Camber eccentric, help needed please!

[Zachary Byron Helm]

Greetings,

I have a 1975 Cadillac that I am rebuilding the front end on. Well, I pulled the ball joints off, went to install the new ones and noticed that there is not a camber eccentric on the new ones.

I called the manufacturer and they told me I had to use the old onese, but those things are on there TIGHT, I have tried every form of tool and nothing will get them to budge. So, is there some secret way of removing and subsequently installing this part that I dont know about?

I also called around looking for new ones I could just put on, but no one carries them, period. Is there a source for this part out there?

Thanks in advance -Zachary Helm incode64@yahoo.com

[denise 20352]

  Hey Zach, can you post a picture of these things?  Is CC different from the Fleetwood?

-d

[Zachary Byron Helm]

You betcha, here is a picture link...

http://www.psychoholic.net/zach/incode64/random/godforsakenpart.jpg TARGET=_blank>http://www.psychoholic.net/zach/incode64/random/godforsakenpart.jpg

When you look at this, the blue portion represents what used to be the threaded bolt that slides through the steering knuckle. That part was eliminated last night after I cut through it and we drilled out as much of the bolt as possible.

The part I need to take off is the bolt looking deal between the blue part and the actual base of the joint on the left. It is the camber eccentric and it sits inside the steering knuckle. It is of center, so changing its position affects the wheels alignment.

I called one of the parts manufacturers and they stated that this part must be reused. No one apparently makes a replacement or aftermarket and I have looked in some very obscure places for it. I have tried everything to get it to move including the heat treatment as well as the brute force, B.F.H. method. Nothing works! HELP!

[Justin Crosby #22536]

I pressed mine off if you need others email me directly but i used a press to remove mine from the joint

[Zachary Byron Helm]

Thanks Justin, I appreciate the information. Did you have to press them on to the new ball joints as well or were they easy enough to slip on without too much haggling?

[denise 20352]

  I would be putting it into a press, and maybe applying heat at the same time, with a rosebud or cutting tip, up to dull cherry but not enough to soften it.

  Or you could take it to a machine shop and they could pull it.

-d

[Steve Preston #16375]

If youve gouged the circular/conical portion of it youll need to resurface it before re-installation. If you dont, it will transfer the gouges to the inside of the knuckle and make adjustment a b_tch!

I chucked  mine onto a bolt with washers on both sides with a nut to cinch it between the washers and put the bolt end into a low rpm drill. With some 220 emery cloth, you spin the assembly in the drill while running the emery over the conical part. Itll smooth it up nicely.

[Kevin]

Cant you just pick up a new one? Thats what I would and did do to mine.

[Geoff Newcombe #4719]

Well that was Zacharys original question, where does he get new ones?  Hes had no luck and thats why this thread got into removing the old one.  You could do Zachary a favor and reveal where you got your new one!

[Kevin]

This computer kept crashing while I read this thread. Cadillac USA has them and sodoes Ted Holcombe.

[Zachary Byron Helm]

Thank you very much to everyone who replied to my questions. Its moments like this that make me very thankful for the internet and places like the CLC boards existance!

What we ended up doing was this- We drilled out the portion of the bolt that sticks through the actual eccentric. We stopped a bit shy of completely drilling it so that there was some wall left (didnt want to damage the eccentric) and then used a ball joint separater and the B.F.H. method to get them apart. Unfortunatly I was a bit too tired to finish up the car for the parade this weekend, but we did have another Caddy up and running so we took her instead!

Thanks again guys.