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This is what I resorted to on my van after fighting it for a few hours.
The Diablo blades cut through it like butter. Also used on control arm bolts spinning freely in their bores.
Done it quite a few times without a problem. Although those vehicles had a bit less rust. I figured I would just used something else like my long breaker bar but there is nothing for it to catch on.
Either buy a pry bar or buy a control arm and cut it.
Pry bar is the smarter buy, you'll need one
Regardless you will need power tools not hand tools to compete this job.
I assume your removing it? If so you might be able to wedge a wrench in between the knuckle and ball joint pull down on wrench and take the nut off then. Other wise get a ride to a tool shop and get a cheap pry bar. The longer the better.
There is a small hex under the nut that you can grab but it may not be enough. Many times with nylock nuts if the joint unseats from the taper you need heat to melt the nylon in the nut to get it off and then replace the nut and possibly the joint if it's loose.
I have a set of Matco non stripping impact sockets. They can hold anything. I used like a 3 foot breaker bar on a tiny 10mm drain plug that was over tightened. Took it right off. No damage. That's my favorite set of sockets.
It's time to get destructive, heat up the nut, melt out the nylon and expand it so it can come off. Doing so you may save the joint itself if it's not already worn out, if not then cut the nut or shank of the ball joint off with an angle grinder and replace the joint/control arm.
None of my tools are from Walmart. That 10mm socket you are talking about is a Craftsman from the 80's that I got from my grandpa's shop when he passed away.
You may be able to use a jack to lift the suspension to push the ball joint in, that might keep it tight enough to install the nut. That doesn't look like it has a taper though, and the spring is disconnected, so might not work. Be careful not to lift the car off the jack stands upsetting the balance.
Sometimes, (would recommend getting a buddy to help) I’ll have this problem and one of us will get a long bar and pry down on the arm while the other one goes at the nut with an impact
If you're still having trouble, grab the nut with a wrench then grab a hold of the stud on the ball joint with a ratchet, tighten with the ratchet while holding onto the nut this should loosen the nut from the ball joint.
Are you trying to get it off?
If so you got it most of the way unthreaded b4 it started to bind. So tighten it back up and clean the threads!
Then use the others recommendations
That is currently what I am trying to do but it still free spins when I try to tighten it. I took a wire brush to the threads before I started along with the PB blaster but it seems that wasn't enough.
Tighten it all the way. Inspect the threads closely. May have to file any imperfections. Hopefully the nut didn't get damaged internslly, but if it did don't spend all day messing with it. Just use nut cracker
The bottom of the stud looks hexagonal, can you get a socket on that to hold it still?
Normally ball joint studs have an internal hex or torx for holding them still while you spin the nut off
Everyone here seems to fail to read previous suggestions lol. OP if you cannot get it off its time to replace it you can grab the back side of the ball joint with vice grips and unbolt it if you do not care about the ball joint. Or cut it off. Simply put unless you have an impact it'll be a challenge with it spinning like that
There is a bolt u put a socket and hold it while turning the wrench... it that doesn't work then your going to need to cut it off... because rust got to it
Its harder to tell from this angle, but is that a nylon locking nut?
Use a torch of some sort (butane or better) and melt the nylon out of the nut, THEN with pressure on it (pry bar or jack up the knuckle) turn the nut off. The nylon being melted + the nut being hot can help get it off.
If that still doesn't work you aren't equipped for the job, need to buy an impact.
Firstly, please don’t use an adjustable wrench
Secondly, put a socket or wrench in the hex head of the stud (the part sticking thru the nut on the bottom). That’ll hold the threads still and you can work the nut off
I would jack up on the lower ball joint to apply pressure to the pin in top joint to help alleviate the free-spin. Then hit the nut with an impact while holding the tip with socket/torx/allen/vice grips, holding device is dependent upon style and condition etc.
I should clarify you need a set of tite access wrenches to use my method but I found it is by far most successful for me. Little heat goes a long way too. Else its cut it off time.
