Drag Link is a Drag....
 

Hi Guys,
Well I'm in the process of a steering rebuild on Rag Doll. She has new tie rod assemblies, idler bushing, steering damper, and I was in the process of putting in a new Drag link. I have the passenger side drag link bolt off, but the driver side is STUCK. I bought a lever style tool from an online supplier, which promptly broke.

I have tried a pickle fork, heat gun, to no avail.

Anyone have any idea what to do here? theres no room to get it from the top. I think i've distorted the bolt enough where I won't be able to get the bolt back on to take it to my indy. So I'm stuck here.....

I'd love advice/suggestions.

Thanks
Dub

Whack it harder with the fork. I just did a tie rod end that was a pita. Until I really nailed it with all my might with a mini sledge. Then she popped.:D

agreed! thats the only way i have been successful.

That's what used plus a 5 lb hand sledge hammer exclusively on all of my tie rods and drag links.

when i first started workin on these i cut a pickle for down to seperate the lower ball joint. well everyone borrows my tools and so i was missing my fork when it came time to do them on the current car. well i made a new one which i thought i had made the same but the forks were to long. when i started hammering it bent one of them around the joint perfectly. what a pain in the a**:(

Trust me..wen I did my W116 front end last year it took me two hours to get the drivers side lower ball joint to pop...and one of tie rod ends....

trust me when I say my arms were acheing and my nerves frazzled before they popped finally. I destroyed a pickle fork inthe process.

i found that if you undo the upper with a pickle fork and then swing the spindle down you can just smack on the ball joint with a 5lb hammer till it comes undone. ofcourse you wanna leave the nut on slightly so it doesnt damage anything when it comes loose

When using the fork, tear the old rubber grease boot completely out. Otherwise, it acts as a cushion and absorbs much of the impact needed to separate the parts. And sometimes a series of rapid blows to the fork work better than an occasional heavy blow. Penetrating oil helps, too.