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Can Not Get Lower Control Arm Off

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95_Talon20

Probationary Member
17
0
Sep 6, 2014
Kansas City, Missouri
Ok I have been literally wailing on this thing for the longest and also I used a pickle fork but it didn't work. Is there some kind of pin in there that needs to come out or what? What I am going to end up doing is just replace everything. So am I missing some kind of trick?
 
Remove the cotter pin, remove the nut (I'm sure you've already accomplished that), Heat it with a torch if you can't get it out by hammering/pickle fork. Also you can try to soak it with some liquid wrench and let it sit for a while.
 
you need to find a way to spread where the bolt holds the ball joint. I used to pry bars a long one to pry down on the ball joint and the other to try and spread where it clamps around the ball joint.
 
I've always had the most luck hammering the knuckle where the balljoint comes up through. Not the balljoint or the control arms ittself.
 
Honestly would I have more luck with the Knuckle on the car or can I just unbolt the other end of the upper and lower control arms and the other that curves (replacing everything anyway) and take it off, especially since I accidentally burnt my cv axle and it's leaking grease everywhere now LOL. And if I still can't get it off I could take the whole thing to one of the techs at my job (work at a dealership) good or bad idea?
 
well that being sad I would just go ahead and unbolt the entire control are and knuckle from the shock. you might be able to see if its just froze in there or if the bolt joint even has enough room to come out. like said sometimes where the bolt goes thru to hold the ball joint is squeezing the ball joint still and you might have to try and spread it. torch will help free it up. seen once in my life a guy at firestone heat up a ball joint with a torch red hot and while using a pry bar pushing down on it poured ice water on the ball joint and it popped right out.
 
Skip heat. Spray it down with liquid wrench.
Get a "ball joint separator". Not a pickle fork. It's two levers with a bolt you tighten that presses down on the stud to break the rust bond loose. You don't risk destroying anything with one of these. And there's what? 5 balljoints on each side of the front end on 2g's? :p

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The ball joint stud is a tapered fit into the knuckle. You need to get the knuckle off the car and the axle out of the way so you can hit the stud down out of the knuckle. Some liquid wrench soak will help loosen the rust bond and a good whack on the ball joint stud usually will knock it loose.

If you bought a knuckle kit then just replace the whole assembly and toss it in the junk pile and forget about it works too. :D It's a nice option to buy a knuckle kit from one of the oem vendors on here and replace it all. mr325009 and mr325010 You get a new knuckle and both lower control arms in the kit. Often it is cheaper to buy the kit than buy control arms separately or a similar price to buying aftermarket arms separate.
 
You don't need anything but a small sledge hammer. No lubricant, no separators, no heat or anything. It is a taper fit joint, a good wack on the knuckle where the stud fits thru and it will come right out. You are just looking for a good shock to free the stud from the taper. Watch this video, it will give you idea on how to do this.
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You don't need anything but a small sledge hammer. No lubricant, no separators, no heat or anything. It is a taper fit joint, a good wack on the knuckle where the stud fits thru and it will come right out. You are just looking for a good shock to free the stud from the taper. Watch this video, it will give you idea on how to do this.
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+ 1^^ and don't ever hammer on the top of the threaded stud(ball joint stud) to force it out or you'll risk compressing/distort the thread and you'll never get the nut back on.
 
Yea better to just junk it, Whole lot easier.Has anyone ever bought anything from Extremepsi.com? Or could anyone point me to sites that have good prices for oem parts.[DOUBLEPOST=1414180492][/DOUBLEPOST]Also will I have to have my wheel bearing Hub assembly pressed in?
 
Ok . And last question I promise LOL I researched about the lower lateral arm and apparently the bolt that connects to the chassis is threaded through it and I don't want to snap the bolt... should i keep soaking it with liquid wrench and using a torch to get it out?
 
Well, there are two. The straight one connects through the chassis using a bolt and a nut, then in the middle to the lower strut mount using a bolt and a nut again. After that, its the ball joint.

The curved arm connects to the chassis via two bolts, then its just the ball joint. Be careful with those two as I've seen them snap before. Let them sit for a day in some penetrating oil, then when you have those bolts out, use a wire wheel on a table grinder to clean them before threading them back in.
 
Ok the first one you said, how do you get the bolt out? I took the nut off but the bolt is in there
 
If the bolt is still in there, lightly tap the bolt to get it out. Once you can't tap it any further, use something to pry on the head of the bolt or stick a flat head on the underside of the bolt head and tap the screw driver with the hammer.
 
But if doesn't move use some map gas and heat it. Have a spray bottle with some water. Use a punch if you have one to tap out. Oh and in case you do wanna use a separator, auto zone rents lots of tools for free ( but deposit required).
 
put some anti seize on those bolt before reinstalling them this will help keep them from getting a rust bond and seizing thus causing them to snap if you should later down the road disassemble the control arm again
 
I thought the bolt was threaded through the chassis but ok I guess, thanks guys
 
The bolt that connects the lower strut mounting fork to the control arm will usually be rusted if you are on the original arm. There is a sleeve inside that hole that is attached to the arm with rubber. That sleeve is sometimes so rusted to the bolt that no amount of heat or beating will get it out. If i take the nut off and find that the bolt is seized i don't even try to remove them. I just grab a reciprocating saw with a thin blade and cut the bolt. If you put the blade between the arm and mounting fork than you can cut thru the edge of the sleeve and bolt on both sides real quick. Than you just need a new bolt and new arm. You can use a hack saw also, or a cutoff wheel also if you'd like. For the new bolt get zinc coated and a little anti-seize.
 
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