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throwing in the towel (I think) snapped BJ pinch bolt Outback Legacy


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taking knuckle off.    got everything ready to go but cant get the abs sensor out... any suggestions? 

I took out the bolt and got a razor blade and then a thin scraper under 70 % of it.    Afraid to ruin it.               im grabbing with a small channel lock and wiggling, and not budging.  

***   dang I just check the prices of the sensors on rockauto.. they are minimum $92.    holy crap.    I don't have 92 to be throwing at a wheel sensor.  Anybody have a suggestion?  I guess I can unplug it from wherever that wire runs to and then remove the knuckle....?   rather take it out now though.

DILLY DILLY!!

Edited by xdeadeye1
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I grab my ABS sensors with a pair of channelocks (slip joint pliers, with 5 or so width grooves) right where it goes into the knuckle and grip really tight and work it back and forth while giving it a shot of penetrant now and then.

Slowly work it back and forth, takes a lot of gripping force and a lot of twisting force.

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If my 03 Outback ABS sensor comes off do you want it?  I don't know if they're the same side to side - which one do you need? 
those ABS sensors are rough, they break routinely.  grab another used one. 

With the knuckle off - assuming this is a bad one - get a chisel (probably start on the small size) wedged just between where the lip of the ball joint seats against the knuckle and work your way around the circumference.  If you can get a gap started - start angling the chisel slightly "down" away from the knuckle so each strike of your sledgehammer (haha) is imparting a force "out" of the knuckle.  keep working at it and you can get them to come out that way. 

Pickle fork = the way to go on the control arm side

Getting the ball joint out of the knuckle might be another issue - they can range everywhere between:

easy

impossible to remove with any tool.  this is the rare extreme and yours won't be this bad - but i've seen OEM ball joint studs rip out of the joint leaving the ball....just the ball mind you, laughing at you...no threaded stud left in it, still rust welded inside the knuckle.  then drill and chisel bit by bit to get all the remaining outer shell of the ball joint carcass separated from the rusty knuckle.  get your chisel, drills or torch ready or let the machine shop do it

 

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You can make a tool to pull the ball joint from the knuckle ,  cheap cheap. few pipe fittings some threaded rod a lug nut a tack of welding and your good to go!  Look on YouTube for subaru ball joint tool.   It Works .

They do sell this tool thru amazon but its like $80 +   

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thanks for the input.

Im at a point where I have everything disconnected from the knuckle.  except I cant get the ball joint up out of the control arm.  I have a pickle fork and I pound it in there.. and it seems to bottom out without removing the control arm from the ball joint stem.    This thing has fought me every step of the way.  Maybe if I were a real mechanic it wouldn't be so bad.  Im just a guy with a lot of tools and little money so I try to fix my own stuff.   I goofed and cut the tie rod in half, so I could feel like I accomplished something.   now the knuckle flops around.  doh!        I rented a tool from auto zone its a inner tie rod end remover its about 2 1/2" diameter the flat spots on the inner rod are situated as such that I cant turn the tool due to ears on the tool.  Space isn't big enough.    SO ill take it back and see if I can find another solution. in the mean time there is this ball joint to contend with..

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40 minutes ago, msmithmmx said:

Please take lmdew up on the offer.  I wish I did a year ago before I got involved in the same situation your in now.

I may.   But I gotta get this stinking control arm off the bottom of the ball joint.   My only thought to do next is a big hand sledge and wack the control arm down.   everything is disconnected or nearly so. I really cant get a swing at the ball joint spindle from under neath.  The pickle fork just goes so far in and doesn't move separate it.

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Take the nut off the ball joint flip it over and screw back on a little.  Take a floor jack and place it under that nut.  Jack it up a little until you see the control arm move up.  Go to Lowes and get a 3 foot pipe used for natural gas applications.  Direct the pipe on the control arm and just keep hitting it downwards with a hand held sledge hammer.  This may go on for 30 minutes until you see it drop off the ball joint.

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make sure the pickle fork isn't bottoming out and not actually "wedging".  is it the right size and i didn't know they could bend over time - but make sure it's working as it should. 

1. Use a HEAVY hammer or larger solid metal mallet with lots of weight behind it. 

2. SWING HARD. 

light hammers and construction style hammering isn't the ticket here.  This is more like "stand back, wear goggles, cover your ears, and scare the neighbors"

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3 hours ago, idosubaru said:

make sure the pickle fork isn't bottoming out and not actually "wedging".  is it the right size and i didn't know they could bend over time - but make sure it's working as it should. 

 

I feel like the fork is bottoming out, before it separates. I'm borrowing a second fork from a friend today and use 2 of em. If that don't work I'll do what mssmithmmx said.  I got a couple bfh. Thanks so much for input guys.  I second guess what I'm doing a lot.

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11 hours ago, xdeadeye1 said:

2 pickle forks did the trick in about 4 minutes of effort and having buddy hold the knuckle straight     .  so relieved.  Now off to the machine shop and hope they can drill this out.

YEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!   I hope you tossed it down, stomped on it and yelled something creative!

 i've never had a fork not work even with those fractured impossible to remove debacles described earlier. 

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repair shop got the bolt out without drilling,  chased the threads,   took it home and a few hours later all reassembled.  (the hardest part was that steering rack boot..  ak;k ;kald&^^%%&*

Took it to get aligned today.  driving home 65 mph.  Steering wheel still shaking.  Starting to think its the tires.  Drives super straight and doesn't pull.

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