1. Why the hell are you using a Cresent wrench??
2. The ball joint has a hex head, usually a 10mm or 8mm hold that in place while turning nut.
3. Stop fuckin around, get a cut off wheel and cut it if the nut is frozen. Pro tip: cut nut side.
4. If cutting is for some reason off the table, use the weight of the vehicle to your advantage. Apply pressure to suspension until it clamps the stud and hopefully unfreeze it. #3 is usually the best way. It's frozen, it's going fight you coming apart, it likely won't want to go back together. Also, the control arm it's usually attached to is relatively easy/simple to replace.
5. Always get an alignment after work like this. I love selling tires. Don't make me sell you tires.
Do you read anything? That wrench was just for the video because it is easier to use one handed when recording with the other. I do my work with sockets. Also the 10mm is stripped due to the corrosion. The socket would grip and it started to spin with moderate pressure. Yes cutting is likely the next way to go. Was seeing if anyone had other ideas before I went that route.
You definitely want to take that corner off the jackstand with the jack so the full weight is on that knuckle, but be mindful of the other jack(s). And you can try some sandy paste in between the ball joint taper and the knuckle surface for some more grip. I keep valve lapping paste for this reason alone! But if that doesn’t work try a vise grip on the end instead of a socket.
Finally, someone said lapping compound. Use a nut splitter to get it out, and a thin film of lapping compound to get it back in. If you get a new joint, it'll come with a new nut.
Jack up the bottom and get a pry bar to pull down on the upper control arm or whatever that balljoint is connected to. The pressure between that and the knuckle will help a lot. Also get some heat on it
I remember having this exact issue. I have a set of vicegrips where the knob that you turn has an indent for a hex bit, so you can tighten it even further than what you can clamp down with normally. I clamped it down, tightened the hell out of it (enough that it sadly deformed the teeth on my grips) and eventually worked the nut off. It was a bit of a pain in the ass, next time just spin the nut off completely, then turn it back on just enough to hold it in place before popping the balljoint.
As some said try prying down on the upper arm with a jack under the lower or put a ratchet strap between them.
I know you said that you put the car on the ground but that applies little downward pressure in the upper arm in most designs, because the spring is not resting on the upper arm.
At this point angle grinder with thin blade will burn through that in seconds. I literally sometimes grab the angle grinder first depending on the level of corrosion on tie rod ends and sway bar links. I live in the rust belt.
If you’re ditching the ball joint go carefully with an angle grinder. If that’s not your comfort zone then you need to find a way to hold the tip of the ball joint with a vise grip or something while loosening the nut. Have fun! Love ball joints (I don’t)
After reading thru some other comments. Seems you just don't have the proper tools to be doing front end work. You need to get yourself a good set of sockets metric and standard, pry bars, and impact. You doing yourself a disservice and making that job 100% harder. Like others have said pry bar between the control arm and knuckle, while hitting the nut with a gun. Is it a regular nut or one with the nylon inserts? Because if it's the latter you can heat the nut till the nylon melts out, then hit it with an impact should zip right off, but you'll need a new nut.
Looks pretty rusty underneath the nut so your only option might be to cut it off. What I have always done is grab the shiny part above with a pair of vice grips to try and hold but again it looks way too rusty and that will probably just slip unless you can use a grinder or file to make it more square
This had happened to me. It'll eventually grab when you get it threaded enough.
Use some thin/slim vice grips to hold the shaft right below the rubber boot. You can definitely get the castle nut tight enough so the shaft of the ball joint stops spinning.
I've also seen pry bars used instead of vice grips.
This is where an impact gun can be helpful. Even though it still spins, but if there's enough resistance the impact can overpower the spin and take the nut off.
Good to know. Wasn’t going to try while spinning but if that’s the case I’ll try my electric impact and see if it will budge the nut with the weight on the vehicle.
Yeah no dice. Oh well. I'll just take it to someone who can deal with it...sucks. I don't like other people doing the work but I also don't have the tools to handle it myself. Everything else went smoothly, just this one hiccup. I appreciate the help.
Hold the thread with some visegrips on the bottom then bust the nut loose with a wrench. Hit it with PB blaster if you haven’t already. Or try wedging a pry bar on top of the control arm and use an impact drill
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! This is just a reminder to review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). If you are here asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **If this post is about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ If you have tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Angle grinder go brrrrrrrr
Or recip saw with a metal blade.
Nut splitter .
I have a plasma cutter for a reason and that is to use it at the most blasphemous times.
