Herman K

Thanks Bill your comments are always appreciated. Hopefully this additon of different methods on which way or how to pull this pin will be of help to any future DIY that are looking for the right information to do the job.

Thank you and best wishes

Bill Ball

I can tell you a rattle gun (air or electric impact gun) helps a lot to get the nuts off and spin the pin at the same time. I've not had to lever the pin like you had to. Once broken free by the rattle gun, a few gentle raps on the pin end shoves it out. Anyway, enjoy the new shocks.

jon928se

Having spent something around 6 hours per side removing these pins on my 88 SE I can honestly say there is no right way. Anyway that works is good. Having got to the point where I was actively working out what I could cut and still be able to remove the 350ft lbs axle nut I think I got it all figured out.

FWIW I rigged up a 10 ton jack as a press and used that pressing the pin forwards (jack wouldn't work backwards as it is downhill) combined with rotating the pin to get the pins out.

I think the key is rotation - the spherical washers are a very close fit on the pin and can cockle over and hang up on the pin, at which point you need to overcome the shear strength of the washer to move the pin unless you can un stick the washer - rotating does this.

Far Northern Hemipshere (salt on the roads in Winter) combined with pins not removed for 15 years leads to interesting corrosion chalenges. A new set of pins machined out of 316 Stainless cost me $60 US.

Vilhuer

Really difficult cases require harsher methods. Today I had to cut shock eye from two places to remove it out of the way leaving bushing still around pin. After this I cut pins rear end off to get rest of the shock out of the way leaving just front half of the pin inside hub. This allows removal of lower suspension arm once brake disk and shield is removed. Then just front part of the pin and two washers remain around alu part allowing easier access to heat it. Even heat caused by cutting pin was not enough to free remainging part. I had to heat and cool both ends several times before impact gun got pin rotating. Blowtorch got pin surface temp up to 200C and cooling close to 0C.

Mrmerlin

I will offer a hint .. There is a hole on the underside of the Hub carrier and the pin is visible, it is a great idea.......
It should be part of the removal process to inspect the pin and then squirt some PB blaster on it, scrub the pin with a tooth brush to knock off the crud

Vilhuer

Doesn't help much when pin and hub are married together by almost 1" long part of oxidized hub on both sides of hole. Inside of the hub can be soaked with penetrating oil without any effect.

Mrmerlin

and once you do get the pin out make sure to be generous with the antiseize on installation