Come along with Eric O. at the SMA shop as he deals with an other rusty upstate NY car. In this video he fights it out with a Subaru and their infamous ball joints. He breaks out "Big Nasty," the torch, cuts his finger and gets to harass Mrs.O all in the same video --Enjoy!
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THANKS A MILLION!!
--Eric O.
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Simply send and E-mail to SMAstickers @outlook.com including: your shipping address and e-mail address in the text, I in turn will send you a paypal invoice for $5 each USA or $6 each international. Let me know how many you want and as soon as the paypal invoice is paid I will ship them out ASAP! Thanks for your support of our channel!!
--Eric & Vanessa O.
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South Main Auto Repair
47 S. Main St
PO Box 471
Avoca, NY 14809
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not South Main Auto Repair.
If an SMA Video has helped you out please consider giving using "Patreon" to help support us. The videos take real time to create and pull us away from real work that pays our bills. CLICK HERE: https://www.patreon.com/southmainauto
THANKS A MILLION!!
--Eric O.
WANT AN "SMA" STICKER OF YOUR OWN!?!
Simply send and E-mail to SMAstickers @outlook.com including: your shipping address and e-mail address in the text, I in turn will send you a paypal invoice for $5 each USA or $6 each international. Let me know how many you want and as soon as the paypal invoice is paid I will ship them out ASAP! Thanks for your support of our channel!!
--Eric & Vanessa O.
Feel like sending some swag to SMA because you love the videos but don't know where to send it?
Just ship it here:
South Main Auto Repair
47 S. Main St
PO Box 471
Avoca, NY 14809
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not South Main Auto Repair.
I was doing the exact same job but I was replacing the lower control arms as well don't torture too long the ball joint will explode 😅😱🤬🤯
2 ball joints is 80$, a 6 piece control arm set with ball joints and end links is 114$. Guess what I'm doing.
There’s your problem lady, you called your wife the secretary. You should have called her the office manager, much more likely to get results.
Nice to see a pro have issues getting that damn pinch bolt off.
Just finished getting out the front ball joints on my sister's outback, your strat with the air hammer and chisel bit saved the day.
Got one side out using a strat I saw on an A1 Auto video but couldn't use that method on the other side as the threads on the ball joint were completely mangled (nut looked to have been cross threaded on).
Pulled out the air hammer and with a little back and forth I got the ball joint out.
haha always phone rings when you doing the job lol.
Hey i know this is a late question. Should i torque these bolts? or just as tight as i can.?
Holy fuck this job can go south quick doing one right now in Canada FML
you can buy a ball joint tool on ebay for about 35.00 just for subaru you can have that ball joint out in 30 seconds
For really hard connections I use a heat gun to get the connector very hot. With the connection hot I spray generous amounts of kroil then give it 15 mins. It has saved me time.I just do some other work until the connection get cooked. For whatever it’s worth. Thanks for showing the real buggers of rusty, nasty, dirty, filthy, frozen connections.🤓
This plus all the other subaru ball joint videos have made me purchase the astro ball joint puller and on my last oil change I removed the bolt covered it in anti seize and put it back in. Our subaru is only a year old we live in Pennsylvania. Any other bolts I should think about pulling now and anti seize
Cuts, rust, burns, customers, wife and kids. Ghandi would be proud of your patience sir 😂
I have the same problem. Would propane torch work ? What torch do I need ?
This is next on my list so can't wait to start this project with that bolt almost inevitably fighting me too. Planning to do both sides too so yay…
have you ever used a 4inch grinder to clean up the rotor ends / edges to remove the lip ? i do it every time
It’s all good
Need engine rebuilt, if I drop it off in the morning, can I get it back by afternoon? HA!
Thanks for sharing what most would think is an easy job. I really hate rust!
Great video. Done the exact same work on my own Subaru Forester. One hell of a work I must say. Took me a good number of hours (whitout the gas torch), had to dismount the entire wheel hub and put it on the bench, drill out the broken (of course) bolt and use a heavy slide hammer before victory over the elements. The Swedish road conditions with lots of salt during winters is definitely not the ideal conditions for car repairs.
Always good to see that even the professionals sometimes enters the road to hell. A thing you never see on the car shows on TV. 😀
I like watching your video I’m a licensed mechanic with forty plus years in my own shop in Ontario the rust belt lol always learn something new still Started my apprenticeship in 1968 and still working
Wonder if it’s ever crossed anyone’s mind (that is incharge of those kinds of things) out east to find a salt alternative that doesn’t eat vehicles for breakfast…
You are being distracted by Mrs. O's beauty. I hope you dont kill yourself before you're done.
