urgent help needed with track rods

1. jasonmayall Established Member Joined: Mar 2011 Birmingham Posts: 2148 Rover BRM, Rover 800 Coupe, Mk6 golf.

   #1 8th May 2012, 14:44

   Hi All,
   
   I'm currently in the middle of changing the track rod ends on my saxo. the first side (passenger) was an absolute nightmare, completley corroded, but we did manage to get it off.
   I've been trying to get the drivers side rod off for about 4 hours now, its completley stuck and im out of ideas!
   I've tried all the obvious, wd40, blow torch, the stuff that freezes bolts, brute force, i've even been to the shop to get a mahoosive 2ft monkey wrench, which hasnt done the trick!
   the actual thread on the rod end is bending before its even starting to budge...
   any ideas on what i can try next?
   
   Cheers guys
2. Mike1994 Infrequent Poster Joined: Apr 2012 Posts: 170

   #2 8th May 2012, 15:36

   When you say blow torch are we talking glowing or just hot ? get it off the steering rack and get some oxy acetylene on it and get it glowing hot it should do the job.
3. jasonmayall Established Member Joined: Mar 2011 Birmingham Posts: 2148 Rover BRM, Rover 800 Coupe, Mk6 golf.

   #3 8th May 2012, 16:03

   just hot really, dont have any of the good stuff lol.
   yeah i think that might be the next plan, as ive managed to snap the thread now!
   Cheers mate
4. Baz Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Nov 2005 Coventry Posts: 17782 Fiesta ST150

   #4 8th May 2012, 16:06

   As said needs to be glowing red to make proper use of heat expansion, you'll need to be quick too and try and undo it while its glowing for the few secs its still red hot
5. jasonmayall Established Member Joined: Mar 2011 Birmingham Posts: 2148 Rover BRM, Rover 800 Coupe, Mk6 golf.

   #5 8th May 2012, 17:38

   Cheers guys, any idea where i can get some oxy acetylene from?
6. BertieG Established Member Joined: Oct 2009 exeter, devon Posts: 1224 Clio 172

   #6 8th May 2012, 17:57

   Quote:

   Originally Posted by jasonmayall Cheers guys, any idea where i can get some oxy acetylene from?

   lol, do you actually know what it is? id get the arm off and get an engineering firm to take it off, should cost fuck all
7. Mike1994 Infrequent Poster Joined: Apr 2012 Posts: 170

   #7 8th May 2012, 18:01

   Where abouts are you. some garages should have it.
8. Tontsy Saxperience Addict Joined: Oct 2008 Plymouth, Fiddling - under a two poster ramp Posts: 14064 Audi

   #8 8th May 2012, 18:24

   oxyacetylene is awesome, i use it daily and most of the time its on jobs just like this!
9. Mike1994 Infrequent Poster Joined: Apr 2012 Posts: 170

   #9 8th May 2012, 18:28

   Is very fun. Iv only used it for something useful once but normally i just cut stuff up when im bored.
   coke cans are the best.
10. Tontsy Saxperience Addict Joined: Oct 2008 Plymouth, Fiddling - under a two poster ramp Posts: 14064 Audi

    #10 8th May 2012, 18:29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Mike1994 Is very fun. Iv only used it for something useful once but normally i just cut stuff up when im bored. coke cans are the best.

    oxybombs
11. jasonmayall Established Member Joined: Mar 2011 Birmingham Posts: 2148 Rover BRM, Rover 800 Coupe, Mk6 golf.

    #11 8th May 2012, 19:05

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by BertieG lol, do you actually know what it is? id get the arm off and get an engineering firm to take it off, should cost fuck all

    i've just had a look, i cant justify spending that much to change the track rods haha. but no, i didnt know what it was, do now though!
    Been trying to remove the arm all afternoon, seems fairly impossible aswell, so im guessing its going to be a steering rack out job, which ive never done before, and really am not looking forward to lol.
    Does anyone know of any guides on here to remove the rack?
    All this to change a bloody track rod end, its rediculous!
12. Tontsy Saxperience Addict Joined: Oct 2008 Plymouth, Fiddling - under a two poster ramp Posts: 14064 Audi

    #12 8th May 2012, 19:08

    is it the locking nut that you cant undo or is it the rod end that wont spin off the tie rod?
    
    the nut, just cut through it! the track rod itself smash it with a hammer for a few minutes, combined with heat, it'll soon loosen up!
13. f13sta Established Member Joined: Sep 2010 loughborough Posts: 2229 1988 ford fiesta mk2 1.4- 2001 black saxo furio (d

    #13 8th May 2012, 20:39

    mine were that seized in that i cut the rod end off. and welded a nut to the rest of the threads.
    we took it off the car the whole track rod. put it in the vice and it snapped new track rod time. but not all bad they are like only £8
14. jasonmayall Established Member Joined: Mar 2011 Birmingham Posts: 2148 Rover BRM, Rover 800 Coupe, Mk6 golf.

    #14 9th May 2012, 00:32

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tontsy is it the locking nut that you cant undo or is it the rod end that wont spin off the tie rod? the nut, just cut through it! the track rod itself smash it with a hammer for a few minutes, combined with heat, it'll soon loosen up!

    the end, weve managed to snap lol, the 2ft monkey wrench done easy work of that lol. the track rod (the bar going to the centre) has totally ceased, so im planning on taking the steering rack off in the morning and taking to an engineer to remove the track rod (whats left of it anyway!)
    i dont have access to any high temperature heat guns, so i suppose it will have to be a garage to do it for me