removing defender drop arm

[bernie]

Need to remove the drop arm on my defender 110, have tried a two legged puller, but have failed, has anyone local to gravesend in kent got a better type of puller, or any ideas in removing it.

[zardos]

Depending on what you are going to do with the arm I would suggest to cut it off with a grinder and a thin cutting disc.

I would do 1cm wide V cut first only to about 80% depth to get better visibility and to get more control because of less drag on side of the disc.

Then a straight cut as close as you dare to the shaft, you can then usually use a small chisel from the top edge to crack it off the shaft.

[dantd5]

I used 1 week og extreme banging of my drop arm coupled with load of swearing until I took down the whole PAS down. Cut it of with a grinder if you can. No amount of pullers will help. Unless it is a giant puller....

[jbs]

Bernie, Perhaps you might like to look here?: http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=74268

John

[lrfarmer]

i've done one or two i use a 5 ton hydrolic puller, i wd40 and give the sides of the drop arm a good wack with the lump hammer then put the puller on as tite as i can get it, ( then have been known to leave over night with puller on) then try to get puller up a bit titer then with a meter long punch and big lump hammer hit the drop arm from the engine bay( i've got a 200tdi with no fan cowling)

it can work if by hitting the drop arm (ball joint end) with a sledge but this can brake the arm

i've only once not mannaged to get it off after the seals went pop on the puller

[C18RCH]

It's easier to buy a new steering box!

I've tried everything to get the one off my old steering box from 10 ton presses to bearing pullers rated up to 50000lb and it still wouldn't budge.

Why do you need to remove it?

I wanted to because I had a disco steering box and drop arm. In the end I just got a steering arm off a disco and converted it to accept a defender steering damper because it was easier than swaping the drop arms.

Interestingly the disco drop arm came off easily, it was just the defender on that wouldn't shift.

[Boro]

I have removed two in recent months, the first i spent many hours on before i realised the trick the second took all of 10 minutes then, undo the nut until its flush with the end of the threaded shaft, get yourself a decent puller (i bought a 10 ton hydraulic puller for about £60 on ebay) get the puller on the arm and done up tight, gently heat the arm with a blowtorch whilst holding the puller with one hand (mind where you put your fingers) try and keep the flame off the shaft and on the arm and after a few minutes the arm should come off, i managed to get the arms off without damaging any seals, if your worried about damaging seals then as said by others carefully cut a slot in the arm

[zardos]

There is always a range from "it just fell off" to "a thermo nuclear explosion is not going to shift it"

I've had one with a Hydraulic puller + heat + shock load (hitting it with big hammer) did not shift it just broke the puller arm, but cutting always works.

PS remember to copper slip the new arm (just in case you have to remove it again).

[agent nomad]

As is said at work you have got to want to remove it......

Some of the stuff at work is big and properly stuck on and requires lots of effort.

[mmgemini]

As Zardos says...

I've taken one off using two two pound hammers.

Others I've taken the steering box off and taken it to my local commercial vehicle workshop to ask them to put the steering box on their press.

[Dads Toy]

1) Buy a replacement arm, cut off the old one with thin cutting discs.

2) After you've tried hitting it, breaking pullers etc for a few days - go to 1)

Malcolm

[pat_pending]

_{There's only three ways to remove the drop arm. With a good hydraulic puller, box off and in a press or cut the thing off.}

_{Belting it with a big hammer just transfers the force into the box and you're asking to break something.}

_{I've seen a sector shaft snap because someone had hammered the drop arm downwards, it didn't fail untill it was half way out the workshop.}

_{Be warned.}

[landy andy.]

As above, cut it off, easily done with 4"grinder and thin discs,

Andy

[TheRecklessEngineer]

I took one off recently. My little puller fell apart just looking at it, so decided to go straight for cutting it off. It still put up a bit of a fight though.

If you must get it off undamaged, there's really little choice except for a BIG puller/press and heat.

[eds]

Yippee :-)

I am so glad I read Boro's post above regarding removing the drop arm.

It went with one hell of a bang but only took ten mins.

I plus gased it every day for a week. (The splines were dry on post remove inspection so this prob made no difference.)

I then cut the ball joint end off far away from the steering box.

I used an old hydraulic 1" 1/2 puller

Set up a mild small blow torch on the end of the cut drop arm.

The shaft of the steering box hardly got warm.

The drop arm came off after about 5 mins of heat with a massive bang.

Heat is the secret and you don't need very much to get the drop arm to expand a little to pop off.

Now I would like to replace the dust seal on the bottom of the shaft of the steering box.

Has anyone done this to know if I need AEU4024 or STC2848?

So thanks to the forum and Boro for making this an easy job. Without heat one would probably be stuffed and have to cut it off.