petemcr 10 Posted December 30, 2013 Anyone got any advice on this issue, I don't need to sort this out as of yet as I'm still doing the engine but I know it will need doing for the MOT when I have her running but I'm not sure how to tackle this. The locking nut on the Drivers side track rod is seized on, when I had her on the road I took her to get tracked as I had a new track rod end put on and he could not get the nut free, he put gas on it and heated it up, turned it twice and it had seized back on within seconds of it cooling. What are my options, I was looking at Track rods, OE ones seem very high and there's nothing wrong with the actual rod and I don't want to replace it with a cheaper one. Am I best just having a new nut put back on it and try and cut the old one off, the thread on the rod looks fine but the nut just won't free up at all. Any help would be great, the engine is going back together and I want to get her booked in for an MOT as soon as I can. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brunty 10 Posted December 30, 2013 Heat it up to remove it and get a new nut. I have the same issue on mine at the moment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Timbo 0 Posted December 30, 2013 Usually with heat it's best to get it moving first but give it a wee bit of time to cool. Spraying it copiously with WD-40 after you've freed it off also helps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Timbo 0 Posted December 30, 2013 Oh and when you put it back together, use copper grease. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hatton VR6 0 Posted December 30, 2013 Clean off the thread behind the nut with a wire brush so any of the muck on the threads does not make it harder to turn the nut when loosened or get stuck in the threads when trying to remove the nut. Spray the thread and nut with Plus Gas or another penetrating oil and leave to soak in as recommended on the can. This may allow you to slacken off the lock nut without resorting to heat. It may be worth winding it backwards and forwards to free it off. (It has worked for me in the past with out needing to resort to heat). Remove the track rod end ball joint, counting the number of turns to remove it. Spray the thread and lock nut with Plus Gas and hopefully remove lock nut. Clean the track rod thread up with a wire brush. Smear a little copper grease on the track rod thread and fit the new nut and track rod end ball joint, counting the number of turns as you refit it and lock in place. If the plus gas does not work you will have to resort to heat. In the past I have left it to soak over night and then used the plus gas again the next day as specified on the tin. Hope it helps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wullie 1 Posted December 30, 2013 When faced with having to soak something with Plusgas or such I wrap the part with a rag, soak the rag with Plusgas, wrap the whole lot in some polythene then tape it in place. Stops the Plusgas evaporating. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
petemcr 10 Posted December 31, 2013 Well, looks like I will be grabbing a can of Plusgas after new year, good to know though as I was going to get a full new track rod, helps cross of a job on the forever growing list. Thanks for the advice guys, hopefully next week I can start to rebuild her and get her ready to go back on the road for summer, happy days :cheers: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yandards 0 Posted December 31, 2013 If it still won't budge after the advice above then I have cut them off with a dremmel before, just be very careful and you don't need to go full thickness of the nut just weaken it in a few spots. Also worth considering wheel alignment after as it won't be quite the same even counting turns etc. no guarantee it was correct to start with. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daveb142 10 Posted December 31, 2013 Mine was like this, fortunately my rack was off anyway, so put it in a vice and pretty much hung off of a spanner, then moved it back and forth with a fair bit of effort to free it up. Have gone over both sides now, cleaned up the threads and wound the nuts back and forth across the threads....Now I can spin nuts all the way up and down with my hand :) good luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
petemcr 10 Posted January 2, 2014 If it still won't budge after the advice above then I have cut them off with a dremmel before, just be very careful and you don't need to go full thickness of the nut just weaken it in a few spots. Also worth considering wheel alignment after as it won't be quite the same even counting turns etc. no guarantee it was correct to start with. That is how I came across the issue prior to me taking her off the road, I'd had a track rod end changed out and took it to get aligned but the guy struggled due to the seized bolt, shame as well, he had it on one of the Hunter systems for tracking and had it all set up perfect, then the second he came to lock up the track rod it just kept spinning and knocking the tracking out, but oh well will be sorted soon. Hopefully I can get it free enough I can do the same as yours daveb142 and it's no issue when I come to get her tracked again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
