Spindle Pin Woes

[Hardway]

After several weeks of rounding up tools and doing all the research I could find I decided to tackle my spindle pins. I have the rear suspension off the car so it makes things easier. I invested in an acetlyene/oxy torch setup and got a crash course in how to use it from my neighbor who is a certified welder. I built a pipe based puller that has been shown all around the net. Instead of having the all thread tapped in the middle I made an adaper that would screw on to the end of the all thread by welding a M14x1.25 lugnut to 5/8 coupling nut. I had been hosing down the pins with PB Blaster for the last few weeks and today I used my torch setup to heat up the strut tubes/hub assembly. I made sure to go slow but ended up snapping the end off one side. On the other side I heated it up longer but it snapped the end off too. Knowing there was no way to pull the pins out I got my cut off wheel and cut the pins so I could free the control arm. Now I am left with the hub assembly and the stuck pin inside. I am thinking I am going to have to take it somewhere and have it pressed out. In addition I still need to extract the broken piece of spindle pin from my adapter. So before I tackle the other pin that is still mint I wanted to see if I am missing anything. In addition I think 2 factors were possibly working against me.

1. Even with the torch maybe I am not getting the hub assembly hot enough?

2. My adapter is not 100% straight and thus it was not pulling the pin out exactly straight.

If anyone can add anything to this for items I may have missed is greatly appreciated.

[240260280z]

Maybe too much heat got into the pins and weakened them?

[ksechler]

Get a drift and pound it out. You don't have to worry about damaging the pin anymore! There's nothing easy about that job.

[Captain Obvious]

Knowing there was no way to pull the pins out I got my cut off wheel and cut the pins so I could free the control arm. Now I am left with the hub assembly and the stuck pin inside.

BTDT. Woof.

Back when I went through that, I ended up drilling the old pin out of the strut assy. I've got a hydraulic press since then, and before I drilled it, I would see if I could press it out. If my press didn't have the nuts, I would take it to someone with a bigger press.

Drilling it was no fun at all. :dead:

[Captain Obvious]

Get a drift and pound it out.

YMMV, but that didn't work for me.

[olzed]

Pounding them out with a drift will probably not work if they are too tight to pull out.

The pounding can actually swell the ends, and make them tighter.

They need to be pressed out.

[EuroDat]

LOTS of Heat on the out outside only. DONT heat the pin, it will expand and seize up. You need to heat the outside. That way it will expand and give you a better chance at getting the pin out.

Dont direct heat through the cotter pin hole. Its tempting, but that will heat the pin more the the hub. You need to keep the pin as "cool" as possible otherwise it will expand and soften. Then you will only mushroom the end and make it harder to get out.

Use a big hammer. A small hammer doesnt have the force. The more you hit it the more it will mushroom the pin. And a driving pin a little bit smaller than the spindle pin. If you dont have one big enough a 1/2" grade 8 bolt will be ok. A long one with the thread section cut off. It also has a nice big hex head which helps protect your fingers if you have lousy aim

If you can get your hands on a press. That will make life a lot easier. I would still use heat on it and then press it out.

Spindel pins, they can be the biggest PITA.

Goodluck with it. Mine came out like yours, in pieces:disappoin

Chas

Edited February 10, 2013 by EuroDat

[tlorber]

When you get to the other side, make sure you keep rotating the control arm back and forth as you apply the tension.

[zKars]

Please tell me you removed the center locking pin from the strut that locks the spindle pin from turning.....

[Hardway]

Thanks for all the input guys. As always, this forum and its members rock! Yes, the locking pins are out. I made sure not to apply hear around the pin hole since I new it was a direct shot to the pin. Looking like a 20 Ton HF press is in my near future. I had looked at buying one to do my rear wheel bearing job but now it looks like I need one even more. If they have it in stock I am going to try and pick it up today and try again. I will post my updates once I have them.

[Jarvo2]

Is a 20ton press really required? I've been eyeing up a 12 ton and its a heck of a lot cheaper than the 20ton.

[AlexS13]

I had this exact same situation happen to me. I cut the pin as you did so I can separate the spindle from the control arm and took it to a local garage to press it out. To my surprise even with using the press we couldn't get the pin to come out. While the press was applying pressure on the pin we heated the outside of the spindle ALOT, almost to the point where it was starting to glow red and it finally broke free and came out.

Goodluck with it, let us know how you make out!