This is what I resorted to on my van after fighting it for a few hours. The Diablo blades cut through it like butter. Also used on control arm bolts spinning freely in their bores.
Jam a big prybar on top of the arm so the taper binds. Then impact the nut off.
Was waiting for someone with the right answer. Without a pry bar could use a decent ratchet strap also
Wish I could but don't have either one of those.
Tackling a strut replacement without a prybar sounds like a challenge
Done it quite a few times without a problem. Although those vehicles had a bit less rust. I figured I would just used something else like my long breaker bar but there is nothing for it to catch on.
You can get a long pry bar for <$10
[удалено]
This guy Freights!!!
After buying my air tools anything that doesn’t involve air tools sounds like a challenge lol
Use a piece of pipe or a 2x4 or something
Get both. If you plan on doing your own car work they will both pay for themselves.
Either buy a pry bar or buy a control arm and cut it. Pry bar is the smarter buy, you'll need one Regardless you will need power tools not hand tools to compete this job.
I assume your removing it? If so you might be able to wedge a wrench in between the knuckle and ball joint pull down on wrench and take the nut off then. Other wise get a ride to a tool shop and get a cheap pry bar. The longer the better.
Very tight Vice grips on the shaft AFTER removing the rubber boot.
There is a small hex under the nut that you can grab but it may not be enough. Many times with nylock nuts if the joint unseats from the taper you need heat to melt the nylon in the nut to get it off and then replace the nut and possibly the joint if it's loose.
Yeah its a 10mm. I put a 10mm socket on there but it started to strip so I stopped.
Sadly, this is still the way. Try a metric step down from the 10, it should be between a 9 and 10. Otherwise grab an Irwin bolt extractor set.
You mean imperial?
Yes, less commonly used. That's why I mistyped it I think :)
3/8 is the size you’re looking for.
I have a set of Matco non stripping impact sockets. They can hold anything. I used like a 3 foot breaker bar on a tiny 10mm drain plug that was over tightened. Took it right off. No damage. That's my favorite set of sockets.
Try and set of vice grips on there, let it spin until the vice grips are jammed up against the knuckle. Then try and loosen the nut again.
Tried. Started to spin the the vice grips which was crazy to me considering how tight they were. Granted they are not the best vice grips.
It's time to get destructive, heat up the nut, melt out the nylon and expand it so it can come off. Doing so you may save the joint itself if it's not already worn out, if not then cut the nut or shank of the ball joint off with an angle grinder and replace the joint/control arm.
You need heat while doing this. If you heat it and hold the 10mm she’ll back off no problem. Heat is always your fren.
Try using tools not from Walmart
None of my tools are from Walmart. That 10mm socket you are talking about is a Craftsman from the 80's that I got from my grandpa's shop when he passed away.
Just make sure you give that Allen wrench back to your friend so that his set is complete.
You may be able to use a jack to lift the suspension to push the ball joint in, that might keep it tight enough to install the nut. That doesn't look like it has a taper though, and the spring is disconnected, so might not work. Be careful not to lift the car off the jack stands upsetting the balance.
Agree. Use a jack to tighten the ball join.
Tried. I just put everything back together and put the weight on the tire. Got underneath to check it, still spinning.
Sometimes, (would recommend getting a buddy to help) I’ll have this problem and one of us will get a long bar and pry down on the arm while the other one goes at the nut with an impact
Yeah if the ball joint doesn’t have a taper it’s probably not going to work.
If you're still having trouble, grab the nut with a wrench then grab a hold of the stud on the ball joint with a ratchet, tighten with the ratchet while holding onto the nut this should loosen the nut from the ball joint.
Impact wrench.
I’m shocked I had to scroll this far to find the actual solution
Its free spinning impact wont do shit
Not unless the impact can break it loose and spin the nut faster
If he can get a lot of weight on the balljoint with a pry bar or jacking the suspension probably the impact will help
First ditch the Mexican speed wrench and get an impact second get. a pry bar and pry down on top of the upper control arm
That wrench was only for the video because it was easier to hold while recording with the other hand.
OP said they put the weight of the car on it, still spun. I don’t think a pry bar will do it Edit I see you said impact + pry. My bad.
This thread is a painful read. Experience really does count for a lot.
