Fiesta wishbone pinch bolt stuck fast
Discussion
My wife's Fiesta has got some play in the ball joint on one of the wishbones and so I am attempting to replace it (the whole thing).
Exactly as per dreaded expectation I have failed at the first hurdle and am unable to get the pinch bolt undone, or more specifically whilst I've got the nut loose the bolt itself is stuck fast. So stuck that have used my crappy-but-often-effective 12v impact gun I've ended up rounding off the bolt head as I kept slipping off leaving my only option, presumably, to knock it through from the nut sized. But, it's just not budging.
I've been spraying it with PlusGas periodically throughout the day and whacking the bolt from the other end with a lump hammer but to no avail.
Any suggestions? Even just reassurance that it will come out, somehow, one day? I feel so disappointed and stressed. Stupid really.
I don't have an often-mentioned blow torch. Do I need one?
Exactly as per dreaded expectation I have failed at the first hurdle and am unable to get the pinch bolt undone, or more specifically whilst I've got the nut loose the bolt itself is stuck fast. So stuck that have used my crappy-but-often-effective 12v impact gun I've ended up rounding off the bolt head as I kept slipping off leaving my only option, presumably, to knock it through from the nut sized. But, it's just not budging.
I've been spraying it with PlusGas periodically throughout the day and whacking the bolt from the other end with a lump hammer but to no avail.
Any suggestions? Even just reassurance that it will come out, somehow, one day? I feel so disappointed and stressed. Stupid really.
I don't have an often-mentioned blow torch. Do I need one?
Thank you both. That set looks a handy thing to have so will get a set.
Re the blow torch, any suggestions type/variety wise? Hopefully I'm not going to be needing it often and so wouldn't want to spend too much, but presumably the less I spend the less effective it is likely to be?
It just seems so stuck fast. Looks and feels like it's welded to the knuckle.
There seems to be a lot of corrosion on this car (2013 plate). I know it spent it first few years up in Aberdeen, and when we bought it it had winter tyres on, so I'm wondering if suffered at the hands of salted roads.
I'll keep on with the PlusGas for the rest of the evening and see if luck is on my side in the morning and a few more whacks.
P.S. If I end up admitting defeat do you think I have a chance taking it to a garage? Or have I committed the ultimate sin attempting the work myself first?
Re the blow torch, any suggestions type/variety wise? Hopefully I'm not going to be needing it often and so wouldn't want to spend too much, but presumably the less I spend the less effective it is likely to be?
It just seems so stuck fast. Looks and feels like it's welded to the knuckle.
There seems to be a lot of corrosion on this car (2013 plate). I know it spent it first few years up in Aberdeen, and when we bought it it had winter tyres on, so I'm wondering if suffered at the hands of salted roads.
I'll keep on with the PlusGas for the rest of the evening and see if luck is on my side in the morning and a few more whacks.
P.S. If I end up admitting defeat do you think I have a chance taking it to a garage? Or have I committed the ultimate sin attempting the work myself first?
Incidentally, whilst access is a bit tight for an angle grinder I did wondering about attack with my Dremel and some cut-off discs? Surely if I remove the head then the bolt shaft should knock out? Perhaps its the shaft that's corroded though so there's risk I might make a bad situation worse.
That's more than I was hoping to pay but maybe I've just got to swallow this one given I'm past the point of no return.
I saw this one at Wickes for £34 (Edit: £29 at Toolstation Edit 2: No cylinder with the TS one!). I won't hold you to it, but ought it be up to the job, albeit slower?
I saw this one at Wickes for £34 (Edit: £29 at Toolstation Edit 2: No cylinder with the TS one!). I won't hold you to it, but ought it be up to the job, albeit slower?
Edited by MJNewton on Saturday 17th September 18:21
Hallelujah! It's out! All thanks to a bit of luck and (someone else's) skill...
I decided to pop out for another dose of PlusGas and threw in a few more hammer blows. At hearing the hammering the guy over the road came over for a chat and revealed that his Dad - who only happens to be a truck mechanic - is coming over shortly and he could bring him over if I wanted.
So, neighbour's Dad arrives and announced 'I'll get that out, no probs' and proceeded to hammer my 12mm impact socket on to the rounded-13mm bolt head whilst simultaneously warning me that it might be 12-and-a-bit-mm by the time he's finished. He then pulled a breaker bar out of his car that was so long we had to move the neighbours car out of the way for him to use it. Following a bit of grunting and a strained 'Ooh she's tight' announcement out came the words 'There she goes' and I could see some slight rotation. He to'd and fro'd with it, bit more PlusGas, and a few Thor-like hammer blows later it was out! He then said he'll get the ball joint out too whilst he's there as it might be awkward, so with few more hammer blows and a chisel it too was free.
As Matt_E_Mulsion said, it was indeed the shank that seemed to be the issue and so my focus with the PlusGas on the head was seemingly misplaced, although I did do the shank quite a bit too. I suppose with the open-clamp of the knuckle it's the shank that gets the exposure so it stands to reason it'd suffer the most.
Thanks again everyone for the input. It'll all be useful next time I'm in a pickle, which no doubt will be tomorrow when I need to get the two wishbone bolts out! I've always got the fallback plan of catching the neighbour's eye again and asking how his Dad is.
I decided to pop out for another dose of PlusGas and threw in a few more hammer blows. At hearing the hammering the guy over the road came over for a chat and revealed that his Dad - who only happens to be a truck mechanic - is coming over shortly and he could bring him over if I wanted.
