worste Luck as a DIY??? Need help!!!!

[elks]

Ok so I have done just about every type of repair on a vehicle. It seems that I am having the worst luck on projects as of late. Today I decided to tackle the 44 on my 72 blazer(broke an axle shaft in moab in june). I got started and found out i needed new ball joints. I have never tackled ball joints, but looking at write ups, videos etc. I thought it would not be that bad. well I was wrong.

I got one knuckle off pretty easy. The other side is screwed up. I started removing the nut on the lower ball joint. First few turns went easy. then is got tight. Figured the broken axle shaft buggered up a thread or 2, so i slowly work it off. got about 1/2 the nut un threaded and the whole thing came loose. everything that is except the nut. Now I have a nut stuck pretty hard on a ball joint that spins freely. Can't tighten the nut, can't loosen the nut, Tried the sawsall, it couldn't cut the ball joint, started to cut the nut but only a ways down. I cant get a pipe wrench on it or a vice grip and channel locks can;t get enough grip. So now I m pissed. Spent over 8 hours working today and have yet to get the disassembly part of teh project done. Only other option is to try and find a cutting torch, i know a welder with one on his truck, but I am certain he is out in the hills camping like I should be instead of laying on my back in the driveway puking out words that all the neighborhood kids would get paddled for repeating. any thoughts????

worse part is i do not even have the ball joint spreader tool either. hopefully I can find one tomorrow. I am pissed.

 

[AJs72K5]

What about a nut splitter or a grinder?

 

[72blazerguy]

Jack the truck up using the ball joint. Should tighten up enough that you can turn the nut.

 

[elks]

Jack the truck up using the ball joint. Should tighten up enough that you can turn the nut.

Tried that and still the nut is too tight. Also tried wedging it as hard as i could and no luck at all. I do not have a nut splitter, but I will go get my grinder back from my friend in the morning. Not sure if it will clear around the area. I am half tempted to just pull the hole axle and but a 60, but not enough funds.

Thanks for suggestions I will try and figure it out.

 

[elks]

will the nut splitter work on a nut that is 1 1/8? i have to go to the another town to get one and would be bummed to loose that hour if it was too small.

 

[BIG*RED]

dont know it you have one, but I've split a few nuts with my air hammer and chissel bit. works quick and easy.

 

[70jimmy]

Angle grinder with a thin cutting wheel. Use it to cut down far enough to split the nut.

 

[elks]

dont know it you have one, but I've split a few nuts with my air hammer and chissel bit. works quick and easy.

i forgot all about the one i bought years ago at auction... I will try it in morning, unfortunattely I only have a little no name compressor. hopefully
it can get the job done.

 

[bigbadchev84]

X2 on the rinder and then hit it with the skinny wheel on the grinder, then hit it with the chisel

 

[mudbuggy]

I've ran into the same situation as you, I didn't have a torch and I didn't have a big compressor here at home. All my stuff at the house is electric, so I grabbed my grinder, didn't have a cut off wheel here so I just used a grinding wheel, takes a little more time but it does the job quite nicely.

 

[driney]

i forgot all about the one i bought years ago at auction... I will try it in morning, unfortunattely I only have a little no name compressor. hopefully
it can get the job done.

Cold chisel and a BFH works if you don't have enough air to run air chisel.

 

[diesel4me]

^..What he said...we had to use cold chisels and a 5 lb slecge to get things apart in the junkyard when the torches couild not be used due to fire hazards,most of the place was a pine forest,and was too easy to set ablaze....even at home I use them often,oxogen & acetalyne is expensive and the tanks always seem to be empty when I go to use them,and you cant always get a sawsall or cut off wheel to fit where you need it to go....I've used my dremel tool often to split a nut I rounded over too..

I think you'll find that nut wont be that hard to chisel off,just sharpen the chisel good and wear goggles brecause chips will fly!..you may have to re-sharpen it a few times..

I rememver well the day a cistomer wanted the front half of a GM 4x4 truck frame,from the front cab mount foreward--we had a truck all stripped out in the yard,no nose or engine,just bare frame rails,just what he wanted--but there were other vehicles plopped on top of the rruck and we couldn't use torches,and had no sawsall blades or money to go get any--we did have a hacksaw though,and a pack of new lenox blades..my co-worker and I took turns sawing the frame off BY HAND in the 90 degree July sun,while wasps bounced off us that were nesting in the truck cab!...took us about 20 minutes,but we cut it off !..I've had to saw off bolts using just a hacksaw blade wrapped with tape for a handle many times when the torch was out of fuel or we couldn't use it due to fire hazards...

 

[Stomis]

I dont see why you cant cut the balljoint stud with a good sawzall blade but if you hit it with a map gas torch and get her nice and hot then try again it will probably cut it like butter, at least until you reach the depth you removed the hardening.