6 replies to this topic

[ojannen]

I am getting a classic mini clubman estate back to working order and have run into a problem with the front suspension. The cones are badly in need of repair and the car rides on the bumpstops. I am replacing cones and trumpets with hilos.  The front right hand side went fine and the car is sitting up a few inches higher. I am having a problem with the front left hand side.

 

I removed the nuts holding the pivot pin on and the diamond shaped locking piece in place. No amount of banging, levering, liquid wrench, or heat will get the pivot pin to move so I can get the control arm out. I suspect the washer on the front of the assembly is rusted to the tower.  All the guides I can find deal with removing the bearings and generally skip over getting the pivot to move.

What is my next step here? Cut out the back of the pin with a grinder? Is there a ball joint remover with enough reach to push it forward from the back?

 

[Gilles1000]

Hmmm. That reminds me my own upper arms axle.

It was also seized and I luckily I had the front subframe disassembled from the car.

I could remove it with the biggest hammer I had and hitting it really hard.

 

Do you have a torch to heat it and ease it to move? I eould also soake it with Plus gas or similar.

Is the engine out? MAxbe it's in this case asier to remove the whole subframe from the car...

 

Cheers,

Gilles

[sonscar]

The shaft most likely has grooves in it which are trapping it into the bearings or the subframe.Try gently prying it about as you try to extract is.Maybe try constructing a slide hammer to bolt onto the arms existing thread and pull it out.Have fun,Steve..

[Spider]

Sounds like for what ever reason the pin is seized or rusted in to the bearings.

 

If you have something you can put inside the tower opening and pry it apart about 4 - 5 mm, then use a Reciprocating Saw and cut through the ends of the Pin, you can get it out that way. Just take a bit of care when doing this that you don't damage the thrust faces on the Arm or cut in to the Tower. You could use a Porta-power to pry the tow apart, or instead of that if you don't have one, find a Bolt of about 3/8" or 10 mm that's just too short to span the inside of the Tower, wind a Nut on the Bolt, place it inside, then wind the Nut out to expand the Tower. The Towers are fairly soft and don't need a lot of force to open them up that bit you need.

[ojannen]

Thanks for all the input.  This feels like a take it to the mechanic moment for me.  Wrenching on these thing is fun until it isn't.

 

One alternative I have is to figure out how to get the trumpet out without pulling the upper control arm.  The rubber cones are old and compressed so there is some free space in there to move things around.  If I can cut off the top half of the trumpet, is there a good way to lever out the bottom half with the control arm still in the car?

[sonscar]

Mechanics are not magicians,one once explained to me that they have better quality tools and hit it harder.Persevere it is not a massively difficult task,but can surely consume some hours.Develop your skills and toolbox,it can be very rewarding,Steve..
Just thought,you have got a cone compressor?

Edited by sonscar, 22 June 2022 - 07:20 PM.

[ojannen]

I have a cone compressor but it isn't necessary.  The cones in the car are quite old and are not in contact with the trumpets when the car is jacked up.