where to buy......

[88Nightmare]

I need to buy a drift pin styled bit for an air hammer. I know they make them, just not sure where to get one from. I searched Ace hardwares website, ebay, and sears/craftsman website but turned up nothing. Any recommendations?

[Voodoo Chick]

Did you try Harbor Freight? They seem to have pert-near everything, and for a really good price, too.

[88Nightmare]

yeah and it generally breaks the first time you use it lol. They have a few ok things there, but most of it is junk. Thats why its so cheap.

[-stew-]

Make one. Buy any old cheap bit and go at it with a grinder. You're trying to get the rivets out of the ball joints on that blazer?

[88Nightmare]

no, I bought all new control arms and new ball joints (new ball joints bolt in, no more retarded rivets). I'm using it to get the torsion bars out. They are so rusted into place, they simply wont budge. The torsion bars are fully unloaded, however its stuck in the key and in the control arm so a friend of mine recommended I just smother everything with pb blaster, let it sit over night, then get a drift pin style bit for an air hammer and start pounding away on the backside of the torsion bar. There is a small hole, maybe 9/16th in diameter in the back of the frame crossmember that holds the torsion keys that a drift pin would be perfect for. May take awhile but enough pb blaster and enough pounding away, they will come out eventually.

[-stew-]

Cutting torch.

[88Nightmare]

and what am I going to cut? Only thing I'd be willing to cut is the lower control arms since I'll be replacing those anyway. I don't want to cut the frame crossmember and I'm sure as hell not going to cut the torsion bars.... they are kinda pricey

[-stew-]

Can't you just cut the key to get it off (you got new ones, don't you?) And then cut the control arms off, and take a wire wheel to the TB's and install new keys and LCA's.

[88Nightmare]

I DO have new keys, but the key sits inside the frame crossmember. The only part of the key thats exposed is the bottom of it. I'd be afraid of damaging the already old crossmember, or damaging the torsion bar. Plus everything down there is very greasy and that just increases the risk of a fire. I'd prefer to try the air hammer method first. In my mind, torching would be a last resort

[-stew-]

You're fighting 25 years worth of rust, and what is probably a press fit. I'll put a Justin Wilson GAY-ROWN-TEEE you ain't got a big enough air compressor, air chisel, or air hose to get that shit apart. Plus a torsion bar is made of spring steel, pounding on it wont do much, but it may break it. Try getting a puller on the key. You're gonna need fire.

[pOrk]

Why are you trying to polish a turd?

[88Nightmare]

a friend of mine witha 1990 Blazer very similar to mine is also in the process of removing his torsion bars. He has more mileage then mine, however mine is older. He got his out using nothing but a hammer and a map gas torch. And he wasnt using it to cut, he was simply heating it up to try to break the rust.

Secondly, how could it possibly be pressed together? How are you going to press a key on when its under the vehicle and INSIDE of a crossmember?

Thirdly, I'd put money on the air hammer getting it done. Find me the attachment I need, then stop by and put some money on the table :D



Or bring your torches over and show me how its done since you seem to be so damn confident you know how to get it done.

[Plum Crazy]

I got mine from the Cornwell guy, im laid off, if you want to borrow them and dont mind driving to Racine, you can borrow them

[88Nightmare]

I'd really prefer to buy something. If your tools should happen to break on me, I'd end up paying for them anyway, so if something is going to break, I'd rather it be my own tools

[Plum Crazy]

I'd really prefer to buy something. If your tools should happen to break on me, I'd end up paying for them anyway, so if something is going to break, I'd rather it be my own tools


Nope, lifetime warranty.

[-stew-]

You're fighting 25 years worth of rust, and what is probably a press fit. I'll put a Justin Wilson GAY-ROWN-TEEE you ain't got a big enough air compressor, air chisel, or air hose to get that shit apart. Plus a torsion bar is made of spring steel, pounding on it wont do much, but it may break it. Try getting a puller on the key. You're gonna need fire.


a friend of mine witha 1990 Blazer very similar to mine is also in the process of removing his torsion bars. He has more mileage then mine, however mine is older. He got his out using nothing but a hammer and a map gas torch. And he wasnt using it to cut, he was simply heating it up to try to break the rust.

So, your friend used fire?




Secondly, how could it possibly be pressed together? How are you going to press a key on when its under the vehicle and INSIDE of a crossmember?.

Ask the engineers at GM. They don't design shit to be repaired or disassembled. Their only concern is putting it together on an assembly line.




Thirdly, I'd put money on the air hammer getting it done. Find me the attachment I need, then stop by and put some money on the table :D

Or bring your torches over and show me how its done since you seem to be so damn confident you know how to get it done.

^more on that later...

[Plum Crazy]

okay, i went out and measured the ones i have a 3/8ths and 1/4 inch. The flair that goes into the air hammer is 3/4 of an inch. here are some (shitty) pics:

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z28/alexkosterman/shoes053.jpg
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z28/alexkosterman/shoes051.jpg
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z28/alexkosterman/shoes047.jpg
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z28/alexkosterman/shoes048.jpg

[88Nightmare]

So, your friend used fire?

only to heat, not to cut

and Im willing to use fire to do the same thing. But if you think it can be cut, stop on by and show me. I'm open to ideas to get these torsion bars off, but I don't want to end up breaking other shit in the process