Removing Steering Damper from Drag link

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- Walt Barie
  
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posted
20 years ago

Sun, Feb 22, 2004 9:25 PM

I decided to try to change my steering damper since I believe it is the original 110K mile damper. The axle side was easy, so I tried to disconnect the drag link side. Well to say the least it is quite stuck even after soaking for a day in PB blaster oil. I tried a pickle fork, a gear puller (cranked on it until I was afraid it was going to break), whacking on it with a 3lb hammer, and heating it and do the same things. At this point I'm thinking that I will have to drill out the bolt to get the damper off. Is there any trick to getting the thing off that I am missing?

Walt B.

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- Mike Romain
  
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posted
20 years ago

Sun, Feb 22, 2004 9:48 PM

Get it up higher in the air and use a bigger hammer....

Seriously!

Or just take a torch and cut the freaking bolt out...

That is one seriously miserable thing to try and get apart!!!

I gave up on them a long time back and just take them to a shop with a hoist and a torch. The last one cost me a half hour labor to install my part and they had to torch the sucker off.

Same for track bars. It cost me $45.00 labor to put my part in and both ends needed to be torched...

Money well spent, believe me.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Walt Barie wrote:

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- Roy J
  
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posted
20 years ago

Sun, Feb 22, 2004 10:28 PM

Mike has the right idea, take it to a shop with a two hosed wrench!

On the other hand, if you think you want to continue bashing on it yourself try putting a LARGE hunk of steel in behind the tie rod. The object is to get enough mass so that when you hammer on the stablizer pin, the tie rod does not move (much). It takes two people, one to hammer with the proverbial BFH ( I have a 6 pound one!) and a second person to hold the 15 to 20 pounds of steel in place. Getting it well up in the air is a big plus. I bought some

6 ton jackstands, not for the capacity but for the stable height of 24"

Have fun!

Mike Roma> Get it up higher in the air and use a bigger hammer....

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- Paul Calman
  
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posted
20 years ago

Sun, Feb 22, 2004 11:10 PM

I have better results with tapered pins by putting my 2nd largest hammer on the small end of the pin and using the biggest to whack the eye that it fits in, 90 degrees to the pin. The small deformation pops it out, and doesnt damage the joint or rubbers.

-- Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

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- WBarie
  
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posted
20 years ago

Mon, Feb 23, 2004 1:18 PM

Thanks for the advice. I can see how getting the vehicle (93 GC) in the air may help. Especially since jacking it up may allow for more room to put another hammer behind to keep the link from moving when whacked from the other side. I've popped many other taper joints in the past however this one seems more "stubborn" than most. I'll try it again next weekend. If no success then time to take it to a garage since I don't have an Oxy-Act torch myself.