Unstick a Superflex Joint in 35 in Easy Steps

[otisdog]

Ok after fighting all the bushings to get them in I start on the Superflex joints. Got the parts and tool and am putting new races in the joints.
Of the four joints two of them come apart piece of cake. Two others are stuck and cannot get the retaining rings to unscrew no matter what I do.
After trying 34 different methods to try and break them loose I finally found the right combo.

Now if this ain't a trailer trash redneck way to do things I don't know what is.... But it worked.

First of all jack the Jeep up and set the tire on the control arm to hold that booger still. Get the tool on there with a 3/4" ratchet and clamp the stuff together with a c-clamp to hold the tool on there. Put vise grips on the ratchet handle then put a small piece of pipe on the end. Insert a 3 ft steel tent stake into the other end of the pipe and lay on it.
Bingo - rusted siezed retaining ring finally lets go. Anti-sieze definitely put on when reinstalling.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/otisdog4/Other%20Stuff/superflexjoint3.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/otisdog4/Other%20Stuff/superflexjoint1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/otisdog4/Other%20Stuff/superflexjoint2.jpg

One fun job - good for a few more years - now for the upper control arms...... to be continued
Jim

[Rob]

3 ft steel tent stake

There's a tool you don't see in many toolboxes.

Way to be persistent, Jim. :thumb:

[Chris]

There's a took you don't see any many toolboxes.

Creative solution! Glad you didn't give up, congrats!

Not sure what a "took" is though Rob.

[Rob]

Not sure what a "took" is though Rob.

That would be a typo extractor. (My typing fingers are still a little cold from moving trees in the wind today.;))

[Rob]

And you let the "any many" slide? :lmao: I'm on a roll today.

[otisdog]

There's a tool you don't see in many toolboxes. :thumb:

I keep a few laying around. Good for killing them pesky vampires.
Jim

[Cr33p3r]

Good to see you got it conquered Jim. How often do you have to replace these? I just installed a set of these joints and curious as to when I may have to rebuild them. Thanks!

[Popsgarage]

Those sucker ain't no fun to get apart, that's for sure. Way to go,:thumb: Jim! And as long as they came apart, who cares how redneck the procedure was.:D

[Brody]

Nice!

Tie rod ends are fun, too, especially when they have broken off and are really rusted in place. I went to replace a busted TRE on my heap a number of years ago and had to get the truck done so that I could get to work on Monday. I eventually drove up on a 3' cheater bar like you did to hold one end. The cheater bar was on a 24" pipe wrench. I had another 24" pipe wrench and another 3+' cheater bar I was bouncing on to bust the TRE loose. I blew apart one of the 24" pipe wrenches and sailed pieces through the drywall in the garage. The TRE still hadn't moved. First time that I have ever busted a pipe wrench, too. I ended up taking it down to Arvada Auto Tech, where I know some of the guys, and they stuck it in their huge vice and used both a huge wrench and torch. It finally came out, but took about half the threads with it. I couldn't find the right tubing, or bungs, or new tie rod, but found a shorter drag link. This I sleeved with some other tubing and was able to get everything else replaced. Still have it and it is my back up. Since that little project, I not only use a mess of anti seize, but pour oil into the tie rods/drag links before I reassemble them.

Anti seize is your friend. None of that stuff is much fun. Nice job. I cross posted this in the TECH How to section.

[glacierpaul]

Right on Jim! Whatever it takes to get it done. Love using multiple tools for a job, ingenuity rules! Have a few of them vampire sticks myself;)

[otisdog]

Good to see you got it conquered Jim. How often do you have to replace these? I just installed a set of these joints and curious as to when I may have to rebuild them. Thanks!

You can tighten the Superflex joints 3-4 times before replacing the races. Replacing the race is not hard to do IF you can get them apart. I would get the tool [there's a big one for the lowers and a small one for the uppers] or you can just borrow one and give them a tightening every year or so. Grease them regularly - they should not take much grease. You may have to loosen up the zerk a dab to get them to take grease. First time you have them apart be sure to get some anti-sieze on the retainer ring threads and also on the little allen head set screw. If I were to buy any new arms or joints I would take the time to do the anti-sieze thing before installing them.
Jim

[Cr33p3r]

Great advice thanks, I will be taking them apart and doing some anti-seize before it goes on the road then.