Sometimes you have to get really brutal with a stubborn high-tensile bolt. I kept a 6' scaffolding bar for the wheel-nut-shifter on a proper Dodge commercial I'd converted to a camper back in the 1970s. No other way would they move.

Leedsman.

 

Heat heat heat, two minutes in a garage with oxy-acetylene and its done. An aggressive DIY hand held propane can certainly do the job but its unlikely to reach red and break the rust molecule[s].

 

MAPP torches will get it glowing nicely

Regards

Richard

 

Got a breaker bar and a rather more industrial looking socket from a mate who works with commercial vehicles and that sorted it no problem.

As I was just going to change the complete hub, got the nuts off the steering arm, abs sensor and bottom joint. But now I can't get steering arm or the ball joint to separate from the hub. I think there has been a dissimilar metal reaction.

Any ideas on how to get these apart.

 

Same thing with electrolytic corrosion (dissimilar metals). Heat. Only problem is damaging something with the heat.

Leedsman.

 

Old way to remove Ball Joint tapers is to hold a heavy hammer against one side of arm and hit other side with another hammer. Shock treatment.

 

old school
new school
a sized selection

 

I remove my Voyagers hub bottom ball joint/control arm joint with a long taper punch.

 

I undid the steering arm nut all the way to the end of the thread then placed a piece of wood between the trolley jack and the nut and jacked it up. The hub arm was hit on every side with a 4lb hammer whilst taking the weight of the vehicle on the end of the nut .... it never moved.
With the strut bolts removed and the drive shaft out of the way I supported the weight of the vehicle on the outer section of the bearing that carries 5 suds, I was able to hit the top of the ball joint bolt from the top by placing an extension bar an it and using that as a long taper punch as you say.... it never moved either.
Swearing at it didn't help.

As I have a spare hub I may consider taking the angle grinder to it.

 

Ok. After last weekends non event I soaked the joints in diesel and left them, so I went out and had another look.

The car has all the symptoms of a wheel bearing on the way out, general hum when driving and increases on the front right when turning left car wandered over the road. But when I took the wheel off hub nut off and pulled the drive shaft back the bearing seemed tight.
Putting the hub back together with the wheel on there was only movement in a left right direction not in every direction.

When I pull the steering arm there is definite movement in/out of the rack and a rattle.
Could the noise I'm hearing be a constant rattle of the inner track rod end that gets worse when steering load is applied?
And there is actually nothing wrong with the bearing?