"Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
news:eD6bg.149$K71.18@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink .net:

> "TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote
>> "Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote
>>> Before doing anything: 3/4-inch
>>> Old springs swapped: 3/8-inch
>>> New springs: 1/2-inch.
>>>
>>> The old springs uncompressed had a height difference of
>>> 1/4-inch, so there is some consistency here.
>>>
>>> The new springs uncompressed were actually a little
>>> shorter
>>> than the old ones. As expected, the car does sit a little
>>> lower, overall, with the new springs.
>>>
>>> I suspect the bushings are behind the 1/2-inch difference
>>> at
>>> this point.
>>>
>>> I won't quibble if I get the right and left sides within
>>> 1/4-inch. (I wonder if there's a spec on that.)
>>
>>
>>
>> The factory manual for my Integra indicates NO specs at
>> all for ride
>> height.
>>
>> My car currently has half-inch difference driver's to
>> passenger's side.
>> When new, both front springs already had more than 1/4"
>> difference (both
>> front springs were replaced about 9 years ago).
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>> I am measuring from the ground to the top of the front
>>> wheel
>>> wells here.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> To determine ride height, you're supposed to measure fron
>> the wheel well to
>> the center of the wheel. Measuring ground-up introduces
>> the tire as a
>> variable.
>>
>> You must also be certain that the ground is actually
>> level, and you'd be
>> surprised how little pavement is *really and truly* level.
>> When I check, I
>> jack up the necessary wheels only enough to shim under the
>> tires with old
>> books. I use a line and a spirit level to level the car.
>
> Thanks for the tips. I am very careful about tire pressure,
> for one thing.
>
> Right now, my main interest is getting the castle nut off
> and my new bushings installed, if only to improve handling.
>
> At this point I am trying to cut the castle nut off with my
> die grinder, a nut splitter and anything else I can find. I
> haven't read reports of anyone else having this sort of
> problem. I guess the fact that the other day before trying
> to get the castle nut off, I unwittingly (despite Michael's
> warning) PB Blastered the control arm tapered hole didn't
> help. I brake-cleanered the taper several times today and
> tried again and again. I couldn't get a C-clamp or vise grip
> on the ball joint and arm to wedge the stud into a fixed
> position. No luck putting all the weight on the control arm,
> using a jack beneath it.
>
> About mid-day, I started trying to cut the castle nut off
> without damaging the stud threads.
>
> So it goes. Very discouraging...
>
>
>

Something that occurred to me;cut a SLOT in the BJ stud with a Dremel,and
use a screwdriver to hold it from turning,Or grind a couple of flats on the
end of the stud,and use a wrench to hold.(if there's enough room.)

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

 

"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in
news:Xns97C7C54FD48FBtegger@207.14.116.130:

> "Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
> news:eD6bg.149$K71.18@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink .net:
>
>
>>
>> Right now, my main interest is getting the castle nut off
>> and my new bushings installed, if only to improve handling.
>>
>> At this point I am trying to cut the castle nut off with my
>> die grinder, a nut splitter and anything else I can find.
>
>
>
> A suggestion: Use the die grinder to cut off one side of the nut.
> Don't go deep enough to actually get down to the ball-joint stud
> threads, just enough to get very, very close.
>
> The heat and vibration may just be enough to shock it loose so you can
> wrench it off.
>
>

If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to turn it.

I've also used cold chisels to cut thru a frozen nut.

Of course,if you're replacing the BJ anyways,just cut thru the stud -above-
the nut.Use a drift to ppush out the remaining taper.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

 

"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in
news:Xns97C7C54FD48FBtegger@207.14.116.130:

> "Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
> news:eD6bg.149$K71.18@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink .net:
>
>
>>
>> Right now, my main interest is getting the castle nut off
>> and my new bushings installed, if only to improve handling.
>>
>> At this point I am trying to cut the castle nut off with my
>> die grinder, a nut splitter and anything else I can find.
>
>
>
> A suggestion: Use the die grinder to cut off one side of the nut.
> Don't go deep enough to actually get down to the ball-joint stud
> threads, just enough to get very, very close.
>
> The heat and vibration may just be enough to shock it loose so you can
> wrench it off.
>
>

If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to turn it.

I've also used cold chisels to cut thru a frozen nut.

