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Steering Stabilizer Install Trouble

RCman

NAXJA Forum User
Location
USA
Alright, I got a new steering stabilizer as my stock one is shot. However for the life of me I can't get the stud out of the tie-rod. I've tried everything from a 5lb sledge hammer to a heating it. I even went out a bought a pitman arm puller with no luck. Short of replacing the tie-rod itself, anyone else have suggestions? I've done a few searches and spent almost 4 hours trying different things, but no luck. I'm going back down to try and remove the other (axle side) of the stabilizer while I wait for suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Here's a quick picture:
Steering_Stabilizer_Stud.jpg


Thanks again for any help,
Bill
 
I usually hit the side of the tie rod itself, not the stud. The idea is to impact the area around the taper and force a momentary give it the "bond". In particularly bad cases you can sometimes hit from both sides with two hammers at the same time. I'm not sure how to describe this other than picture the stud as toothpaste and you want to squeeze it out with a hammer??? If it works it might even jump out.
Angus
 
hold a large hammer against one side of the joint. Then hit the other side of the joing hard with another large hammer. Should break it loose. I've used this with pitman arms even, and it always works for me.
 
I used a pitman puller my first time around -- no problem.

Second time around--not so lucky. The fasterner on the dampner was cheap. I actually compressed the exposed portion of the fastner using the pitman puller, causing it to become wider than the hole that it needs to go through.

I'll leave it to you to best determine how you wanna deal with your fat fastner.


(you may have to cut or drill it out)
 
Well, I did something similar anyway...
I wasn't getting anywhere with the pitman puller, only making the end of the stud flare out and leave a prefect indentation in the center. So i used that to my advantage and grabbed my Makita Hammer Drill (I was ready to destroy things at this point, mabye alittle overkill, but everyone needs one of these, buy one... Specs and info here). Anyway, I drilled out the entire stud and it was still stuck the the arm. So out came the 5lb sledge and a steel punch. After a few very hard wacks it finally came out. The other end (axle side) was stuck pretty well too, I had to resort to my pneumatic impact wrench. Long story short, my new stabilizer is on!

Here's a quick picture of the stud's final remains:
Steering_Stabilizer_Stud_Defeated.jpg
 
I used a propane torch and a BFH.
 
use and air hammer with one of those round flat bits at the end and hit the side of the tie rod where the stabilizer mounts. that should "shock" any rust and other stuff loose. then use the same bit or one of those pointy ones and hit the end of the stabilizer stud. should come right out.

next time you have to take something like that out, loosen the nut but leave it on so the end of the bolt is just about to come through the top of the nut. that way you can hit the stud without spreading the head. and then once it pops loose, you just take the nut off and it'll seperate.
 
First time I replaced the stabilizer, I heated it with a torch, then beat the snot out of it until it unseated. I then of course had to use a file to clean up the mushroomed end.

The second time I did it (on a different XJ), I still used heat, but then used a pipe wrench on the threaded end to twist it loose.
 
oxy-act torch, pitman arm puller, and few wacks on the tie rod with a hammer
 
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