Well, I got underneath my car today and replaced the mustache bar and rear diff hanger. It needed it bad. When I pulled the diff hanger, the metal center of the bushing fell out.

 

So anyways, I got two torn boots on my rear axles, and I have spares so I wanna get em swapped out. I can't get the damn roll pins out of the control arm side of the axle. I pounded the hell out of it with a sledge hammer, bent my snap on 3/16" punch in half.

 

I'm looking for ideas to get them things outta there. I was thinking of drilling them out. Has anyone done that before? If so, what type of drill bit is going to work the best? I'm guessing those spring pins are just regular steel, but I'm not sure.

 

Any other ideas, let me know. I gotta get the axles changed so I can go ice trackin'

 

thanks in advance to who responds.

Have you tried banging them back from the other direction ? Ive never had them sieze in place yet, but if youres have you may never get the joint to slide off the spline either, ive had those rust in place. I imagine the pins are made from a reasonable grade of steel, you may not have much luck drilling them in place.

 

Worst case you can pop the circlip out and leave the cup in place, and change the boot without having to get that rollpin out.

Brad, I'd look at using some penetrating lube overnight, pounding them from the reverse side, and heating it before you try to drill them. You'll snap a dozen bits trying to drill them out.

Alright. Yea I tried both directions.

The thing about heating them, wont that cook the bearings? I'm thinking about just swapping control arms in the back and leaving the axles with them. I have control arms that should have good bearings in them. Its wierd that they seized in there because I just replaced the passenger rear control arm this fall before I made my trip up north.

 

Diamond tipped drill bit might work?

 

Worst case you can pop the circlip out and leave the cup in place, and change the boot without having to get that rollpin out.

Hehe, I dont change boots. I won't even take apart the DOJ. I hate the smell of the grease inside. heh, I guess I shoulda used anti seeze

brad,

did you swap control arms or get the pins out?

if you got the pins out, how?