Upper and lower ball joint advice... (without press)

[rustbucket]

Following a failed MOT on my 1980 1.9 T25, I've got a week to fix some bits on my van. A few lights, a little bit of welding, and a wiper blade should be fine... the real problem is going to be the upper and lower ball joints.

It failed on both upper, and one lower. I ordered the new parts (ordered both upper and both lower) but wasn't really sure about how to change them, and since researching it looks like a job that can't be done with the tools I have. If I can't change them, then it's going to be at least £150 in the garage labour costs. I'd like to avoid these costs if possible, but obviously I don't want to bodge it. I want to sell the van once it has passed, so if it means paying then I will.

Firstly, does anyone know of a decent walkthrough of the entire process of changing these?
Also, is there any way of doing it without any specialised kit?

Any help is very much appreciated, I have to do this by next monday.

[rustbucket]

A bit more reading through the forum and apparently a joint splitter would do the job???

Is this the right thing:



These only cost £5-£10, are they really good enough?

[Ian Hulley]

They will split a balljoint BUT if you need to re-use it then buy a scissors type and still be cautious near the rubber sealing gaiter. Oh and wear the appropriate PPE (goggles as a bare minimum) as I've seen the end of these burr over and a sharp splinter hit someone in the cheek ... he was VERY fortunate.

Ian

[rustbucket]

I am completely replacing the ball joints, doesn't matter if I damage the ball joint.

How about getting the new ones in???

By scissor type, do you mean this:



Will I need 2 different sizes, for upper and lower?

Thanks

[Ian Hulley]

I've never fitted lower ones myself ... mine were done at a garage with a press I assume.

Ian

[rustbucket]

I'm a bit confused about which ball joints I've got to change. My MOT notes say this:

"Nearside front track rod end ball joint"

"Nearside front upper suspension arm ball joint"

"Offside front upper suspension arm ball joint"

They all only say it's the dust cover excessively deteriorated, not the entire ball joint.

Is the track rod end ball joint the lower ball joint, or are these 2 different components?

Thanks

[rustbucket]

OK, so the track rod end ball joint is the track rod end? I didn't need the lower ball joints, and that's a relief that I can probably change all of these myself.

[Ian Hulley]

Uppers are quite straight forward, the allen screws can be a bstard to get out and the heads need cleaning out before you round them orf.

Ian

[rustbucket]

Nice one thanks for the help.

Ordered 2 new entire track rods with ends, and will hopefully get a refund on the lower ball joints.

One last question, will any ball joint separator (the scissor type) fit for my upper ball joints? Or maybe I just get a couple of splitter forks instead.

[Oldiebut goodie]

I saw somewhere someone had used rubber hose to replace the rubbers due to MoT fail on them - the ball joints themselves were fine. It is the new regs. that are catching us all now, I've just done my track rod ends so that it is ready for it's MoT in October as the rubbers were getting rough. I have hummed and haa-ed over the upper and lower ball joints as the rubbers are starting to go. As it is aged 26 now I will have an inkling that they should be done.

[Wychall]

Not sure whether I am mis-reading the issue here but here is my two-happorth.

I have just had a Rover 25 fail for deteriorated rubbers on the lower suspension arms. Chummy at the MOT centre then says that the rubbers aren't available seperately so the entire arm needs changing at £80 per side. Skin-flint here aint willing to pay that so a quick google and bought the rubbers for £2.99, just about within my budget.

http://www.balljointboots.co.uk/index.html

Seems one size fits many.

[rustbucket]

Well It does seem that it's only the rubbers that need changing, at least on my MOT, but I thought I would just change the entire lot whilst I'm down there, I hope the next owner will appreciate it, so ended up buying 2 upper ball joints, and then both complete track rods... all for about £50, which isn't too bad. (also got the lower ball joints by mistake, so got to send them back)

Got a ball joint splitter (fork type) today for £5, but the jaws aren't wide enough, so might try and grind the inside down a bit to fit around the ball joint... fingers crossed they won't snap when I give it a bash. Hopefully that will be enough to do it.

[Oldiebut goodie]

Not sure whether I am mis-reading the issue here but here is my two-happorth.

I have just had a Rover 25 fail for deteriorated rubbers on the lower suspension arms. Chummy at the MOT centre then says that the rubbers aren't available seperately so the entire arm needs changing at £80 per side. Skin-flint here aint willing to pay that so a quick google and bought the rubbers for £2.99, just about within my budget.

http://www.balljointboots.co.uk/index.html

Seems one size fits many.

To be honest I haven't looked for just the rubbers as with the age of the van I feel that the joints must be due replacing. £2.99 a pair is far more preferable to that £80! Nice find.

[faggie]

on the top ball joints clean the thread what protudes through balljoint with wirebrush and soak everything with plusgas it also helps if you grease the threads protruding so when undoing bolts theres less chance of rounding of the allen key bolts

[Oldiebut goodie]

I was planning on getting the sand blaster on the allen head ones as they look too hard to get at with anything else.