I'm changing the front lower arms and the nut has come off easily enough on the pinch bolt but it's not moving when I try to unscrew it. Can I just knock it through with a hammer or is it threaded the whole way?

The hub isn't threaded.

But if you're reusing the bolt then take care not to bash the threads on that. Screw the nut back on a couple of turns to protect it.

Thanks, I tried putting the nut on but it's cracked, can you get replacement bolt kits for these arms do you know?

13 minutes ago, Loofer said:

Thanks, I tried putting the nut on but it's cracked, can you get replacement bolt kits for these arms do you know?

Ford sell the nuts and bolts separately but they are quite expensive. Plenty of aftermarket options on eBay using the part number 1088759.

https://ebay.us/m/XnJ96F

If the bolt is still stuck in there then unpinch the hub by hammering a screwdriver or chisel into the slit to open it up.

Great, thanks very much!

From experience, I can tell that the pinch bolt is usually seized solid. During assembly, Ford installs the bolt dry, without any protection or lubrication. In most cases, the nut comes off quite easily, while the bolt itself is seized firmly inside the wheel knuckle.

I’ve had the most success by knocking the bolt out while keeping tension on it. This is, however, a two-person job:

• Person 1: Keeps tension on the bolt using a sturdy Torx socket and a long breaker bar (be careful not to break the Torx socket).

• Person 2: Knocks the bolt out using a large, suitable punch and a properly sized hammer.

The bolt starting to rotate while being struck is usually the first sign that it’s coming loose. However, even from that point, it can still take considerable effort to remove it completely.

In my opinion, the pinch bolt and nut should always be replaced. The ball joint has a small recess where the pinch bolt sits, so it’s not just the clamping force that holds the ball joint in the wheel knuckle. I’ve often seen these bolts severely affected by corrosion. Sometimes reduced to about three-quarters of their original diameter on a Ford that’s only half as old as this Focus Mk1.5.

Pinch bolts and nuts can be purchased from a Ford dealership. These parts are used on most Ford models from the last 25 years so they should be easily available. In an emergency, you can also use standard hex bolts and nuts with suitable washers. Just make sure they are high-tensile strength (preferably grade 12.9). Not typical hardware store quality.

Thanks JW1982, very useful, The Torx screw has already started slipping after the first attempt when I didn't realise how bad this was but I have some nut extractors I may be able to hammer on, I'm on my own though so I need to find a way to load up a breaker bar while persuading the bolt from the other end.

Or just take it to a garage. I spent two days trying to get the rear bolts out of the upright a few years ago and don't fancy repeating it...

You can decide to sacrifice the lower ball joint by grinding it off. This allows to remove the wheel knuckle to put it into a vice. Once put into a vice you can apply heat to the wheel knuckle to make the metal expand. This usually allows to remove the bolt.

Worst case scenario you have to drill the bolt out. In this case it is recommended to grind the Torx head off and drill from both sides.

OK, that's an option, might try and get a breaker bar on the torx head get a jack under the end of it for pressure, see if that's a goer.