C20 Upper Control Arm Shaft Studs

[HotRodPC]

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions how I can get these nuts off of these studs? The pic is terrible but you'll get the idea. As you can tell, my caster and camber shims have fallen out. I can't get the truck aligned because the knurled studs just spin when I put a wrench on the nuts, so I can't loosen the nuts. This is actually quite dangerous to be driving. The wheel is leaning in at the top about 2 inches and whole wheel when jacked up, I can move the wheel and entire upper A arm assembly in about a 3 inch circle. So everytime I hit a bump or railroad track, the stud is getting hammered on, and I'm afraid going to break and fold the tire under the truck while driving. Seems the only place I can get these studs is LMC. Even then, I wonder if the studs will hold in place. It may not be the studs knurling that is bad, but maybe the frame hole is oversized. Has anyone else ever encountered this?

 

[oneluckypops]

either gonna have to cut them off OR if you have a welder you can weld nuts to the ends of them and use 2 wrenches to loosen the nuts

 

[davbell22602]

Have you tried to use bolt outs? Have you tried using a small pair or vise grips on the stud and ratching wrench on the nut to get it loose.

 

[HotRodPC]

either gonna have to cut them off OR if you have a welder you can weld nuts to the ends of them and use 2 wrenches to loosen the nuts

I was hoping to hear of some magic trick. The 2 suggestions you made are the only 2 I've thought of. I tried hitting them with a welder on the backside, and its to hard to get to, and not sticking well cuz of road dirt and previous engine oils build up. Prolly gonna be Sawzall time. So I'll have to order the parts from LMC and wait til next week to do it.

 

[HotRodPC]

Have you tried to use bolt outs? Have you tried using a small pair or vise grips on the stud and ratching wrench on the nut to get it loose.

No, either way would destroy the studs, so I may as well cut them out and replace them if going to do that.

 

[crazy4offroad]

If you can get a pry bar under the bracket you may get lucky enough to tighten down the stud against the frame, but I doubt it. If you can get at the top side you could tack weld the studs to the frame, but in my opinion you would be well ahead of the game to just torch em off.

 

[HotRodPC]

If you can get a pry bar under the bracket you may get lucky enough to tighten down the stud against the frame, but I doubt it. If you can get at the top side you could tack weld the studs to the frame, but in my opinion you would be well ahead of the game to just torch em off.

Yeah, I tried that too. I just used a claw pry bar, hoping enough pressure would have held them tight but nope. The threads are actually fine, just the knurling on the back side where they hit the frame is rounded smoothe. At least I hope. Could be that the frame is rounded out too, but I don't know that since I won't know until I get the studs out. If I knew that was the case, I'd just find someone to weld the studs that are there now. Just pull them tight against the frame and hit it with a stick weld. I'd have to get all the road grease, grime and dirt off somehow so the weld will stick though.

 

[davbell22602]

If you can get a pry bar under the bracket you may get lucky enough to tighten down the stud against the frame, but I doubt it. If you can get at the top side you could tack weld the studs to the frame, but in my opinion you would be well ahead of the game to just torch em off.

Sometimes prying on something like that to get a nut/bolt off takes 2 people to do it. 1 to pry and the other to loosen then nut/bolt.

 

[HotRodPC]

I even tried driving a wedge in between the shaft and the frame, and figured if I hit with a quick blast from an impact gun, I might break it loose. Didn't happen. I tried about everything, just thought I'd hear of some magic trick someone else may have had. I'm likely to end up just welding the studs stationary on the backside and keep using them. They seem to be fine other than can't loosen the luts to install shims for alignmennt and with no shims, the shaft is just hammeing and banging up against the frame and on the bolts. Eventually after enough hammering, I'm afraid the studs will break, then the tire will fold underneath the truck, and that won't be good.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Those look like acorn locknuts, might be you're only choice with them.

 

[bucket]

There's no magic trick unfortunately, you just have to get a good weld on the back of them. Clean it up BAP, and use a good welder, not a cheap little one. You can cut them off and remove them, but the new studs will likely spin also.

 

[Irishman999]

DUH, Why didn't I think of this before.

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[crazy4offroad]

A 6013 rod in an arc welder will burn through all that dirt and goop.

 

[HotRodPC]

There's no magic trick unfortunately, you just have to get a good weld on the back of them. Clean it up BAP, and use a good welder, not a cheap little one. You can cut them off and remove them, but the new studs will likely spin also.

yeah, I figure the new ones might just spin too and why I have been reluctant to cut them with the sawzall. I figured I'd end having to weld them. I think I can tack weld OK, its not gonna be pretty but it won't have to be.

DUH, Why didn't I think of this before.

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You didn't think of that, cuz it won't fix my problem. That tool would be useless for this.

A 6013 rod in an arc welder will burn through all that dirt and goop.

I've got some old 6013. Even though its about 8 years old, you think it will work? Say crank the Lincoln to 75? Maybe a little hotter to cut thru the nastiness. Actually its not near as dirty. I hit with some oven cleaner on the backside behind the motor mount, let it soak for about an hour, then went to the car wash and laid down under the truck with the engine degreaser for about a minute, then hit with hot soapy high pressure water for about about a minute and I'd say I got about 85% of junk off of it. Looks alot better now than it did.

 

[89Suburban]

Damn HR, that sucks, and the more ya drive it like that the more those holes are going to get worn. I was thinking a sawzall or cut-off wheel. Or torch...