robertwheeler Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 Today should have been a good day. I got a cv shaft and a ball joint for the passenger side front of my lil wagon. Working off the ground I got the entire strut assembly and Cv shaft off that side took about 1.5 hours...I figured the cv shaft was a gimme and it looked right... until you put it next to the old one. They gave me the one for an auto tranny instead of the five speed... The shaft coming to the cv is a bit larger on the 5 speed... I was right... the ball joint on that side is bad.... not suicidal bad.. but enough to cause some of my handling problems. That I had the right part for but I couldn't get the bolt from the top of the joint out.. I heated it , I oiled it and I even tried talking nice to it.... I manage to round it off severely even using a good 6 point socket. I have 2 choices I can drill it out and out a bolt and not in there or head to the local subu grave yard. All told I spent 6 hours taking it apart , trying to change the ball joint and then I had to put it back together with the old parts.... and add insult to injury the caliper expanded just enough to not want to go on.. and it didnt want to spin... But i got it on and bled the line... Talk about a wasted Saturday morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonas Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 still time for beer!!! all is not lost!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 27, 2006 Author Share Posted May 27, 2006 still time for beer!!! all is not lost!!! I like beer The funny thing is that im a night owl... And I normaly sleep til about 2 in the pm. I stayed up over night and went to work on the car at 7am. I sure did get a lot of attention "Are you a mechanic?".... not really just too poor to pay someone else to get frustrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 28, 2006 Author Share Posted May 28, 2006 Follow up : No big surprise the CV shaft didnt get here today.... But with the sense of impending disaster ringing in the ear's I managed to drill out the bolt that was on the top of the ball joint... And I fitting in the new joint... Fitting in.... all done. When the stupid CV shaft comes in it will be a sinch to change.... loose the ball joint and the sway bar on that side on the old one slides out as easy as you like... Heck I did it twice so far... too bad it was the wrong CV. There is a micro crack on where the ball joint goes in.... maybe 1/8 of an inch.. it closed up when I tightened the bolt (bolt and nut on the other side) .. I think for a street car this isn't a major issue. I hope the other side wont be such an issue.... I did change the ball joint on that side before... it shouldn't be so rusted... fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[HTi]Johnson Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 Do you have access to an impact gun? Those help with frozen bolts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 28, 2006 Author Share Posted May 28, 2006 I wish I had real tools at all... I used a good craftsman 6 point socket and heated it and it just diddnt go. I drilled out the thread side and the rust on the bare shaft of the bolt still held it... I had to drill 90% of that bolt before the rust broke free... But im happy with a bolt all the way through to a nut. But its Always nice to hear friendly comments Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 Don't need to take the ball-joint out. That's actually the reason I DONT take the ball joint out. Too much hassle. Disconnect the sway bar link, and the inner control arm bolt where it attaches to the engine cross member. Much easier. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 Don't need to take the ball-joint out. That's actually the reason I DONT take the ball joint out. Too much hassle. Disconnect the sway bar link, and the inner control arm bolt where it attaches to the engine cross member. Much easier. GD Thats a great Idea. I grew up with full size american cars...rear wheel drive mostly.... Quite a differant Idea from the A frame on one of these. Thanks Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 Well I found out what happens when the ball joint falls out. When I put it together I had problems with the 3/8 bolt I got for this and I used a slightly smaller bolt.... and I didnt notice that the bolt wasn't thick enough to properly bind the joint... So here we were at 2am , in the middle of no where and the top of the ball joint falls out. I failed to have a flashlight but I managed to get it back together (by feel) with the 3/8 bolt .... this time the nut went on... but I broken the pin (while removing the nut in the dark) and it stripped the stud.... But I jammed it on... Put a new pin on it and drove home very carefully and now I need to replace the new ball joint.. I can however use the boot off this joint for the other side.. I know it has a bad boot... not sure about the rest of the joint though. I don't feel so intelligent right now.... but putting it in this thread is like writing it down and it will help me remember. We got home.... but not a single police officer bothered to notice us... We did get asked by a passing motorist if we needed help... I thanked him but said we were OK.. I totally shredded my finger tips... Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 The new joint is in.... I put the 3/8 bolt in loose to see if it bound the joint.. It did and once I tightened up it was fine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 30, 2006 Author Share Posted May 30, 2006 The new shaft came in today.. got that in and so far the ball joint seems pretty solid... Im keeping a close watch on it.... I think Im gonna change the bolt on there for a case hardened one. