hey everyone just need a lil advice im rebuilding my front suspension and i removed my rotors and the sheild behind the rotors when doing so i disconected the steering linkage just trying to figure out how to get the steering linkage off the center link bar i removed the cottor pins and bolt but it still wont budge here a pic below ?

 

A pickle fork and an hammer should do the trick.

 

A pickle fork is fine unless you want to save the tie rod. A pickle fork will separate the two but usually at the expense of the rubber boot on the tie rod or drag link etc.
If you want to re-use the tie rod or any other pieces like the drag link, use a gear puller to get them apart.

If you're replacing it all, just go to the few pieces that connect it all to the car and separate those joints. All the stuff in the middle can stay together if you're junking it anyway.

 

yeah i wanna keep the center link but i have a kit that replaces most of the other parts will the pickle fork damage the center link its attached to ?

 

You'll have a problem using a pickle fork at this point as you've removed the linkage from everything that's solid. A pickle fork works by transferring force from a sledgehammer or an air hammer to the junction of the two parts, but in order to do that, the parts in question have to be held in place by something with a lot of mass, such as your whole car. If the linkage is just hanging there, you'll never get enough energy into the joint to break it free - it'll just flail around.

You've kind of found the one way not to do this, and I, for one, would never have thought there was a way not to do it.

At this point, I'd go to the local chain auto parts store (like Advance Auto) and "free-rent" a tie rod end puller to pop those suckers off. You just "buy" it from them, then they refund your money when you bring it back.

And, no, a pickle fork wouldn't hurt your center link. i just think you're beyond that now.

- Eric

 

Thanks Eric

 

[QUOTE=MDchanic;373883]You'll have a problem using a pickle fork at this point as you've removed the linkage from everything that's solid. A pickle fork works by transferring force from a sledgehammer or an air hammer to the junction of the two parts, but in order to do that, the parts in question have to be held in place by something with a lot of mass, such as your whole car. If the linkage is just hanging there, you'll never get enough energy into the joint to break it free - it'll just flail around.

You've kind of found the one way not to do this, and I, for one, would never have thought there was a way not to do it.

At this point, I'd go to the local chain auto parts store (like Advance Auto) and "free-rent" a tie rod end puller to pop those suckers off. You just "buy" it from them, then they refund your money when you bring it back.

And, no, a p.pickle fork wouldn't hurt your center link. i just think you're beyond that now.

 

I'm no expert but having just rebuilt my whole front I am pretty sure you are going to need to drop the idler arm from the P side frame rail and drop the centerlink from the pitman arm so you have enough room. I installed my Idler arm and centerlink just this morning and there was not enough room to put together ( separate in your case) the inner tie rod and the centerlink because of the clearance between the fram and the back of the inner tie rod is too close......