[DeTomaso] Frozen Trunion Shaft

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/8/08 10 29 55, mbefthomas at comcast.net writes:


> 
> What are out options at this point.  We have heard that some have cut
> through where the face of the thrust bearing assembly cap is, but that looks
> tricky as hell. 
> 
> Any and all ideas are welcome.
> 

Ultimately, if you can't pound it out, your options are very limited indeed.

You can try removing the nut on one end, then thread two nuts on and jam them 
together, against one another.   Then you can put an impact gun on only the 
outermost nut and try to turn the shaft.

The shaft actually rusts solid in the ends of the A-arm, so it may only be 
rusted on one end (although in my case it was rusted on both ends).

Failing that, you are left with the horrible task of very, very carefully 
cutting through the stamped sheetmetal cups, and then through the shaft, which is 
a very hard thing indeed.

Charlie McCall went through this last year (or rather, late the year before), 
and it was a miserable job.   He tried several different methods, i.e. 
sawzall, hacksaw, air tools, etc. before he hit upon the solution.

I can't remember how I did it, but I think I was able to use a die grinder 
for some of it, and a hacksaw for the rest.

The critical thing is that you do not want to saw through the end of the 
A-arm, and you similarly don't want to saw through the end of the hub carrier.   
So you pretty much are left with the alternative of sawing through the face of 
the sheetmetal cup.

You might consider removing the upright, and the A-arm from the car and 
taking it as an assembly to a machine shop, and letting them deal with it?   I 
actually removed the bits from my car in that manner and then carried them down to 
Jack DeRyke's house.   He tried to press the shaft out, but it wound up 
bending his 20-ton press (!) and subsequently breaking the end of the A-arm. :<(

Mike


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