How would YOU fix this?

Doing alignment, this rod end was stuck. While trying to adjust I felt it tweak a bit, and I decided it needed to be replaced before I raced on it. 

Fully broke it off today.

So - how would you get this out?

Weld a nut on the end?

Grind a couple flats on the rod and find a wrench to fit?

Drill a hole through it and use a drift as a T-handle?

Grab it with Vise-Grips?

So heat didn't work? 

Really depends on how tight it is in there.  If not that bad, pliers or vise grips

Drill a hole in some sturdy long piece of metal, place bolt in hole, weld bolt to metal, remove.

Heat didn't work - yet. I also wasn't very patient with the torch. I could hit it a lot harder. 

Keep in mind I had to put probably 300 ft lbs+ on it already to break it off. 

Also, with welding - I think these rod ends are generally chromemoly or otherwise not normal steel. Is that an issue?

Check for a set screw. Or some other capturing method. I missed that once and was surprised to find how much easier it was to take apart 

Weld a nut on and crank down then.

Barring that one, if you can face it flat, then drill a smaller hole in the center you may can chisel it out.

Worse case, you have a jig to make another?

I would remove that arm and soak that in penetrating oil for a day. 

alfadriver (Forum Supporter) said:

Check for a set screw. Or some other capturing method. I missed that once and was surprised to find how much easier it was to take apart 

Good call!

I'll double check. I'm pretty sure there is not anything because the other side loosened no issue. They are 'captured' by a jamb nut (which I had removed before the photo). 

Atf/acetone penetration oil for a day with the arm mounted vertically so the penetrating oil runs down the threads into the arm. Then, heat it hard. Big pipe wrench. 

Failing that,  try welding. Or take to the local machine shop for a drill out.

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) :

I'd agree with a small adjustment: I'd heat the arm first, then penetrating oil while hot, followed by the rest of your suggestion. 

My first would be to grind two flats on the threads and use vice grips or a properly sized end wrench.  If you can't get it that way, it is likely going to damage the threads or break/bend something you don't want broken or bent.

My go-to for things like this is the candle treatment.  Heat it up good and hot and touch a candle to the threads where they disappear into the arm.  You want the temperature to be just right.  If it just melts gently, too cool.  If it smokes a lot and makes a bunch of sizzle, too hot.  If it ignites, run and grab a fire extinguisher.  You want it to melt quickly with maybe a few wisps of smoke.  Make sure it's the cheapest candle you can find, because that means it is likely straight-up long-chain paraffin.  Think like those cheap candles you get at church for the Christmas Eve service.  I keep a box of birthday candles in my toolbox.

The paraffin liquid will flow like solder - toward the heat, so heat the sleeve, not the bolt.

Hard to tell in the pic but did you check carefully to be sure it's a right hand thread? Perhaps it's bottomed and left hand thread?

If the back side of the tube is open tilt the arm down & put your favorite penetrating fluid in it and walk away for a while.  When ya come back bring a BFH and give the rod a few really good whacks. Decide on a method of torquing the rod (flat spots or whatever). Spray the rod with CRC freeze spray. Try tightening slightly to break it free & then remove.

Dump so much heat into a nut welding it on that it glows, then the moment it's not glowing any more spin it out with an impact.  If that doesn't work I'd remove the arm and drill it out from the other side.

Careful with heat.  Don't want to do anything to the control arm to accidently heat treat or make it weaker.  

That looks like a typical stock car lower control arm.  If that's the case then there's nothing fancy about the alloy that it's made out of and you can hit it with an oxyacetylene torch until it glows red and turn that out with a pair of vice grips.  Let it cool to room temperature on it's own and it'll be fine. 

Keep in mind that one of the failure modes that causes those to seize is that the lock nut is loose and the threads fret against each other and kind of friction weld together.  If that's the case then the control arm is essentially junk already.

Was thinking that the threads are galled (aka cold welded) and hence what is going to be left of the internal thread is going to be questionable.

Pete

drill and tap a bar, weld it on the threads.  turn threads out?  maybe the heat from welding will help loosen it up

I'd heat it and use a pipe wrench or parrot beak pliers to twist it out.  But as mentioned, expect the threads to be ruined, so you will be replacing the arm in all likelihood.

+1 for weld a nut on the threaded rod.  Let it cool.  Heat the arm and crank it out.

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

 

My go-to for things like this is the candle treatment.  Heat it up good and hot and touch a candle to the threads where they disappear into the arm.  You want the temperature to be just right.  If it just melts gently, too cool.  If it smokes a lot and makes a bunch of sizzle, too hot.  If it ignites, run and grab a fire extinguisher.  You want it to melt quickly with maybe a few wisps of smoke.  Make sure it's the cheapest candle you can find, because that means it is likely straight-up long-chain paraffin.  Think like those cheap candles you get at church for the Christmas Eve service.  I keep a box of birthday candles in my toolbox.

The paraffin liquid will flow like solder - toward the heat, so heat the sleeve, not the bolt.

I second all of this.  Generally I heat to a very dull red and let it cool for maybe 20-30 seconds before applying the wax.

1: Wax or penetrating lubricant

2: Weld a nut to the end

3: Heat the sleeve

Did that work?

If not proceed to:

4: drill through the center (this weakens the bolt to hoop stresses and it will let go of the threads a bit)

Then go back to 3.