The nuts rust to the stud coming out of the joint. I have been successfully clamping a vice grip to the back side and spinning the nut off. Just did it on a 2008 Mazda 3 that my daughter drives (yeah, they were rusty). They can be a pain. If the vice grips don't work, heat the nut up and hold with vice grips. Heat up, hold with vice grips use impact. Worst case scenario is you cut it off with a grinder, but I've always been successful with the vice grips.
Stabilizer end link removal problem
I'm, trying, to replace my stabilizer bar end links. One is bad, the other isn't. I thought as long as I'm doing it, I might as well do both.
I started with the passenger side. I can't get the nut off of the top bolt. I tried an impact wrench. That loosened it, but it will only come off so far. I tried using a socket, that's not doing any good. Tried using my hand, not working. It's like the thing is stripped. All it does is turn and turn but the nut isn't coming out any further. I thought about penetrating oil, but all I have is 3 in 1. Any ideas?
I started with the passenger side. I can't get the nut off of the top bolt. I tried an impact wrench. That loosened it, but it will only come off so far. I tried using a socket, that's not doing any good. Tried using my hand, not working. It's like the thing is stripped. All it does is turn and turn but the nut isn't coming out any further. I thought about penetrating oil, but all I have is 3 in 1. Any ideas?
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I skipped all these heating steps and just cut off the nut. The opposite side went well. Knowing the age of your car, cutting will be your favorite method of removing parts.
I have thought of that. I have a Dremel tool somewhere. I haven't used it in years.I skipped all these heating steps and just cut off the nut. The opposite side went well. Knowing the age of your car, cutting will be your favorite method of removing parts.
Cut em off. Just be careful with cutting tools.
bust it apart and put a vice grip on the ball?
I decided to try and get the bottom one off first. If that works, then I can cut the top one. Now I can't get the bottom one to budge. My big socket wrench won't fit into the small space, my mid sized...3/8 inch...socket I can't get enough leverage. I'm about to give up on it.
See this video:I decided to try and get the bottom one off first. If that works, then I can cut the top one. Now I can't get the bottom one to budge. My big socket wrench won't fit into the small space, my mid sized...3/8 inch...socket I can't get enough leverage. I'm about to give up on it.
He uses another wrench as leverage. You can try to use spare jack as "leverage" if yours is REALLY stuck. Liberal use of penetrating oil?
Get a set of decent ratcheting wrenches (flex head or not). I got the HF Ikon ones, though a bit more costly, HF will honor the warranty when the ratchet fails. These are long and provide great leverage with vice grips they will come off. Or, as others suggested, cut the nut off.
I've watched that one, even tried the wrench for leverage.
I put penetrating oil on all 4...drivers side/passenger side...this morning about 2 hours ago.
I put penetrating oil on all 4...drivers side/passenger side...this morning about 2 hours ago.
I've got several wrenches, including the Ikon...IIRC. The top ones on both sides will come part of the way off with no problem, then just turn but not move another millimeter. It's the bottom ones that are the problem, they won't budge at all. I even used a 18 inch...IIRC...ratchet and that won't do it. It's too the point I'm afraid I'll strip the bolts.Get a set of decent ratcheting wrenches (flex head or not). I got the HF Ikon ones, though a bit more costly, HF will honor the warranty when the ratchet fails. These are long and provide great leverage with vice grips they will come off. Or, as others suggested, cut the nut off.
Would it work if I cut the bolt on the outer side? The side with all the blue dots on it.
You intend to replace those stabilizer end links, don't you? If so, you can do whatever is necessary to remove them. Just don't destroy other things in the process.
Well, yes. I'm not sure if cutting it on the outside would accomplish the task.
The more I look at it, cutting off the bottom two bolts isn't going to work. I thought I could use my Dremel tool to cut through on the side where the blue things are...the outer side...then just push the bolt through to the other side. That's not going to work. There's a metal/washer part built into the blue thing side. Just cutting through it between that part and the end would probably only make matters worse. That leaves me having to cut straight through that metal washer part. No Dremel tool cutting attachment is big enough to cut through that part...and that's assuming I could put a round Dremel disk into that small of a space, which doesn't appear likely. That means using something like a Sawzall. But those things, near as I can tell, are too long to fit into the wheel well. All the Sawzall, and equivalent tools, I come across are at least 18 inches long, not counting the blade...so that's not going to work. I have found a few Sawzall type tools that are small enough to fit into the wheel well, but those don't have enough power to cut through that bolt. The only other thing I can think of is to try an old fashioned hacksaw and hack through the nut. Now assuming there's enough room in there to work a hacksaw, that would be one heck of an undertaking.
I have sprayed half a can of penetrating oil to no avail. I soaked both down before I quit. I will wait until tomorrow, let it sit overnight, and hope it works. If not, I give up.
I have sprayed half a can of penetrating oil to no avail. I soaked both down before I quit. I will wait until tomorrow, let it sit overnight, and hope it works. If not, I give up.
Dremel tool works. If I used it to remove this part, then you can do it, too. You'll need either a few "diamond-sprinkled" disks, or lots of "regular" cutting disks.
If that allen-keyed stud rusty, the inside will be stripped. This is a suspension part, exposed to lots of elements, why couldn't bright Honda engineers add a boot or a cap to lessen exposure and rust build up? Or make it stainless?The only right tools in my arsenal to get them off (if you have a chance at all
I have one. I even tried, without it plugged in, to see if the Dremel tool would fit into that small of an area, it won't. Even if I could get it in there, I don't think it will cut through both the nut and the bolt. The bolt is nothing, yeah, I could cut through that. It's the nut that is the problem...cutting wise.Dremel tool works. If I used it to remove this part, then you can do it, too. You'll need either a few "diamond-sprinkled" disks, or lots of "regular" cutting disks.
I tried the Allen key on the top one, didn't do squat...the nut just spun and spun. I don't see how it would make a difference on the lower one if it didn't make a difference on the top one.The only right tools in my arsenal to get them off (if you have a chance at all)
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