Spindle pin replacement

[Riceburner]

Im looking at replacing my outer control arm bushes with poly urethane. Does anyone who has done this have any tips to help make the process as painless as possible, I've read many nightmare stories.

 

Ofcourse I'll have to remove the spindle pins and these will be replaced, is there a local source for these?

[Scoota G]

There's this

 

http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/SpindlePinTool.htm

 

From this thread

 

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php?topic=2808.0

[Riceburner]

Ah hah, thanks Mark 

 

I did a search for 'spindle pins' and it came back with no results. I'm in contact with a chap from hybridz who makes these pullers and looking at buying one.

[dazzed]

I made one of these tools up and works well , however i have encountered a few that refuse to budge at all are totally siezed in , even after heating the housing and bashing it  once moisture gets in thats it

[Riceburner]

I hope mine aren't seized in like that Daz. I've got one of his tools on the way so stay tuned. Will heating the arm cause any problems with the wheel bearings?

[PeterAllen]

You're assuming you have a problem... however, in all likelihood you have.

 

Have you tried to remove the pin?

Have you removed the centre lock bolt?

Have you sprayed penetrating oil?

Have you placed a piece of timber or aluminium block over the end of the spindle and tried to knock it out?

 

If "yes", then I suggest you remove the bearing housing and transverse link from the car and spray the spindle ends with penetrating oil or the like whilst you await the arrival of the puller.

 

You may find that a loose or ill-fitted centre lock pin has burred the spindle rather than it rusting on to the bearing housing so don't rotate it - just pull it in straight. You may also find with the puller, it works if you tension it and leave it overnight with the penetrating oil.

 

I've never had to heat the bearing housing but it is an option. You wont damage the bearings but why wouldn't you be replacing them and repacking with grease if you're doing this work anyway?

 

As Lunch says, I've never had to replace those transverse link bushings. Is there play there?

[Scottz]

When the lock bolt is over tightened it deforms the slot in the pivot pin. Especially if the slot is a touch narrow.

The edges of the pivot pin slot get damaged and jam the pin in the bore.

I found if you can tap the pin forward a few mm and slide a (very small) file through the lock bolt hole, you can file down the burred edges of the pin slot.

Then tap the pin back the other way and file the opposite edge down.

Working the pin back and forth and filing the edges of the pin slot, I was eventually able to get the pin out.

Once it is out you can see the scour marks inside the bore where the burred edges touched.

Before re-assembling, polish the bore out to remove the high ridges, then slide the pin through.

If you reuse the old pin, polish that as well and leave no raised edges or burs.

I removed the whole arm to do it. Easier that way.

 

[Riceburner]

All great info guys, thanks  I haven't tried to remove them yet but had invisioned nightmares, so I bought the tool to make it easier.

 

All the bushes in the rear of my car were stock and completely flogged out, so I have gone through and replaced them all with urethane and delrin offset inner control arm bushes. There seems to be some slight movement in them and with the hard work they'll get I thought now was as good a time as any to do them.

[dazzed]

I hope mine aren't seized in like that Daz. I've got one of his tools on the way so stay tuned. Will heating the arm cause any problems with the wheel bearings?

maybe not , if you apply heat keep it  local around the area of the cotter pin

 

[Riceburner]

Well what a day, first pin refused to come out regardless of what I tried. Ended up shearing off the threaded section in the pulling tool (luckily its double ended). Four hours, a sledge hammer and a cut leg later I finally got that pr$@k out! Thought I'd quickly see if the other side was as bad, came out in 10mins with all the suspension and brakes still connected 

[Roberto]

Was it the left one that was stubborn?

[zzzzed]

I took mine to an engineer Because mine were seized he could not get them out with out cutting them out and

Redrilling them. I got new pins through Nissan

[Retro Z]

I had exactly the same problem :'(. Drivers side just tapped out with a hammer and punch. Passenger side didnt budge even with a sledge hammer and brute force, so i had to cut it out through the gaps and press out the middle section connected to hub with a hydrolic press. Let me know if you manage to source the spindle pins Gareth as i also need a couple myself.

[Riceburner]

The drivers side was the problem pin, neither of them looked rusty. I used inox, oxy/acetylene, pin pulling tool, de blurred with a dremel and it was still pig. I did the same method as you tai, but used mash hammer then 15lb sledge hammer... The drift actually started to break up, one piece flew off went through my hard yakka work pants and disappeared into my thigh, bled a fair bit and it still in there somewhere must have hit a vein.

 

Do the new pins go in easily or do they need to be pressed in?

[dazzed]

The drivers side was the problem pin, neither of them looked rusty. I used inox, oxy/acetylene, pin pulling tool, de blurred with a dremel and it was still pig. I did the same method as you tai, but used mash hammer then 15lb sledge hammer... The drift actually started to break up, one piece flew off went through my hard yakka work pants and disappeared into my thigh, bled a fair bit and it still in there somewhere must have hit a vein.

 

Do the new pins go in easily or do they need to be pressed in?

Yowsers Gareth strewth that does not sound good ,are you in hospital? I dont like to hear things like that I hope you are ok?

[nizm0zed]

give it a decade and he'll be showing the scar to all the kids.

 

"Got this beauty in the war of 2012, the spindles put up a hell of a fight, but i stuck to my guns and hammered the crap outta them.

One of the buggers hit me good, the shrapnel is still in there!"

[Zedman240®]

I'd check with a doc before you leave it for too long Gareth!

With the new pins, I got mine to slide in and out with no resistance just with a bit of filing and boring. Slapped on the grease so hopefully (very soon) when its time to remove them, they should just fall out. I'll let you know.

[zzzzed]

Gareth the new pins slide right in.

[peter mc]

Betta get a xray Gareth  , 15 years ago that happen to me and i only got it out last year when i felt it sticking up under my skin 

[Riceburner]

Sounds a lot worse than it is, sister in law is a doctor so I'll get her to look at it.

 

Glad I don't have to drift the new ones in, my hands are like a lego mans this morning. Great for holding coffee though 

[Scoota G]

when i felt it sticking up under my skin 

:o :o

[MaygZ]

I know old thread, but ....

 

No-one answered one of the original questions (we all got distracted with gory war stories).  Are there any local suppliers of the spindle pins?

[C.A.R.]

Genuine Nissan?

[peter mc]

SW makes a cracker replacment with better nuts

[Zedman240®]

If you want a genuine Nissan one Simon, part number is 55540 - N3701 "Spindle Susp RR"