The dealer told me my compression rods need to be changed. So I decided to save hundreds of dollars and just change the bushings by removing the compression rods. This is my first time working on suspension and this issue has got me frustrated to the point of almost tapping out and hiring a mechanic to come to my garage. And quitting is not in my nature..

I have the car on all 4 jack stands. Front passenger wheel removed, caliper, caliper brackets, rotor... removed. I started by removing the cotter pin from the compression rod ball joint stud which would not budge and I ended up having to drill it out... Then I felt great for about a minute and did not expect what was about to come.. I used my new impact gun on the ball joint nut and it just spins the ball joint stud in its socket..

Is there a proven way to do this? I have even tried jacking up the knuckle/LCA and even jacking directly on the bolt and using an open ended wrench but it just kept spinning the stud... it doesn't take much force to spin this stud..

My car has been up on stands for days now.. this problem has me stumped. I have heard of using a picklefork? Will it even fit in the small area we have to work with?

Note: the underbrace is still connected to the vehicle and not removed. The bushing side of the compression rod has not been removed yet.

I feel like I have sprayed half a bottle of PB blaster on the stud/nut. I have even used a torch to heat up the nut a couple times.

 

This is easy pull down on the compression rod while you remove the nut if that dosnt work apply pressure to the bolt by jacking up on the bottom of the control arm and then loosen the nut make sure you use pb blaster or wd40 on the threads to help

 

Try using a pair of large vice grips. Clamp them down hard on the dust boot. Suspention can be a real bitch sometimes.

 

Hey here's how I did it with a cheapo impact wrench, it's even worth a shot with a breaker bar and pb blaster (not in the bushing!)
Get a C clamp, set it up to compress and pinch the bushing in the joint, at whatever angle works. Then, hit it with an impact.

 

No offense ^ but if he isnt replacing the compression rod i wouldn't use vice grips

 

This happened on my driver side but not on the passenger. I finally was able to grab hold of the stud with vice locks and use a open ended wrenched to turn the nut slowly and surely it came off.

 

Thanks for all the replies

I've already tried jacking the bottom of the knuckle assembly while turning the nut, there was no difference in tightness and the stud continued to turn. How do you suggest I apply downward force to the compression rod with enough force?

To the rest who suggested using a c-clamp or vice on the dust boot/stud, I think I will give that a go tomorrow. I will have to fiddle around with getting a proper grip on the stud as the neither the dust boot or the actual bolt below the nut give me much to grip on to.

 

What part of the stud did you clamp on to? Was this inside the dust boot or that little bit of stud below the nut?

 

https://g35driver.com/forums/brakes-...placement.html

http://my350z.com/forum/9960974-post203.html

https://g35driver.com/forums/6505764-post10.html

http://my350z.com/forum/8913908-post46.html

http://my350z.com/forum/9356360-post54.html

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost....99&postcount=2

 

Just picture creating as much friction as you can inside the joint, and definitely get some of that grease out of there using maf cleaner or something like that, thats what I used. clamp to the part directly on top of the nut and situate the other side of the clamp to the top of the compression rod.

 

I have a small bottle.jack i use for balljoints that are a real pain. Just set it on the arm and jack up, you may have to use a small piece of 4x4 to put between the jack and whatever the jack pad comes in contac. With but a few pumps of pressure and you should be good

 

Another thing you could try to put downward force on the compression rod would be to take ratchet strap and loop it around the compression rod then use your body weight to stand on the strap.

 

I got it off!!!!

Thank you all so much, my dad brought over his more powerful compressor, we turned up the PSI to about 145 and with the impact gun it came right off. Those were great suggestions and I was about to whip out the locking pliers next! A properly powered impact gun makes all the difference!