Of course,if you're replacing the BJ anyways,just cut thru the stud -above-
the nut.Use a drift to ppush out the remaining taper.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

 

"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in
news:Xns97C7C54FD48FBtegger@207.14.116.130:

> "Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
> news:eD6bg.149$K71.18@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink .net:
>
>
>>
>> Right now, my main interest is getting the castle nut off
>> and my new bushings installed, if only to improve handling.
>>
>> At this point I am trying to cut the castle nut off with my
>> die grinder, a nut splitter and anything else I can find.
>
>
>
> A suggestion: Use the die grinder to cut off one side of the nut.
> Don't go deep enough to actually get down to the ball-joint stud
> threads, just enough to get very, very close.
>
> The heat and vibration may just be enough to shock it loose so you can
> wrench it off.
>
>

If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to turn it.

I've also used cold chisels to cut thru a frozen nut.

Of course,if you're replacing the BJ anyways,just cut thru the stud -above-
the nut.Use a drift to ppush out the remaining taper.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

 

"Jim Yanik" <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote
Re using the die grinder
> If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to
> turn it.

Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder. I
cut some with it, but was concerned about cutting into the
threads and so was conservative.

I did find the nut's metal fairly soft (in contrast with the
control arm bolts I tackled recently). An ordinary hack saw
turns out to be pretty effective, though angling it ideally
is also a challenge.

Because I forged ahead, thinking with enough pounding etc.
this little nut would come free, now no nut is left to get a
hold of with any kind of wrench. Thus I can't try grinding a
slot in the stud and holding it with a screwdriver somehow.
That does sound promising next time around.

About half of the nut remains in place, and I still can't
pound it out with a hammer and chisel (applied to edges). I
applied PB Blaster to the exposed edges; it certainly seemed
to be sucked into the crevices, at least, per its advertised
capillary action. Still an hour or so later, no doggone
luck.

It seems more than a coincidence that I had much less
trouble with the pass side inboard control arm bolt and no
trouble with its castle nut. Could the fact that the car
routinely carries a driver and his/her extra weight pounds
on the driver side bushings and castle nut (among other
drivers' side suspension components) that they are more
likely to "weld" in place?

Or, like I mentioned before, I screwed up this second castle
nut from the get-go.

> I've also used cold chisels to cut thru a frozen nut.
>
> Of course,if you're replacing the BJ anyways,just cut thru
> the stud -above-
> the nut.Use a drift to ppush out the remaining taper.

The way it's going, I certainly may be replacing the BJ. I
know there's a procedure for removing the knuckle (and then
the BJ), but I have been holding off, fearing that's another
can of worms (= rusty nuts and bolts).

Going to recharge overnight and see if I can't get the last
bit of castle nut off tomorrow.

Thanks again, Jim and Tegger, for your suggestions. Next
time I'll know more.

 

"Jim Yanik" <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote
Re using the die grinder
> If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to
> turn it.

Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder. I
cut some with it, but was concerned about cutting into the
threads and so was conservative.

I did find the nut's metal fairly soft (in contrast with the
control arm bolts I tackled recently). An ordinary hack saw
turns out to be pretty effective, though angling it ideally
is also a challenge.

Because I forged ahead, thinking with enough pounding etc.
this little nut would come free, now no nut is left to get a
hold of with any kind of wrench. Thus I can't try grinding a
slot in the stud and holding it with a screwdriver somehow.
That does sound promising next time around.

About half of the nut remains in place, and I still can't
pound it out with a hammer and chisel (applied to edges). I
applied PB Blaster to the exposed edges; it certainly seemed
to be sucked into the crevices, at least, per its advertised
capillary action. Still an hour or so later, no doggone
luck.

It seems more than a coincidence that I had much less
trouble with the pass side inboard control arm bolt and no
trouble with its castle nut. Could the fact that the car
routinely carries a driver and his/her extra weight pounds
on the driver side bushings and castle nut (among other
drivers' side suspension components) that they are more
likely to "weld" in place?

Or, like I mentioned before, I screwed up this second castle
nut from the get-go.

> I've also used cold chisels to cut thru a frozen nut.
>
> Of course,if you're replacing the BJ anyways,just cut thru
> the stud -above-
> the nut.Use a drift to ppush out the remaining taper.

The way it's going, I certainly may be replacing the BJ. I
know there's a procedure for removing the knuckle (and then
the BJ), but I have been holding off, fearing that's another
can of worms (= rusty nuts and bolts).

Going to recharge overnight and see if I can't get the last
bit of castle nut off tomorrow.