This has become my favorite YouTube channel.
Just bought a subaru outback to tote the grandkids about. I watch to see what jobs are in my future….. thanks so much for what you do. I live in the mountains of western north carolina what I consider the semi rust belt. We get a few snows a year so if you can stay at home and avoid driving about those few times wrenching is easier and the car lasts longer.
I bet that inductive bolt heater you got made things a lot easier
Get the 1/2 inch Earthquake gun. I finally broke down and got one and regret not getting it years ago! Beats the crap out of my IR gun!
I love seeing you fight with all these rusted out piles of bullshit as a professional mechanic. It makes me feel less alone as an east coast Canadian. Awesome content 😂
airplane mode
When I did this the nut just snapped off so I was already replacing the control arm (bent) so I just got a junk yard knuckle.
This video enforces my negativity about ball joints non mechanics shouks stay away from a ball joint job.
I’ve done these by taking the pinch bolt out first then air hammer on the knuckle near ball joint while prying down on the control arm then remove castle nut. Anyone else try it that way? Been successful for me.
I always thought you were exceptionally upbeat; I guess it's the coke!!
Next on South Main Auto, Eric O rebuilds the motor on a 1989 Bronco using nothing but Big Nasty and two cases of brake cleaner
changed my ball joint on my subaru outback 1998, a had take off the hub, and put in a vise, drill out bolt.
Used 2 days to change both. I think only a fool changes only on one side, if its 18 years old ball joint.
I watched two other videos on replacing ball joints. This one is more realistic because of seized bolt, especially since I am from Great Lakes area where snow and salt do their rusting and havoc on bottom of cars. Real life issues. Thanks.
Yea woman lol. The bolt head just broke on me, so on to phase 2
We had a control arm recall at the Subaru dealer. New arms and ball joints. It got old fast
How can a guy do that at home on a driveway without air tools?
My gosh all those rusted parts not just in this video but in some of them lol I'm been lucky that every nut and bolt or part for that matter comes of with ease especially Subarus here in Washington far away from the sea even so Good Job.😁
Caution – Parts heated with oxy-acetylene torch may be hot! :-D. lol (gloves advised…?). Seriously though, As somebody watching from the UK where everything rusts to fuck within a few years, I can fully identify with the nightmare of everything you touch being seized/rusted/stripping off etc. Makes even the simplest of jobs a total PITA! I feel your pain my friend. I feel your pain! 🙁
what is your thoughts on astro pneumatic subaru ball joint adapter tool?
I just want to say thank you Eric, And I believe you have saved me a lot of grief. I made the heat shield for the boot and like you, just patiently worked it. They broke loose tightening them surprisingly and then just worked at it with the torch back and forth, then voila it’s out and no carnage. I’m sure I join many in saying, “I owe you a beer!”
I buzz off the axle nut in 3 seconds and pull the CV out so I don't have to worry about melting the boot and dicking around with a heat shield. After I get the seized bolt out I'll put the ball joint stud back in the lower arm with the CV still out and install the nut. Heat the knuckle and slide hammer down on the lower arm till the whole ball joint comes out. Then wire wheel, anti-seize and reinstall. Also moog ball joints for Subarus don't last, get Japan made sankei 555 ball joints for cheaper they last forever.
Please tell me where you bought the red scrap that bends the control arm so easily?
Just stopped by wondering "How do i get the ball joints back in the sockets when i put this all back together" with the entire front suspension of a forester apart in my garage. Thanks, perfectly illustrated, looks easy actually.
Eric O , just wanted to say thank you for this vid. I did a Suby lower ball joint and wheel bearing and followed your lead to a T . I am a proud owner of my own "Big Nasty " and the job went off without a hitch. That pinch bolt was no match for a lil heat and rattle . Thank you for all your efforts on YT , they do not EVER go unnoticed . RB from Zion Drive Auto in Pittsburgh !
Why didn't you insert a chisel-type tool in the split to slightly stretch the space and let the ball joint fall out??
Love the sex jaz montage toward the end. All videos should have this.
Great job and video
Astro now makes a tool to pull these ball joints. I’m from New Hampshire (the rust belt) and I’ve been successful at removing these with the tool!!!