Hi alĺ I'm about to change this ball joint as its worn and has movement. I've got a 27mm socket but it won't fit in the gap between the arms. Can anyone recommend a tool that's ok to cover the nut and spindle, what tool would have you used to do this ? Needs to have some clout I guess to do the job. Thanks for any help.
Just so you know these ball joint are a pressed fit... so not any easy job without the right tools. I asked a mobile mechanic we use at work could he press my old ones out and press the new one into the trailing arm.. I called into GSF motor factors last week and spotted a set of 4 trailing arms on there counter with nice shiny new ball joint.. so think they might supply them as an exchange part. Hope this help good luck
If it's one of the main ball joints, it'll need pressing out, ideally with the trailing arm out. If there's no excessive wear, I'd suggest you leave it. Replacement joints aren't as good as the originals.
Hi thanks for replies, yes I have a local mechanic with a press so they will get the old one out and new one in. My main concern is getting that 27mm nut off. As its probably a bit seized.
Big ring spanner. Although I am pretty sure that if you use a jack to move the arms you can get a socket on there. And then a big pickle fork joint splitter and a big hammer. You will be replacing the boots anyway. Get a good one - my cheapie splitter needs constant remedial action to straighten it out... And after you have done it once you will be replacing the boots quite often as they split frequently these days. I have managed to hack old ball joints out of the arms using an angle grider and a hacksaw . Three took me a day and I slept very well. There is a metal plate available that works with the eBay ball joint press kit to remove the ball jonts from the arms. And be careful with whoever presses in the new ball joints, @1973daisey and one other had ball joints fitted by different garages who failed to line them up with the alignment pips on the arms. In one case this simply resulted in banging as things hit inside the joints. In the other, Daisey's front wheel folded off on a roundabout where the stem of the ball joint was sliced. But where he's going(Loooooow) , he won't need wheels..
That would be me then, coincidentally the same weekend as Si had his fail I seem to recall! Luckily mine went as I was on a straight bit of road, I must have hit a bump and it popped apart, even on a straight at 40mph it's pretty scary I can assure you I managed to get it stopped in a straight line but it was a nightmare getting on and of the recovery truck. I replaced ours with a refurbished arm from Coolair which had the new joint already pressed in. I'll post up a couple of pics when I can get back on Tapatalk.
