Title: Upper ball joint
Description: What's the easiest way
100bob - May 30, 2006 02:01 PM (GMT)
I've got to replace at least the rubber on the upper ball joint. I've ripped it with the zip wheel while stripping the paint and rust off. Little embarrasing but i'm not sure the best way to get it apart. I've looked in the manual and i'm obviously thicker than i thought i was as it's unclear to me what to do. I'm sure i can strip it but don't want to do further damage. Please help me!!!!!
Tigger - May 30, 2006 04:38 PM (GMT)
Providing the ball joint is ok you can buy a kit thru G'n'S for the rubber gaitor. It is held on with a spring clip :P
Tigger - May 30, 2006 04:45 PM (GMT)
You will need a ball joint splitter and a 19 mm spanner to break the joint off the stub axle. Any decent motor factors will do the splitter for about £10. Break the joint and prise it out the hole to change the gaitor.
If the ball joint has gone then the best way is to take the trailing arm off the beam via the locking grub screw. Go buy a ball joint from G'n' S then find your nearest engineering factory with a 50 ton press. Press out the old one, press in the new. You may need heat to help. Don't forget to swap the concentric bush back onto the new ball joint before you head for home.
Good luck ;)
100bob - May 31, 2006 01:06 PM (GMT)
It was mainly to get the bush of the ball joint, the ball joint is fine. I tore the rubber while using the zip wheel to clean it. Just wanted to check i could use a splitter without damaging more stuff. The ball joint came out of the stub axle quite easily but the bush was a different matter. I ok to seperate these with a splitter though?
Tigger - June 2, 2006 05:46 PM (GMT)
Sorry mis understood....
No way....unless you are dead lucky this will require some force. I had to take mine to an engineering works with a 50 ton hydraulic press.
As I seem to remember it all braking loose and flying across the workshop at about 45 tons :ph43r:
Knighty - June 12, 2006 12:19 PM (GMT)
I replaced 3 of my ball joints recently, heres my 10 pence worth.....
1) give everything a good spray with penetrating oil the day before the strip - as everything will be well seized together
2) dont use the "fork" type of ball-joint splitter.......get a scissor type from machine mart for about £15, its much more controlled and less brutal
3) have a club-hammer and a 10 inch long centre punch, as a good hard whack on the tip of the ball-joint cone can let everything loose when you have got the scissor splitter fully wound on
4) yes - you need access to a 50 ton press - and the tools to support the ball-joint base and top of the arm.......I used a specialist VW restorer in Billericay - I'll dig their number out.....I supplied the stripped off trailing arms and new balljoints........to push out and replace 3 bushes they charged me £50.......a bit pricey but the job was done very well - as the balljoints were well seized in .......
5) THE BALLJOINTS MUST BE REPLACED IN THE CORRECT ORIENTATION - OTHERWISE THEY WILL MASH THEMSELVES TO PIECES - CUT THE GAITOR OFF AN OLD ONE AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN!
6) when re-assembling everything use copper grease to aid disassembly next time!
100bob - June 14, 2006 07:28 PM (GMT)
It was only the rubber i needed to replace,i got the bush thingy off it quite easily when i knew how it seperated. I'd definately get a machine shop to do it if it were the whole ball joint though. I have access to using and borrowing a massive range of tools and stuff from the people a associate and work with,trouble is they assume i'm a lot more clued up on things than i actually am. I know what i know if you get what i mean. That's why i'm happy to ask on here,that way i don't give the game away. :D
