[fenixus]

glad you have it solved, sometimes thing get stuck and taking it to a local shop (and paying some nominal fee) is the easiest way out

First time I removed steering knuckles off my car I had NO WAY to remove ball joints, no tools for that, ended up replacing them at a local shop while doing wheel bearings.

 

[M&RTY]

Great DIY mate!
:worship:

I wonder how much of your DIY can guide me through the front lower ball joints on my 07 V6 3.5L Toyota Aurion?





.

 

[pmesfun]

Everything is about the same.

 

[fenixus]

Thank you!

yeah, it should be all same across most Toyota platforms

I am not a frequent flier here anymore, went back to my main hobby (enthusiast custom PC systems) since our cars seem to run flawlessly thanks to TN

 

[NapalmFTW]

So, I'm like the poster above with the sienna. My castle nut stripped almost the instant I put the 19mm wrench on there.

I am going to get a dremel to cut it off.

I don't have the HFT puller but I do have a pickle fork (borrowed from work). This whole job has been a PITA. I hate northern cars (mine came from Chicago).

I also regret starting this job - the ball joints looked ok. Except on cold mornings I was getting creaking and stiff steering.

 

[fenixus]

So, I'm like the poster above with the sienna. My castle nut stripped almost the instant I put the 19mm wrench on there.

I am going to get a dremel to cut it off.

I don't have the HFT puller but I do have a pickle fork (borrowed from work). This whole job has been a PITA. I hate northern cars (mine came from Chicago).

I also regret starting this job - the ball joints looked ok. Except on cold mornings I was getting creaking and stiff steering.

I always use plenty of PB Blaster before I even touch any suspension nuts or bolts, did you use it? never a problem.

anyways, since you stripped with a 19mm wrench, the question is was it an old OEM ball joint? it shouldn't strip if wrench (crow foot on extension preferably) was positioned correctly and not at an angle and you were turning it the right way ...

Also, stiff steering on cold morning is normal and rather related to cold & thick power steering fluid, and not the suspension parts at all.
the creaks, that could be (most likely) coming from the strut bearings, I know mine do that sometimes (Monroe QuickStruts here) ...

I replaced BJ's only because boots were torn and they were dry and loose.

 

[NapalmFTW]

I used a metric ton of PB blaster (I have a whole case here).

The 19mm wrench went on, it turned... only because it was stripping the castle nut - and no it was just a plain old combination wrench.

Whoever last did these must've torqued the hell out of them. The caliper bracket bolts needed an impact gun to move them.

 

[fenixus]

well ... sorry to hear that then... perhaps the castle nut got badly rusted to the stud and PB Blaster was unable to penetrate it, not sure ...
I had zero trouble with it actually ... but I used a big torque wrench with thick extension and a 19mm crow foot, just had to make sure it was positioned straight flat at bottom of the nut ... it gave me a snug fit and plenty of torque to loosen it ...

however, on other car I was also removing (I think it was in this DIY) old MOOG BJ's with a different wrench as they carry a different castle nut, for that I used a huge combo wrench from autozone... and then only crow foot + torque wrench for tightening the new OEM BJ's to specs, again no major trouble.

 

[NapalmFTW]

Yeah I'm going to have to get a crowfoot for torquing it up.

Mine's a 94 and they may be the original BJs (heh heh).

The Moog/FedMog's I got from AZ have the 22mm nut on them.

 

[fenixus]

hey, maybe, if it sits correctly and the boot is not torn apart, just put it all back together and leave it for now?

not sure about the condition of your BJ's, but all they did to me was kinda loose feeling in wheels on warm car when cornering, kinda like the wheels were NOT turning equally (not going in parallel) and more sideways jumping on uneven highways. eventually I replaced the LCA's too to fix this problem.

 

[NapalmFTW]

My car's steering wheel feels loose when turning and wobbles around going straight. I am going to replace all the major suspension components back to OEM spec (well that was the plan).

And no, the boot got all messed up too. And I'm not sure I'd want to put it all back together. The nut could be weakened... That's all that holds the car together LOL.

going to have to dremel/sawzall it off and install the new ones.

 

[fenixus]

My car's steering wheel feels loose when turning and wobbles around going straight. I am going to replace all the major suspension components back to OEM spec (well that was the plan).

And no, the boot got all messed up too. And I'm not sure I'd want to put it all back together. The nut could be weakened... That's all that holds the car together LOL.

going to have to dremel/sawzall it off and install the new ones.

all right, in such case, it would be in fact better if you can dremel the nut and replace BJ's with new ones. you may also need a pair of new Lower Control Arms too, their bushings also affect steering wobbliness and such, I had to swap them as well as new BJ's fixed the problem only partially.

 

[NapalmFTW]

I'm deciding if I should walk to home depot (it is just within walking distance) or wait for the wife to come home with a borrowed dremel... hmmm...

I think whoever did the work on this car in the past didn't know what torque specs are. That or its just years and years or road grime and corrosion?

 

[fenixus]

I'm deciding if I should walk to home depot (it is just within walking distance) or wait for the wife to come home with a borrowed dremel... hmmm...

I think whoever did the work on this car in the past didn't know what torque specs are. That or its just years and years or road grime and corrosion?

I'd wait for wife if it was me

but yeah, both options are possible, either it's old OEM and rusted/fused to hell or some replacement overtightened way above the specs ... perhaps someone used red Locktite on it?

 

[NapalmFTW]

I should also say, the cotter pin is either missing or corroded away.

Which is probably why it was stuck on/in there. Only thing I haven't tried yet is heat, because I don't have a torch. Plus I'd likely fry the CVboot. As it is the inner is tearing a little...sigh.

 

[slavie]

I should also say, the cotter pin is either missing or corroded away.

Which is probably why it was stuck on/in there. Only thing I haven't tried yet is heat, because I don't have a torch. Plus I'd likely fry the CVboot. As it is the inner is tearing a little...sigh.

If you didn't actually take out the cotter pin and there's a chance it's still in there, even if partially, you're going to have a HELL of a time removing that nut...

Find the hole where the cotter pin remains are, and drill through it. Make sure it's clean through. I had to hammer mine out with a nail, cause even when there was a tiny bit of it sticking over the threads, the nut would not budge AT ALL.

 

[fenixus]

I should also say, the cotter pin is either missing or corroded away.

Which is probably why it was stuck on/in there. Only thing I haven't tried yet is heat, because I don't have a torch. Plus I'd likely fry the CVboot. As it is the inner is tearing a little...sigh.

oh, yeah, that could explain why that castle nut is so stubborn ... I wouldn't use torch down there ... too many rubber parts around - CV boot is the biggest worry, but your wheel bearing could also have a rubber seal on inner side (some of OEM ones are like that)... dremel should be OK, but be careful not to cut the CV boot (protect it with something).

 

[NapalmFTW]

I couldn't even see the hole for the pin, so maybe it was corroded/broken off inside.

I'll see if I can find it and drill it out, but the nut is all but rounded off.

 

[NapalmFTW]

Ok.. I went out there (dark now) and felt for the cotter pin. It's at 90 degrees to where it should be. Facing along the CV axle and not along the line of the body. *sigh*.

On the passenger side ball joint the cotter pin is facing the right way.

 

[fenixus]

Ok.. I went out there (dark now) and felt for the cotter pin. It's at 90 degrees to where it should be. Facing along the CV axle and not along the line of the body. *sigh*.

On the passenger side ball joint the cotter pin is facing the right way.

at least you found the culprit. good luck with the rest!