Front lower ball joint removal (syncro)

[smokeyjon]

Hi all
I've stripped front end whilst chassis welding being done and am refurbing everything - ball joints are knackered (boots anyway), and I want to get them out, galvanise arms (later, forged ones) and put new ones in. The garage doing the chassis welding couldn't get them out (even though they've done hundreds of bay window ones) and I see why they're struggling (the angle, lack of arm to get support onto etc etc).

I don't suppose anyone has made up a jig or has other ideas about how to support them straight whilst pressing or whacking them out?

Dave futbus has kindly offered to help me get them out, but if there's any way I can do them myself or more locally that'd be helpful to avoid multiple trips between Newton Abbot, galvaniser, home etc

Cheers

[max and caddy]

Put arm in vise ( large strong type ) remove wire clip, get lump hammer and hit joint...ensure joint doesn't bounce of wall and hit you in the nuts..fairly basic operation compared to re fitting...but..50mm bi hex socket and press will do that without removing the boot just fine.


They have removed the clip haven't they?.......it's been known for folk to no to in some kind of belief it will not make a difference...it does..

[smokeyjon]

Circlip has definitely been removed and you can see that they've given it a proper good beating with a sledge or similar. I've tried too... My vice is a bit small but should probably be OK - it's the workbench that it's attached to is clearly not up to the job Hence why I wanted to be able to get it set up in a jig of some sort so I can give it a good bit of welly against the floor or on a nice big block. I just got a bit excited cos I found a piece of cast iron drain pipe in the garage, but the inner diameter was about 5mm too small

[Aidan]

take a look in the bentley manual
you need a tube to work against using a press, plusgas and heat, last one I pressed out needed 6 tonnes to move it then it went bang
some brands of balljoint the ring you press them in with is a bit soft and can deform before fully seating

[max and caddy]

Are you sure your hammer is working ok?

[smokeyjon]

Cheers guys. My hammer's working fine - it's the bits that are trying to control newton's equal and opposite that I'm struggling with

I was thinking along the tube lines Aiden - I guess I was fishing to see if anyone had a specially tweaked tube sat around that I could borrow.

I've arranged to go and see Dave on Friday now anyway - he has lots of big kit in his workshop and I'm pretty sure he'll be able to knock something up.
Cheers

[alewing]

Hi Jon,
I have big tube if you want me to bring it over when i visit plymouth at the end of Aug....if of any use!?!? Cant believe the difficulty you are having with it.
Will let you know about those heater tube ends soon, just waiting on some material............but shouldnt be an issue.

Speak soon buddy

[smokeyjon]

Cheers Ash. I suspect I'm not tooled up enough and/or being a bit useless! I'm sure Dave'll sort it Friday. When are you heading to Plymouth again though? If you're coming in the van our car port makes for a perfect pitch (and we otherwise still have a spare room)...

[jebiga41]

Just get a bit of pipe that will fit underneath and hit it with a sledge they can be a real bitch to get out often needing to shocked to even to get them to move when I've changed them before they didn't move with the press but a few taps and they came out ok. On another point why are you galvanising cast arms ?

[smokeyjon]

Cheers jebiga. I'll report back on how we managed it after hopefully getting them out on friday....

On another point why are you galvanising cast arms ?

I just thought I'd get them protected from further rusting, pitting etc while I've got everything apart. I'm aware they're not the most vulnerable to rusting, but galvanising is really cheap (especially when I'm already doing protection bars, subframe etc), particularly compared to powder coating ££££. Could otherwise just paint them but Mr galvaniser reckoned they'd take the galv (apparently old cast steel doesn't), so I thought I'd just chuck them in.

If there's any reason that I shouldn't galvanise them I'm all ears...

[max and caddy]

They can be hot dipped, I did my upper arms and pressed lowers, they are forged not cast but still will take the zinc ok...just bear in mind the threaded hole will be full of zinc and if you make a balls of re tapping it you will a problem. Also the ball joint hole will be tighter due to zinc build up.

[smokeyjon]

Ball joints out now thanks to Dave Futbus's massive press. The beast looked a bit disappointed to only register 6 tonnes, so i guess I must need a new workbench and vise and to get down the gym a bit!!

After discussing the galvanising with a few people I've bottled out of galving the lower arms as there seems too much scope to bugger the threads up. I've got them blasted so there's just a bit of surface rust left. Am planning to paint them and am looking at electrox http://www.bilthamber.com/paints-and-coatings/electrox as the most similar to galv, or alternatively rustoleum combi colour http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/rustoleum-7 ... ime-p29498 Any thoughts or alternative recommendations welcome...

[SyncroRich]

I'm glad you guys struggled with yours too. Mine took one hell of a beating with a tube over the top.
Had to be careful not to damage the new seal though.

[max and caddy]

Best to remover the dust boot...saves nipping it and ruining your day..a press is best to put them in and a 50 mm socket, I also put loctite round the splines just in case...stops rust jamming them in but will need heat to get them out next time...just to soften the glue.