Front shocks

[88grandmarq]

Trying to change front shocks on a 2005 CVPI. The service manual says to separate the upper ball joints to get the shock/spring assembly out.

The ball joint stem has an internal 6mm hex to keep the stem from turning while the nut is loosened, both are stripped.

The kicker is I have both nuts half way off before the internal hex stripped, so I am stuck.

advice, tips, tricks would be helpful here.

[camelgrundle]

2 hex wrenches jb welded to the nuts. Not sure just throwing out ideas.

[fastblackmerc]

Trying to change front shocks on a 2005 CVPI. The service manual says to separate the upper ball joints to get the shock/spring assembly out.

The ball joint stem has an internal 6mm hex to keep the stem from turning while the nut is loosened, both are stripped.

The kicker is I have both nuts half way off before the internal hex stripped, so I am stuck.

advice, tips, tricks would be helpful here.

Nut splitter.....

[88grandmarq]

Nut splitter.....

now there is an idea I did not think of....

[clmrt]

I have never heard of that before. Cool.

[Chevyguy]

I had the same problem, got ALMOST all the way off and could not get the nut past the end.

I have heard that some will remove the upper control arm bolts and pull the upright forward and this will give enough room to remove the spring/shock assy.

[88grandmarq]

I had the same problem, got ALMOST all the way off and could not get the nut past the end.

I have heard that some will remove the upper control arm bolts and pull the upright forward and this will give enough room to remove the spring/shock assy.

Ok... so how did you get the nut the rest of the way off?


pulling the upper control off the fame seems easy enough, it still doesn't resolve the problem I have now that both the ball joint nuts are loose and I have no way to remove or Tighten them.

Removing the upper control arm from the frame would require an alignment afterwards, right?

[justbob]

You can't simply wedge a pickle fork between the arm and the knuckle or jack the knuckle up into the arm nice and tight to hold it?

You say the allen is stripped.
Have you bought a real Allen wrench built into a 3/8" drive socket and hammered it all the way up and in?

Are you at least using a good impact gun and working the nut up and down while using penetrating oil?

These are all the tricks I use.

I can attest to them being stubborn, but I have yet to lose a battle out of the numerous MM's I have serviced.


Self proclaimed Builder Of Badassery.

Buy it, Break it, Build it BETTER.
"Since 2004"

[88grandmarq]

quick update on this, Nut splitter didn't work either.

I gave in and used a sawzall and cut the ball joint stem. New replacement Raysbestos upper control arms with ball joints have been ordered from Rockauto.com.

Lesson learned: If you want to change shocks on a 2003 up Panther chassis, Unbolt the upper control arm from the from the cross member, its a lot easier and faster and you would damage the upper ball joint.