Knuckle joint removal

How to remove knuckle joints from cone struts

Disclaimer!

This procedure is to be used only when the knuckles don't come out easily. There is little point in going to all this trouble if you can twist them out, or if they fall out themselves. Also, if they are reusable, you might want to try to boil them out somehow, as not to have to replace them with new items.

The removal of knuckle joints out of the struts can be divided into four stages.
After removing the strut from the car, use a cutting disk to cut off the joint as close to the strut as possible. Then polish it until you get to the level of the strut. Make sure you don't damage the strut in the process as the cutter might slip.
Remember all the safty procedures of working with metal cutters, drills, and hammers!

After you have that, mount the strut stable, and use a puncher to punch a small mark in the middle (must be as close to the middle as you can get!) of the little piece of metal inside the strut. Once you got that done grab a drill.
Please keep in mind that the closer you are to the center, the more easy it will be later on to drill the big hole, and the easier it will be to punch out the rest of the joint.

Using a small diameter drill, go through the leftoever of the knuckle joint. You will have to drill about 2 cm in hard metal, so have patiance. Lubricate the place with oil. It will help the drill from sliping.

Here comes the important bit. Once you have drilled through with the thin drill, find one that is as close to the diameter of the strut neck that you are drilling as possible. Make sure that when you drill, you don't scratch the aluminium the strut is made of! Drill ALMOST to the end, leaving about 2-3mm. If you go all the way you will have trouble! Let it cool down a bit (hot metal is expanded, so it will be more difficult to remove it, and might result in breaking of the strut!), and then using a suitable puncher and a hammer punch the rest of the knuckle joint inside of the strut. You will need to take off the cones to take out the little piece of metal from inside of the strut. That is the only practical disadvantage of this method.

Marcin Dobrucki, 1996

	The removal of knuckle joints out of the struts can be divided into four stages. After removing the strut from the car, use a cutting disk to cut off the joint as close to the strut as possible. Then polish it until you get to the level of the strut. Make sure you don't damage the strut in the process as the cutter might slip. Remember all the safty procedures of working with metal cutters, drills, and hammers!
	After you have that, mount the strut stable, and use a puncher to punch a small mark in the middle (must be as close to the middle as you can get!) of the little piece of metal inside the strut. Once you got that done grab a drill. Please keep in mind that the closer you are to the center, the more easy it will be later on to drill the big hole, and the easier it will be to punch out the rest of the joint.
	Using a small diameter drill, go through the leftoever of the knuckle joint. You will have to drill about 2 cm in hard metal, so have patiance. Lubricate the place with oil. It will help the drill from sliping.
	Here comes the important bit. Once you have drilled through with the thin drill, find one that is as close to the diameter of the strut neck that you are drilling as possible. Make sure that when you drill, you don't scratch the aluminium the strut is made of! Drill ALMOST to the end, leaving about 2-3mm. If you go all the way you will have trouble! Let it cool down a bit (hot metal is expanded, so it will be more difficult to remove it, and might result in breaking of the strut!), and then using a suitable puncher and a hammer punch the rest of the knuckle joint inside of the strut. You will need to take off the cones to take out the little piece of metal from inside of the strut. That is the only practical disadvantage of this method.