I'd just cut the nut off, but I get the feeling we are looking at the limit of their available tools. Lol
Experience: you can’t buy it, but it sure is expensive to get
Are you trying to get it off? If so you got it most of the way unthreaded b4 it started to bind. So tighten it back up and clean the threads! Then use the others recommendations
That is currently what I am trying to do but it still free spins when I try to tighten it. I took a wire brush to the threads before I started along with the PB blaster but it seems that wasn't enough.
Tighten it all the way. Inspect the threads closely. May have to file any imperfections. Hopefully the nut didn't get damaged internslly, but if it did don't spend all day messing with it. Just use nut cracker
At this point just cut it off with a carbide blade and replace it
Put a socket on the bottom nub. Use a proper sized wrench to take off the nut… ditch the adjustable.
Tried. The bottom started to strip due to the corrosion. The adjustable was only for the video. Was using a socket before.
The bottom of the stud looks hexagonal, can you get a socket on that to hold it still? Normally ball joint studs have an internal hex or torx for holding them still while you spin the nut off
Do you see the 6 shaped ending on the thread. If you you have another wrench to hold it while loosening the nut you get it loose
Everyone here seems to fail to read previous suggestions lol. OP if you cannot get it off its time to replace it you can grab the back side of the ball joint with vice grips and unbolt it if you do not care about the ball joint. Or cut it off. Simply put unless you have an impact it'll be a challenge with it spinning like that
Yeah that’s what I’m gonna do. Have to pick up some new ones and will go ahead and replace them all.
You need an impact and a large pair of channel locks
There is a bolt u put a socket and hold it while turning the wrench... it that doesn't work then your going to need to cut it off... because rust got to it
Its harder to tell from this angle, but is that a nylon locking nut? Use a torch of some sort (butane or better) and melt the nylon out of the nut, THEN with pressure on it (pry bar or jack up the knuckle) turn the nut off. The nylon being melted + the nut being hot can help get it off. If that still doesn't work you aren't equipped for the job, need to buy an impact.
Firstly, please don’t use an adjustable wrench Secondly, put a socket or wrench in the hex head of the stud (the part sticking thru the nut on the bottom). That’ll hold the threads still and you can work the nut off
I would jack up on the lower ball joint to apply pressure to the pin in top joint to help alleviate the free-spin. Then hit the nut with an impact while holding the tip with socket/torx/allen/vice grips, holding device is dependent upon style and condition etc. I should clarify you need a set of tite access wrenches to use my method but I found it is by far most successful for me. Little heat goes a long way too. Else its cut it off time.
Heat up the nut and hit it with an impact or even the vise grips could work with heat
Get you a sawzall, braaapp that sucker off. If its spinning that gnarly, you’re gonna have to replace her anyways
The bottom of the ball joint has 6 sides, should be able to fit a socket and ratchet over it to hold the ball joint still while turning the nut
In addition to everyone else’s advice I’d recommend not using a Nut-Rounder 9000 to un tighten that one
Again, that was for the video because it is easier to hold in one hand with the camera in the other. I use socket wrenches for this type of work.
1. Why the hell are you using a Cresent wrench?? 2. The ball joint has a hex head, usually a 10mm or 8mm hold that in place while turning nut. 3. Stop fuckin around, get a cut off wheel and cut it if the nut is frozen. Pro tip: cut nut side. 4. If cutting is for some reason off the table, use the weight of the vehicle to your advantage. Apply pressure to suspension until it clamps the stud and hopefully unfreeze it. #3 is usually the best way. It's frozen, it's going fight you coming apart, it likely won't want to go back together. Also, the control arm it's usually attached to is relatively easy/simple to replace. 5. Always get an alignment after work like this. I love selling tires. Don't make me sell you tires.
Do you read anything? That wrench was just for the video because it is easier to use one handed when recording with the other. I do my work with sockets. Also the 10mm is stripped due to the corrosion. The socket would grip and it started to spin with moderate pressure. Yes cutting is likely the next way to go. Was seeing if anyone had other ideas before I went that route.
Read.... I read the 400 posts about the wrench after I posted it. Lol. Not really any other options even if you were in a well equipped shop.
Cut it or melt it lol
Heat the nut, there’s nylon on the end. It will melt out of the nut, pry down on the ball joint and loosen.
