grind the mushroom off the end
could just use a wood or rubber mallet
Wouldn't be a solid enough hit if the pickle forks not having any luck.
put a nut on there so you don't frick up the threads, and then give it a few ugga-duggas with the air hammer.
you have an air hammer, right?
>This inner tie rod
Is that an "inner?" Don't look right. Heat the socket with a torch and don't be shy about it.
I've always had good luck with a spud bar or big pry bar putting pulling tension on the rod and a hammer to the part where the tapered stud seats. Or an air hammer.
>pickle fork is all the way stuck in
Your pickle fork is too short/wide to engage with the rod and and actually pop it off the joint. Get one with a different pitch thats thinner/taller. And if you're buying a pickle fork, might as well get pic related for your air hammer. You will never once look back.
Now im looking at these. Why is a 5 piece of pickle forks with handles for beating on with a hammer a third of the cost of the ones for an air hammer? Fricking stupid bullshit!
Different material perhaps.
More machining steps, more complicated production.
A picklefork that's built to beat on with a hammer doesn't need much machining. The shank is usually bare cast. They may do a simple facing operation on the forks to flatten them, but that's about it.
Air hammer attatchment requires a precision shank and a curved feature to work right in the tool, which means it has to go on the lathe. More labor = more cost.
The quality of the air hammer one is probably a step up from the manual ones. You don't see a lot of home gamers with air hammers, but any motherfricker who attempted kind of repair on a car has a hammer, if not a mechanic's hammer.
>Your pickle fork is too short/wide
OldGenXgayMechanic Here w/ 30+ years ASE experience in the Midwest
THIS is the answer. Most standard forks are too wide and do not apply enough wedge force. Once you get the correct one in there, it will pop out with a few hard hammer hits and you'll be amazed.
PRO-TIP: You need to make sure that the joint is not moving or bouncing when you strike it or the force will be dissipated. You might need someone else to use a prybar and apply force to the centerlink while you strike it.
IF after this it still doesn't pop apart (possible but unusual) leave the fork in (it should stay in by itself) and pound on the side of the link where the stud of the joint comes thru with a large hammer on the opposite side which makes the impacts stay on point.
100% guarantee it will come apart.
RED= Fork coming in from the wheel well
YELLOW= Striking hammer hitting back towards the rear of the vehicle
GREEN= Backup hammer which makes the impacts from the striking hammer even more effective.
>Pickle forks are shit.
This anon is dumb as frick. I've never had any joint that I couldn't get apart with a fork, some force, and proper hammer placement.
This will work.
Merry Christmas
i've fought with a lot of tie rods, ball joints, etc in my days. if hitting the sides of the knuckle isn't freeing it then it might be seized inside the knuckle itself. best way to get it out is to hit it straight down if you can. had this happen real bad with my wj with my drag link-pittman arm TRE
can you get on top of it somehow? i have a big pointy metal rod that i get on top of the captive bolt and hammer from top down, but i've also threaded an old castle nut on it upside down and then used a really long extension and socket to hold it. make sure your arm is lined up and not dangling at an angle or there will be some internal tension that will stop it from freeing itself. if you have a buddy to hit the knuckle a few times, then you wail on it from up top a few times, repeat, should come out in a minute or so.
if you really really cant get on top, try wedging some wood or metal above your picklefork. make sure the flat side of your picklefork is resting on the flat side of the end you want to pry down on. good luck op
This is what you have access for and will get you many times more tension than the pickle fork anon.
You can lead a horseto water...
one time i spent a whole weekend trying to get a seized ball joint off
i was about to give up and kms but then my old boomer neighbor walked over with a 5lb sledge, gave the picklefork 2 good wacks and it came right off
so you probably just need to hit it harder or get a bigger hammer
also to make your life easier you should just cut the boot off and clean out all the grease so you know what you're dealing with here
Pickle forks are shit. They don't exert any real pressure to help you out they just give a bit of leverage. I'm sure in Florida with zero rust or corrosion on vehicles that is just wonderful. Anywhere else you need yourself a ball joint separator like this. I love this thing. You can definitely fit this in there on a Chevy OBS.
start hammering on the circled part
don't ape it, just consistent mild taps
it will take time but it will eventually pop out without any effort
>don't ape it
Wrong. Definitely ape it. If you're not knocking it off the jack youre not hitting it too hard.
You do not live where there is road salt.
Minimum 3 pound sledge, better off with 5, and hit it like your getting it aligned afterwards. Like, frickin swing.
When it pops, youll know.
Also, if you havent got it yet, daily soakage of loose juice helps.
But op has been absent by now he committed sudoku or got it.
>Minimum 3 pound sledge, better off with 5
NFW you'd ever hit the joint without damaging other things.
Use 2 hand drilling hammers. Hell of a lot more control and more than enough impact force for the application.
You dont work on vehicles with 250k where there is salt.
Lmao at you telling me a sledge held by a human hand is gonna frick up the steering on a blazer.
Go look at the midwest guys post about making sure the rack doesnt move, then note his 100% success rate.
>hit it like your getting it aligned afterwards.
You're dumber than a box of rocks if you don't align every time after steering parts replacement.
Thats exactly what I was saying.
Even if you bent something because you hit it too hard, getting it to come apart is the priority.
Above keeping everything else perfect.
Thanks for calling me dumb wheb you were the one with shit reading comprehension though