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Don't need to take the ball-joint out. That's actually the reason I DONT take the ball joint out. Too much hassle. Disconnect the sway bar link, and the inner control arm bolt where it attaches to the engine cross member. Much easier. GD Just make sure you get that mofo tightened back down lol, ask me how much it sucks when that bolt falls out at 45 MPH... Likes to bend stuff, and tear up tires.. (Wasn't my fault the bolt was loose, I bought the car out of a junkyard, and one control arm was missing, well I guess they had started taking off the drivers side, and realized they needed the pass. side, since it was the passenger side that was missing, well to make a long story short I'm driving along and that quick I hear squealing ruber and my car starts pulling really hard to the left, I open the door and my tire is stuffed under the car, so I jacked it up, stuffed the control arm back in, and I found the bolt but the nut was gone, but I had a nut in the back that fit, which got me to the industrial supply house, where I bought two grade 8 bolts with locking nuts. Bad part was it stretched out the ball joint on the end of the steering rack which made the car shake, so I ended up having to replace teh steering rack as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I think I would get a new (used) knuckle so you can properly thread that ball joint bolt in and so you can have one that isn't cracked. Probably be under 40 dollars or so. Try to get one from an area that they dont salt the roads for best results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 30, 2006 Author Share Posted May 30, 2006 Your not going to believe this... Less then 20 miles on the new Cv shaft and its developed a rolling rattle. It did a lot of chattering before... but this is a new noise with the new shaft.. I jacked up the right side.... spun the wheel..... I can feel the rattle in it and using my fingers to feel it.... Ir seems to be comming from the inner cv on the new shaft... or I suppose I might have a problem with the trannie now.... Again I need to monitor the situation. Dont you love it when people say... if can always be worse? Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 31, 2006 Author Share Posted May 31, 2006 What do you suppose are the chances of getting a bad rebuilt cv shaft? I have had several go bad after months.. never one that wasnt properly rebuilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 31, 2006 Author Share Posted May 31, 2006 My frustration level is way off the scale. Im almost convinced that the Cv shaft has a bad joint on it... Its been my expirience that the only thing that makes this kind of noise is the cv... I have changed the bearing's on this car and the bad ones made the wheel loose... but diddnt make the same noise as a bad cv. BUt first things first.... while having a cv shaft make almost the same noise as the one i changed is pretty bad.... but Its seldom fatal.. SO Im going to call and see if I can get a knuckle or the whole rightside strut and when Im sure that isnt going to fall apart.... Il deal with the manager of the part store who isnt going to believe a cv shaft can be bad with intact boots. But then maybe the knuckle will also solve this issue.. or One can hope. I am so frustrated my head is spinning and my stomache hurts. Any friendly conversation or tips would be very very helpful here. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 31, 2006 Author Share Posted May 31, 2006 Got the knuckle (37$).... It sure is bare. I wish they had at least left the bracket for the brakes on.... Dam I have to Take deb to work in 3 hours.... for me this just isnt enough time to do this or at least do it right. The knuckle came out of an 89 gl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted May 31, 2006 Author Share Posted May 31, 2006 Uncle I called my brothers mechanic and he said he will put the new knuckle in for 100$ and then I hope it will be all done.. for good. Friday morning at 8:30 , I have to keep it going ontil then. This job is within my abilities but i just cant deal with it any more... Not to say some air tools wouldnt help.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted June 3, 2006 Author Share Posted June 3, 2006 The new knuckle is on.... Im not overly concerned that the joint is going to fall off again. I guess Eric dosent subaru much... he walks up to me an ask's why the new knucjkle doesnt have a hub pressed in... I explained it to him and then it took him about 45 mins. MOst of my noise is now proven to be comming from the front pads slamming against the rotor , I guess sone of the parts rusted and tell off. It makes a horrible racket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted June 9, 2006 Author Share Posted June 9, 2006 Your not going to believe this. I went to pickup deb from work and on our way back I hear a womp womp noise... It gets louder when I put the clutch in. My first guess is that the cv shaft on the driverside is developing problems. We get home ok and I rock the wheels... The passenger side which I had just changed the knuckle on seems to have blown a bearing or 2. It too dark to be sure but when I pulled the wheel I could feel the bearing moving side to side. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 Make sure the axle nut is tight. It calls for about 70lbs torqued, but I have used a air rachet before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted June 9, 2006 Author Share Posted June 9, 2006 Make sure the axle nut is tight. It calls for about 70lbs torqued, but I have used a air rachet before. Thats what I have to check when its light enough , though I suspect it had been tightened with air tools when i got the knuckle changed. It was fine.... then suddenly its making noise.. as described a few posts back... I am so stressed , I used almost all the money I had fixxing the passenger side last week and I was going to do the drivers side this week. I still have the bearings from the original knuckle and the old ones from the other side... After I changed these I couldnt find defect in them and I filed them for closer examination. Btw Thanks for being awake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 Hey, its only 12:15am for me. Its still early:cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted June 9, 2006 Author Share Posted June 9, 2006 Thing was about 1/2 a turn loose.... I tightened it and now we hope for the best. I broke my 1/2 inch breaker bar doing this..... talk about a missed tool. At Any rate it snugged the bearing right up.... I was going to start on the other side.... really hard without the breaker bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwheeler Posted June 9, 2006 Author Share Posted June 9, 2006 THe cotter pin is intact.... how does the bearing suddenly come loose? This thing had been impacted even. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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