I wanted to start this thread because this topic does not come up in a search of threads, I found my answer to this problem here on the HAMB, but took a while to find it. I had tried everything short of destruction to get my spring perch bolts out. Once I read it on the HAMB I went out to try it. It took me more time to clear an area big enough to work in than it took to remove my spring perch bolts. Here is how I did it. Originally posted by NealinCA ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This method has worked every time for me, you will have both perches out within a 1/2 hour. Removing spring perches using an air chisel or air hammer: Most spring perches have a center hole drilled in the threaded end. Find a drift style tip for your air chisel, grind to fit the center hole if necessary. If you don't own an air chisel, go to HF and buy one for $9.99. It is worth every penny. Support the axle and wishbone up on a table or saw horses. Heat axle around perch with torch with one hand. With the other hand, keep steady pressure with air chisel on the bottom of the perch. When you get the axle hot enough, the perch will begin to slowly move. Some times they will break loose almost immediately...sometime it may take 10-15 minutes. You will have the axle cherry red by then, but they will break loose. Two people makes this job easier, but I have done it numerous times by myself. I have tried soaking, heating, twisting, BFH, etc and ruined the perches almost everytime. My brother showed me the air chisel trick, and I have had 100% success with about 6 frontends. Hope this helps. Neal Thank you Neal your a life saver! If there is a demand for it I can video this method and post it. I've got a couple more front ends here. This will work on any Ford wishbones.
I'd be interested in just hearing if the other fronts ends worked the same with the air. Odds are that if all of yours have the same results, then odds are it must help. I have had my share of problems and have one more I should take apart at some point.
Glad that helped someone out. Like I said...it's worked on every early Ford front end I have taken apart. Neal
Worked like a charm on the first three. #4 is still tight. Tried to video it. Ran out of memory recording #3 so I missed the moment. Ran out of acetylene filming #4.
Neal is on it with this one. Only thing I would emphasize is keep serious pressure on the pin as the axle boss is heated. This is best accomplished with two people as one can heat while the other leans into the air hammer. Before you start with the air hammer be sure to see some dull red color start to become evident in the axle boss When you feel/see the pin start to move get with the program with the trigger and pressure and the pin will slip right out of the axle. Keep the heat directed to the axle boss throughout this process. I can't remember a perch pin that failed to move using this procedure and we've done litterly hundreds over the last 40 years. Frank
Just used this method again on another axle that had been sitting outside rusting for years. Piece of cake. The important thing is to keep heating till it works. I had one that failed and ended up drilling it out, but I realise now that I didn't heat it enough, because my acetylene ran out. If I'd have been able to keep heating it I wouldn't have wrecked the axle. Doug.
I tried the wax awhile back and didn't really see much differance over any other penatrant. The key is pressure and heat with a little cussing thrown in for good measure
Bringing this back up, as I hear of more people ruining good parts using hammers, presses, etc. Heat and an air chisel is all you need. It works! Hope this helps to save some more old Ford parts. Neal
Ive found its a LOT easier to pull them out than push them out. Been pulling them for years, never had an issue.
Thanks for putting me on to this method Neal. I'll be trying this in the morning and I'll be sure to let you know the results
I have been doing it this way too, but have run into 2 that wouldn't come out. You should have heard the screaming, groaning, and popping when they finally came out in an 80 ton press working up a sweat.
How do you go about that? I tried to pull some Model A perch bolts out once, after reading Andy's post concerning pulling, used a big slide hammer with no luck, hooked up a hydraulic puller and that literally pulled the spring eye in line with the bolt before it pulled it out of the axle. I've had real good luck using an air hammer after reading NealinCA's original post, probably disassembled 15 or so axles in last couple of years. Sometimes no heat, sometimes a lot. After using my kid's CP hammer for a couple, I picked up a Harbor Freight version which has done the job; but I think his CP had more power. I did have a '36 last week where both perch bolts just refused to budge, finally took the drill press to the bolts, and drilled a 1/2" hole about 3/4 of the way thru and still had to get them pretty hot to get them free.
the HAMB strikes again. just want to say thanks for the very good advice on this thread. just picked up a couple of model A axles that had stuck kingpins and sawn off/ half drilled out perch bolts. 40 minutes and they were gone, two perfectly good axles left.
Thank you Pensive Scribe for the re-post of this. It worked like a champ! I started by soaking it for days with Liquid Wrench penetrating oil. Next I put a nut on the bottom of the threads to protect them. Then I hit the nut with my little mini-sledge hammer until I started getting movement. I was able to work it out about 3/16". Finally I got out my Bernzomatic Map/Pro torch kit and started heating the end of the radius rod wishbone. In my case I only had to get the radius rod/axle heated to about 600° before I was able to drive it out with my air hammer. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This method has worked every time for me, you will have both perches out within a 1/2 hour. Removing spring perches using an air chisel or air hammer: Most spring perches have a center hole drilled in the threaded end. Find a drift style tip for your air chisel, grind to fit the center hole if necessary. If you don't own an air chisel, go to HF and buy one for $9.99. It is worth every penny. Support the axle and wishbone up on a table or saw horses. Heat axle around perch with torch with one hand. With the other hand, keep steady pressure with air chisel on the bottom of the perch. When you get the axle hot enough, the perch will begin to slowly move. Some times they will break loose almost immediately...sometime it may take 10-15 minutes. You will have the axle cherry red by then, but they will break loose. Two people makes this job easier, but I have done it numerous times by myself. I have tried soaking, heating, twisting, BFH, etc and ruined the perches almost everytime. My brother showed me the air chisel trick, and I have had 100% success with about 6 frontends. Hope this helps. Neal Thank you Neal your a life saver! If there is a demand for it I can video this method and post it. I've got a couple more front ends here. This will work on any Ford wishbones.[/QUOTE]
MVB I would like to encourage you to do that video. I tried to record one and it failed. I figured out later that I hadn't put enough heat to it. There is nothing quite like seeing it happen to get the technique the first time.
I had about six front ends to strip this past summer; borrowed a friend's CP717 hammer. That gun can really hit; sure made it go quick. Thought I should pick one up until I saw the price, new plan: keep borrowing John's.
Don't have a compressor big enough to sustain an air rivet gun so I pulled out my electric Bosch 1/2 drive hammer drill, ground an old bit down smaller than the pin, put it on straight hammer and took the pins right out. It hits a lot harder than a rivet gun unless you've got a 3x or 5x Chicago Pneumatic. You know what they say, "If it don't fit, don't force it, just get a bigger hammer".
I used a torch and a 100 ton press on mine.......took about 10 minutes each side......then I used anti-seize compound on the new perch bolts. Hoping to avoid the need for fire and brimstone next time.
Several years ago I had 5 front ends to dis-assemble. It took me about 3 days part time to dis-assemble them, plus it beat the hell out of my hands and wrists. Next time I had front ends to dis-assemble I took them to a local spring shop. They did each axle assembly in about 20 minutes for $ 20.00 each ,which I gladly paid.
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