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Stuck watts center nut

1029 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  chairmankaga


Weathers nice so I’m knocking down some work that’s piled up over the summer.

Installing new watts bushings finally but the center nut on the rocker just will not come loose. I’ve been hitting it with PB Blaster for a couple of days.

I did knock out one simple stake in the nut but maybe I’m missing something? You can sort of see where it’s pushed back a bit. My impact wrench won’t budge it and I can’t get enough leverage with the breaker bar either.


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Well, true to form, literally 30 minutes after I posted this i knocked it loose with the impact wrench. The bushings are all totally done, so good timing. The centers were loose and the rubber cracked and crumbling. Knocked them out with a 22mm socket. The center sleeve was stuck but some more PB Blaster and my Vise Grips, et voila. Now I'm just waiting for the rust cure to dry so I can paint the hardware. UPS should be here at some point today with the new poly bushings. Then done, hopefully.
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I'm big on cutting off parts that want to fight with me. I'm old. Don't like wasting time anymore.
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Well, the car feels better. Maybe it’s all in my brain and is not, in fact, actually better, but it FEELS better. Less squidgey, more settled.

I probably should do the deDion pivot bushing too but man, doing that in situ seems like a bear. The poly bushing would be the way to go, since I have no intention of dropping the rear.

Then the trans and engine mounts.


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For future reference, when those center nuts are stuck I put the impact on TIGHTEN for a few trigger pulls, and then hit it on LOOSEN. Always worked for me.
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For future reference, when those center nuts are stuck I put the impact on TIGHTEN for a few trigger pulls, and then hit it on LOOSEN. Always worked for me.
I thought for exactly 1.25 seconds about using heat before remembering I was less than 2 feet from the fuel tank. I'm absolutely certain mine came free because I whined to the BB about it. That's just how the universe works. Your suggestion is noted though!
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