Adapt, improvise... overcome! Good thinking with the bearing splitter, but sometimes you need an impact over the tension. I just did my left front outer boot today in record time by holding tension on the joint with the vice grips/prybar routine and using a long straight punch to give a quick sharp hit on the inner race of the outer joint right at the splines. It wouldn't pop apart at all with just the prying but snapped apart easily with the first hit. Location is key with the forces applied in separating the joint when they are being difficult.

Thanks Weasel. Something told me the help I needed would come AFTER I got through my stuck axle
scenario. :)
I guess I didn't know how much abuse the joint can take as far as hitting.

How do you do the punch hit and prybar at the same time?

t

Used my "third arm" ;) :rofl:

Actually by that point I had my brother hold tension on the prybar while I operated the punch and hammer. After spending simply a minute with 2 prybars back to back pushing the joint apart I figured it wasn't coming apart easy enough that way and quickly moved to the plan B with a helping hand as the shop was 20 minutes from closing and I was ready to clean up and get out of there anyways.

Figures... last week I developed an annoying clunking in the front over bumps and uneven surfaces, pulled it in the shop and found it to be the sway bar links. This weekend go to swap them out, pull the wheel off and get a handful of grease. Damn, knew just what that was so ran over to parts and got a boot kit. Figured while I was in there and it was a fresh wound (happened unnoticed within the week) I'd fix it. But at least now she is driving smooth and quiet again. (I HATE rattles, especially in the suspension)

Yeah, tell her, don't tell me.



Same for me too...

Tell me do you change thrust arm bushings (press them in an out) or do you change the whole thrust am?

I changed just the bushings and used meyle HD bushings. No need to change the whole arm unless you don't have access to a press since the ball joint is separate from it.

Hi Weasel,
Is there a decent kit of bushings available? I am trying to find the source and so far found not much and usually kits of replacement arm etc.

These are the ones I used linked below. The solid polyurethane bushings are too rough for daily driving. The OEM fluid filled bushings are comfortable, but at the cost of longevity. The meyle HD feel about the same as OEM if not a little bit stiffer, but last longer then OEM.

https://eactuning.com/hd-control-arm...-x5-p-446.html

Thanks Weasel,I just checked the link.
I am wondering if those are the only ones that I can change in the front end? or the rest of arms bushing are available separately and can be pressed into hardware?

Those are the only ones changeable really, the other control arms never really have problems with the bushings, but the ball joints built into them wear out causing shaking under braking etc.

Ok,now the question is,mine is wandering and needs an input all the time,would the wishbones cause it? or something else? also I can feel metal clunk under my feet when I go over some bumps or over a half curb accessing my driveway.