So, neighbour's Dad arrives and announced 'I'll get that out, no probs' and proceeded to hammer my 12mm impact socket on to the rounded-13mm bolt head whilst simultaneously warning me that it might be 12-and-a-bit-mm by the time he's finished. He then pulled a breaker bar out of his car that was so long we had to move the neighbours car out of the way for him to use it. Following a bit of grunting and a strained 'Ooh she's tight' announcement out came the words 'There she goes' and I could see some slight rotation. He to'd and fro'd with it, bit more PlusGas, and a few Thor-like hammer blows later it was out! He then said he'll get the ball joint out too whilst he's there as it might be awkward, so with few more hammer blows and a chisel it too was free.
As Matt_E_Mulsion said, it was indeed the shank that seemed to be the issue and so my focus with the PlusGas on the head was seemingly misplaced, although I did do the shank quite a bit too. I suppose with the open-clamp of the knuckle it's the shank that gets the exposure so it stands to reason it'd suffer the most.
Thanks again everyone for the input. It'll all be useful next time I'm in a pickle, which no doubt will be tomorrow when I need to get the two wishbone bolts out! I've always got the fallback plan of catching the neighbour's eye again and asking how his Dad is.
Edited by MJNewton on Saturday 17th September 20:44
That's good to know - thanks - and I'd read similar from others about the value of time when it comes to penetrating oil. The thing is, when I'm in the thick of it my patience seems to drop to zero. I guess I'm in panic mode and so feel the urge for instant action. I'll try and remember for next time though.
Edited by MJNewton on Saturday 17th September 20:57
I'd seemingly been punished enough yesterday as I'm pleased to report that the remaining bolts - and the wishbone itself - came out without any drama and the new one is now in.
Thanks everyone for all the input and discussion; it was really appreciated.
Thanks everyone for all the input and discussion; it was really appreciated.
Edited by MJNewton on Sunday 18th September 11:27
Update 18 months on:
The wishbone on the other side now needed replacing (ball joint play again) and so I thought I'd add my approach to this thread for the sake of the archive.
This time round I knew it was the corrosion on the shank of the pinch bolt that was the issue and that getting some rotational movement into it was key. No amount of hammer blows were going to cut it, not least given the play in the suspension that some of you had warned me about.
So, I gave my impact gun a try and all I was getting was a rounding of the bolt head. This wasn't from slipping off like I'd assumed with the other side - just the softness of the bolt metal not being able to cope with the less-than-perfect socket fitting. So I hammered on an undersized socket and following further applications of Plusgas and a few cycles of heat (being careful not to melt the CV joint boot - I really didn't want to have to disturb the non-reusable 255Nm hub nut to shift it out of the way) I was able to get a slight amount of rotational movement with the breaker bar. Not much but I could just about move it to and fro so I knew it was somewhat free at that point.
I then whipped out this 6kg bad boy:
It came as part of a £30 ball joint remover kit ( AimTools 450701) which I'd seen on the Torque Test Channel that other similarly-priced tools could deliver over 5 tonnes of clamping force before starting to deform.
I didn't take a photo of it in-situ but I basically wrapped it around the bolt, clamped it up and made use of the hole in the receiving end of the handle to apply some rotation to the bolt head with my breaker. Bit by bit it started to shift and after a few iterations of tightening the clamp, twisting the bolt, spraying a bit more Plusgas, rinse-and-repeat it came out.
Like before the bolt didn't look completely destroyed by corrosion but clearly what does build up is enough to seize things up good and proper. I copper greased the replacement, but hopefully it won't need doing again anyway.
The wishbone on the other side now needed replacing (ball joint play again) and so I thought I'd add my approach to this thread for the sake of the archive.
This time round I knew it was the corrosion on the shank of the pinch bolt that was the issue and that getting some rotational movement into it was key. No amount of hammer blows were going to cut it, not least given the play in the suspension that some of you had warned me about.
So, I gave my impact gun a try and all I was getting was a rounding of the bolt head. This wasn't from slipping off like I'd assumed with the other side - just the softness of the bolt metal not being able to cope with the less-than-perfect socket fitting. So I hammered on an undersized socket and following further applications of Plusgas and a few cycles of heat (being careful not to melt the CV joint boot - I really didn't want to have to disturb the non-reusable 255Nm hub nut to shift it out of the way) I was able to get a slight amount of rotational movement with the breaker bar. Not much but I could just about move it to and fro so I knew it was somewhat free at that point.
I then whipped out this 6kg bad boy:
It came as part of a £30 ball joint remover kit ( AimTools 450701) which I'd seen on the Torque Test Channel that other similarly-priced tools could deliver over 5 tonnes of clamping force before starting to deform.
I didn't take a photo of it in-situ but I basically wrapped it around the bolt, clamped it up and made use of the hole in the receiving end of the handle to apply some rotation to the bolt head with my breaker. Bit by bit it started to shift and after a few iterations of tightening the clamp, twisting the bolt, spraying a bit more Plusgas, rinse-and-repeat it came out.
Like before the bolt didn't look completely destroyed by corrosion but clearly what does build up is enough to seize things up good and proper. I copper greased the replacement, but hopefully it won't need doing again anyway.
Edited by tux850 on Saturday 22 June 15:32
Krikkit said:
I'd also add that the wishbones don't always need replacing when the ball joints go wobbly - grind the rivets off the ball joint and they pop right out, then you can replace with new ones that bolt through the wishbone. Much cheaper and easier.
On these the ball joints are not riveted in place - just pressed in. However, the challenge here was the stuck pinch bolt which would've still remained an issue - the actual swapping of the wishbone was easy and I figured worthwhile anyway as given the age (11yrs) the bushes likely had limited life left in them too.zsdom said:
If your 13mm starts to round use a 1/2” socket instead
That & plenty of leverage will sort you right out
Good shout - that sounds like it would've been ideal. Perhaps I should look to get a set of imperial sockets purely for those occasions when they might offer a slightly better fit.That & plenty of leverage will sort you right out
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