removing front shock absorber - it is stuck

[vh-holden]

I'm having trouble getting the front right shock out of the vh. We've undone all the bolts, but it won't budge. we even put the jack under the shock, and jacked it up so a tonne of car was pulling down on the bolt, but nothing. It is the bit that joins the shock end to the swingarm.

any suggestions on how to get it out? or should we just unbolt the swing arm and swap the whole lot?

adam

[vkberlina]

Ok I think your refering to the ball joint there is a single nut with a split pin though it. You reall need a ball joint separator to remove it esp if its been in there the last 20+ years.

Unless you want to replace the ball joint, just unbolt the suspension arm and let it drop you will probably need to remove the radius arm & the ball joint for your steering rack.

cheers
Scott

[vh-holden]

i think i might go and take a photo of what is there and put them up. i don't know the names of the bits. we've undone the nut on the ball jointed bit, but it won't budge. the other side came out easy.

we had the same problem on the VP the replacement shocks are out of. left side came out easy, right side took a lot of work.

[vh-holden]

the side that won't move


the side that is all out

the only thing i can think of is the sway bar being still bolted up on the other side.

[9C1pack]

That is the ball joint, it is a tapered fit into that hole, so it is a tight fit in there on purpose. Give the casting a whack either side using a long bar and a hammer, this causes the casting to move a bit and hopefully come away form the bolt. You can also spin the nut back on the bolt so that the bolt is just inside and the thread is protected and put a block of wood on it and hit the wood with a hammer.

[308vkcalais]

We made a beauty ball joint remover out of an old block splitter.U can buy ball joint removers for around $20 a good investment.You think you buy these things to use them once, I've used mine many times.I took my lower control arms to Pedders to remove & install new ones.I think it was $10.I supplied the ball joints, they just pressed them off & on.