Pinch Bolt problems

[nate4027]

I was changing out my right side drive axle, went to loosen the lower pinch bolt on the steering knuckle. My torx socket was slipping due to the head of the bolt being rusty. Anyway I can extract this bolt without having to drill it out and risk messing up the threads on the steering knuckle?

[Sponsor]

[whynotthinkwhynot]

Yours is threaded? Mine has a nut on the other side, but that's 05. 03 might be different. Use something like Kroil or PB Blaster on the back side of the pinch bolt, give it some time. I'd also use it on the front side to help clean the rust out of there. Best wishes.

[Tymes]

And put some heat to it, you don't need to have oxyacetylene, I use a butane soldering torch (like in the picture), it can put enough heat on most bolts to loosen them up. And because it is small, you can direct the heat exactly where you want it.

[fakitol]

u don't use the torx socket use the other side with the nut! torx is just to keep it from slipping GL

[nate4027]

Thanks for the adivce fellas but its all boogered up. Looks like I will need to replace the lower ball joint which is no big deal but now need a new steering kunckle. How do you seperate it from the strut?

[ah1f39]

Had the threaded side break on an SVT.

Remove the nut. Hold the Torx head with Vise grips. If the threaded end breaks remove the control arm and knuckle and press the bolt out.

No need for knuckle or ball joint.

[nate4027]

The bolt can't be pressed out because it is threaded into the steering knuckle.

[Tymes]

The strut just slips out once the pinch bolts are out, probably rusty so it might need some convincing.

[nate4027]

Thats what I thought. Just the crappy thing is I need a new steering knuckle now.

[Tymes]

You might be able to use an extractor to get it out. Depending on how it broke of course.