Thanks again, Jim and Tegger, for your suggestions. Next
time I'll know more.

 

"Jim Yanik" <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote
Re using the die grinder
> If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to
> turn it.

Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder. I
cut some with it, but was concerned about cutting into the
threads and so was conservative.

I did find the nut's metal fairly soft (in contrast with the
control arm bolts I tackled recently). An ordinary hack saw
turns out to be pretty effective, though angling it ideally
is also a challenge.

Because I forged ahead, thinking with enough pounding etc.
this little nut would come free, now no nut is left to get a
hold of with any kind of wrench. Thus I can't try grinding a
slot in the stud and holding it with a screwdriver somehow.
That does sound promising next time around.

About half of the nut remains in place, and I still can't
pound it out with a hammer and chisel (applied to edges). I
applied PB Blaster to the exposed edges; it certainly seemed
to be sucked into the crevices, at least, per its advertised
capillary action. Still an hour or so later, no doggone
luck.

It seems more than a coincidence that I had much less
trouble with the pass side inboard control arm bolt and no
trouble with its castle nut. Could the fact that the car
routinely carries a driver and his/her extra weight pounds
on the driver side bushings and castle nut (among other
drivers' side suspension components) that they are more
likely to "weld" in place?

Or, like I mentioned before, I screwed up this second castle
nut from the get-go.

> I've also used cold chisels to cut thru a frozen nut.
>
> Of course,if you're replacing the BJ anyways,just cut thru
> the stud -above-
> the nut.Use a drift to ppush out the remaining taper.

The way it's going, I certainly may be replacing the BJ. I
know there's a procedure for removing the knuckle (and then
the BJ), but I have been holding off, fearing that's another
can of worms (= rusty nuts and bolts).

Going to recharge overnight and see if I can't get the last
bit of castle nut off tomorrow.

Thanks again, Jim and Tegger, for your suggestions. Next
time I'll know more.

 

"Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
news:xX9bg.2101$921.445@newsread4.news.pas.earthli nk.net:

> "Jim Yanik" <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote
> Re using the die grinder
>> If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to
>> turn it.
>
> Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
> that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder.



No vertical cuts! Just hold the grinder wheel parallel with the horizon,
and grind away up and down until that side of the nut is mostly gone.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

 

"Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
news:xX9bg.2101$921.445@newsread4.news.pas.earthli nk.net:

> "Jim Yanik" <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote
> Re using the die grinder
>> If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to
>> turn it.
>
> Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
> that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder.



No vertical cuts! Just hold the grinder wheel parallel with the horizon,
and grind away up and down until that side of the nut is mostly gone.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

 

"Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
news:xX9bg.2101$921.445@newsread4.news.pas.earthli nk.net:

> "Jim Yanik" <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote
> Re using the die grinder
>> If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to
>> turn it.
>
> Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
> that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder.



No vertical cuts! Just hold the grinder wheel parallel with the horizon,
and grind away up and down until that side of the nut is mostly gone.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

 

Elle, you are setting new standards in defining "sweat equity!"

Mike

 

Elle, you are setting new standards in defining "sweat equity!"

Mike

 

Elle, you are setting new standards in defining "sweat equity!"

Mike

 

"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote
> "Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote
>> "Jim Yanik" <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote
>> Re using the die grinder
>>> If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to
>>> turn it.
>>
>> Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
>> that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder.
>
>
>
> No vertical cuts! Just hold the grinder wheel parallel
> with the horizon,
> and grind away up and down until that side of the nut is
> mostly gone.

Oh, I get it now. I was focused on cutoff wheels (for my air
die grinder) and forgot about the grinding wheels I can use
with it as well.

Michael, "school of hard knocks" is my middle name when it
comes to my car's repairs.

Oh well. It's always easier the next time.

 

"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote
> "Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote
>> "Jim Yanik" <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote
>> Re using the die grinder
>>> If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to
>>> turn it.
>>
>> Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
>> that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder.
>
>
>
> No vertical cuts! Just hold the grinder wheel parallel
> with the horizon,
> and grind away up and down until that side of the nut is
> mostly gone.

Oh, I get it now. I was focused on cutoff wheels (for my air
die grinder) and forgot about the grinding wheels I can use
with it as well.

Michael, "school of hard knocks" is my middle name when it
comes to my car's repairs.

Oh well. It's always easier the next time.