Lower Ball Joints

[george2490]

Morning,
Looking for some advice on lower ball joint fitting.
I don't like taking bushes and bearings to garages to be pressed in and have hankered after a press for some time.
Would this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/37129955 ... hlpsr=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; be up to pressing in the ball joints?

[Ads1987]

have you attempted these ball joints before?

They are an utter "bar-steward"! it's very hard to find a position to align the press on the joint due to the shape of the steering knuckle, the ball joints have a lip running around the base so it's just really really difficult to find anything that will fit over the joint but be small enough to fit on the gap left.

I had to cut the tab off with a dremel and then find a bunch of odd sized metal tubes and balance it all on the press.

From memory they also took a fair few tonnes of pressure to push out.

In short. Not fun.

[george2490]

Hi Ads,
I have them out.
took them to a local garage to press out then press in new, much sucking of teeth later I was told I'd have to "leave it with me", original.
I left and knocked them out with a lump hammer in two minutes.
Now need to refit, however the Lemforder ball joints I have don't have a recess for a circlip or retainer ring as the old ones did.
bit worried that these will not hold so I haven't attempted to refit.
I am planning to refit using a bolted frame over my trolley jack, done this before with good results.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn19 ... lz1k2j.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do these look right?

[george2490]

Clearly the wrong part, is Brickwerks the only place that supply the correct part every time?

[Ads1987]

Impressed you got them out with a hammer, wish mine came out that easy!

Yeah can't go wrong with brickwerks, I made the mistake of fitting ones from euros & they have been fitted for a couple of months with very low use and the covers have already split :/

[alby]

Hi
Need a bit of advice.

I have replaced my lower ball joint on my 89 syncro.

Got everything back together OK, except for when I tighten the bolt for the LBJ the nut and the thread both turn.

In the wheel bearing housing there was a sleeve that went into the housing and the LBJ goes into that, then you tighten it all up.

I've used an 11mm to hold the thread bolt then tighten as much as I can the nut.

There is no play, but if I don't hold the thread bolt and just turn the nut the whole thing turns.

I can not find mention of the sleeve in the Bentley manual I have.

I got the LBJ from JK. JK Part Number: J10299 OEM Part Number: 251-407-187

Any advice appreciated.

ALBY

[Aidan]

@ALBY
end of ball joint threaded part is a flat that you can hold whilst tightening the nut you should get to the point where the taper properly seats and bites and the nut will then torque up
what brand are the balll joints, on a syncro any lower quality stuff will usually show up quickly; 8 years ago I rebuilt my front end completely and 50% mixed genuine VW which was all still available then with GSF best or similar quality like Meyle from brickie; mixed locations so not all one side genuine one side non; within 30 months every non genuine ball joint and bush had failed; the pity is I didn't buy the second side all genuine and put on the shelf and now we don't have that luxury, even oem isn't sometimes as good as it was that's just the way of it nowadays; top wishbone bushes lasted 6 weeks, bottom ball joint failed MOT after 18 months and top ball joint started knocking after 7 months - the syncro was well off roaded then but all new everything bar rear trailing arm bushes before it got tested; track rod end lasted to 30 months, was replaced with the genuine, probably original, used one it previously replaced, that lasted another 4 1/2 years; Brickies poly bushes on the rack are still fine however - they are tops imho

[Ian Hulley]

@ALBY
end of ball joint threaded part is a flat that you can hold whilst tightening the nut you should get to the point where the taper properly seats and bites and the nut will then torque up

Yes, on Brickwerks OEM replacement uppers the flat is 11mm and the nut is a 24mm spanner ... just as the original was.

[CovKid]

About time this subject came up I think. I often wondered if a massive clout would unseat bottom balljoints. In theory it should and since the old one is scrap, why not. I presume the new one can be drawn in using the flat?

[silverbullet]

I managed to belt out the old ones in mine (early syncro with fabricated lowerrms and LBJ carriers) but iirc the lads later type ones had to be pressed out.
Flypress *BANG*

[Ian Hulley]

About time this subject came up I think. I often wondered if a massive clout would unseat bottom balljoints. In theory it should and since the old one is scrap, why not. I presume the new one can be drawn in using the flat?

When I rebuilt my spare ones the old ones came out with some gentle heat and a clout ... after the locating ring was removed obviously.

Ian