Disastrous weekend working on the truck..

[maxigaz]

Just reading this post.... Yes, somebody done it before. I ended up using plasma cutter.... But luckily i've already had spare arms around.

[andy_enuff]

Anle grinders rock. Glad you managed to get it out eventually (and back together again!)

[Karma Supra]

Yup, what Tony said!

9" angle grinder sorted it, plus a replacement lower arm at very short notice from Tony himself!

All sorted back together, made the event at the weekend!

Massive Thanks Tony for the bits! Thoroughly nice chap

[TonyN]

I would have just burned the old bushes out. Shield of the surrounding area and get the blowtorch on it.

It dosn't help, the inner metal sleeve of the bush corrodes to the bolt/tube, so you still can't get the bolt out through the holes in the chassis as they are bigger than the dia of the boltholes.

You'll just end up with a really loose still stuck wishbone.

You have to cut them so the wishbone can just drop out the bottom, then press the whole lot out of the wishbone.

[KERRSURF]

I would have just burned the old bushes out. Shield of the surrounding area and get the blowtorch on it.

[Albannach]

This is turning into a bit of a "There was an old lady who..."

[Karma Supra]

Thanks for your reply!

I went to Drews in Reading, they are an iron mongers and have pretty a good range..

It looks like the third gen the adjustment tubes are hardened steel, which is why the blades would not touch them, I have since sacrificed the lower arm to get it off, in "trimming" it so I can get the angle grinder in there (that goes through them!) the recipricating saw went through the actual lower arms very well so the blades weren't that bad!

Now I just need to cross fingers/legs/toes and pray that I can get a replacement tomorrow

[Chillitt]

Try asking proper shop rather than a DIY shop. Anywhere that has 'Engineering' in the name is a good start..
The very thing discs for cutting stainless will fly through it.

[Karma Supra]

Tried the new blades, they made no difference... Tried hitting them with a sledge hammer, no movement.

Surely someone must have done this job before on a 3rd gen and is able to give some hints or pointers?

[Karma Supra]

Cheers guys,

I'l head into my local iron mongers at lunch time today to see if I can find some more suitible blades. I don't think an angle grinder will be viable without destroying everything else..

I had also avoided heat so far as it is near various bits I'd not really want to get hot, and the siezed tube is in a rubber bush...

I really hate jobs like this! So far its made doing all the ball joints look easy!

[budweiser]

did you tried to use a torch? heating up things it worked many times to me!

[andy_enuff]

Sounds like a job for a grinder with a thin metal cutting disc, a pair of safety goggles and a lot of care - unless you can't get a grinder in there....

I would never remove the guard tho.... or would i....

[wishbone]

Blimey! In that case just stock up on the blades and try not to write off the lower arm. I hate jobs like that

[Karma Supra]

Thanks wishbone..

The nuts are off... (easy on a 3rd gen)

I was holding a builders bar against it while my old man was whacking it with a sledge...

It's not budging.

I think cutting is going to be my only option from here...

[wishbone]

Grind the nut off and hit it through with a drift ?