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Help...working on truck now

Max Attitude

Max Attitude

Typical White Person
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Alto, MI
Going to put on the cognito upper control arms. I loosened the nut on the factory ball joint and popped the ball joint loose with the pickle fork. Well i didn't loosen that nut enough before I popped the ball joint loose and now the nut spins with the ball joint shaft. The end of the ball joint shaft is round unlike a tie rod end. I tried my small pair of vice grips on the shaft but they just slip no matter how tight I lock them on. What now?
 
Can you get a C-Clamp in there and press the ball joint back up into the UCA enough to keep the stud from spinning?
 
Got it with a 14" pipe wrench. Now I can't get the bolts out of the rubber bushings where it bolts to the frame...

Thanks for the quick replies. I thought of doing the same thing you suggested 83 GMC. I ripped the rubber boot off the ball joint and got the pipe wrench in there though and worked good. Glad I brought my tools home from work.
 
If they are the original ball joints you can put a 6mm Allen wrench in the end of the ball joint shaft.
 
Got one out by moving the bolt back and fourth with a breaker bar and hitting the end of the tapered bolt at the same time with a hammer. The other one is too close to the shock to do the same thing though. I have no punches and the crappy screwdriver won't stay on the end of that tappered bolt.
 
Ok, been beating on it pretty good but it won't come out. Guess who isn't going up to the dunes tomorrow. :(
 
What side of the UCA on which side of the truck are you working on? I'll walk out and look at mine, try to think of a solution for you.
 
Jared, I believe a 3/8 extension could also be used to bang it out. Try shooting some type of penetrating oil into it. As a last resort maybe some heat.

When you go to mount the arms most likely you will to bend the mounting tabs on the frame out. Don't forget to have the truck aligned to the Cognito spec as it is different from the GM spec.
 
Had to get going the other day so sorry I didn't reply but I ended up breaking the last bolt trying to get it off. The dealer won't sell them separate and wants $123 for the kit. :yikes: Screw that I said so I've looked everywhere, not even Napa could get them. Finally found an alignment shop might have the right one for me...they ordered it...$27 their cost, much better than $123. Hope to be back up and running tonight. I bought a punch though and got the last bolt out with that. I was using lots of PB Blaster and then WD-40. I'm glad the Cognito bushings are greasable unlike the factory ones.

Cognito's a-arms fit like crap though. I had to beat both ears on the frame wider to get them somewhat close...then I had to use a dead blow hammer to get them in without dinging the paint up. That whole job was a pain in the butt!:mad2:

The only thing that made it a little less painfull was that it rained mid day at the dunes and it was rough conditions so they headed home early.
 
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