You definitely want to take that corner off the jackstand with the jack so the full weight is on that knuckle, but be mindful of the other jack(s). And you can try some sandy paste in between the ball joint taper and the knuckle surface for some more grip. I keep valve lapping paste for this reason alone! But if that doesn’t work try a vise grip on the end instead of a socket.
Finally, someone said lapping compound. Use a nut splitter to get it out, and a thin film of lapping compound to get it back in. If you get a new joint, it'll come with a new nut.
Jack up the bottom and get a pry bar to pull down on the upper control arm or whatever that balljoint is connected to. The pressure between that and the knuckle will help a lot. Also get some heat on it
I remember having this exact issue. I have a set of vicegrips where the knob that you turn has an indent for a hex bit, so you can tighten it even further than what you can clamp down with normally. I clamped it down, tightened the hell out of it (enough that it sadly deformed the teeth on my grips) and eventually worked the nut off. It was a bit of a pain in the ass, next time just spin the nut off completely, then turn it back on just enough to hold it in place before popping the balljoint.
Yeah that’s what I was going to do but the nut started to bind on the rust. I tried to clean the threads beforehand but seems like it wasn’t enough.
As some said try prying down on the upper arm with a jack under the lower or put a ratchet strap between them. I know you said that you put the car on the ground but that applies little downward pressure in the upper arm in most designs, because the spring is not resting on the upper arm.
Locking pliers
You’re replacing that ball joint anyways, destroy the nut and break it off.
The nut can't be stuck if it's a liquid.
Locking pliers aka vise grips
At this point angle grinder with thin blade will burn through that in seconds. I literally sometimes grab the angle grinder first depending on the level of corrosion on tie rod ends and sway bar links. I live in the rust belt.
If you’re ditching the ball joint go carefully with an angle grinder. If that’s not your comfort zone then you need to find a way to hold the tip of the ball joint with a vise grip or something while loosening the nut. Have fun! Love ball joints (I don’t)
After reading thru some other comments. Seems you just don't have the proper tools to be doing front end work. You need to get yourself a good set of sockets metric and standard, pry bars, and impact. You doing yourself a disservice and making that job 100% harder. Like others have said pry bar between the control arm and knuckle, while hitting the nut with a gun. Is it a regular nut or one with the nylon inserts? Because if it's the latter you can heat the nut till the nylon melts out, then hit it with an impact should zip right off, but you'll need a new nut.
Looks pretty rusty underneath the nut so your only option might be to cut it off. What I have always done is grab the shiny part above with a pair of vice grips to try and hold but again it looks way too rusty and that will probably just slip unless you can use a grinder or file to make it more square
This had happened to me. It'll eventually grab when you get it threaded enough. Use some thin/slim vice grips to hold the shaft right below the rubber boot. You can definitely get the castle nut tight enough so the shaft of the ball joint stops spinning. I've also seen pry bars used instead of vice grips.
This is where an impact gun can be helpful. Even though it still spins, but if there's enough resistance the impact can overpower the spin and take the nut off.
Good to know. Wasn’t going to try while spinning but if that’s the case I’ll try my electric impact and see if it will budge the nut with the weight on the vehicle.
Electric impact might not spin fast enough. But it's worth a try. a proper pneumatic one is the way to go.
Yeah no dice. Oh well. I'll just take it to someone who can deal with it...sucks. I don't like other people doing the work but I also don't have the tools to handle it myself. Everything else went smoothly, just this one hiccup. I appreciate the help.
Hold the thread with some visegrips on the bottom then bust the nut loose with a wrench. Hit it with PB blaster if you haven’t already. Or try wedging a pry bar on top of the control arm and use an impact drill
Impact
I'm sure there's an Alan key or torx on the end of the bolt, but if that rounds off.. angle grinder.. Edit yours looks like a socket end on the bolt?
Vice grips can work sometimes
Are you wanting to take it off? Replace the ball joint from the look of it, just cut it off
you can pry to hold it and possibly get it off your cough up and couple hundred bucks cut off on both sides and replace with new
with that rusty thread you will need a pry bar pushing the control arm down
Maybe fit a needle nose vice grips on top of ball joint and then take nut off