Hello All, and bottom............ball joints!!

N

NicksP6

New Member
Hi, I have just become a P6 3500 owner, its a genuine 90K kilometres car, I now live in France most of time and found her just recently, she hadn't been on the road since 1992, started on the button and only needs the left hand bottom ball joint and two exhaust hang rubbers to go through the French Control technique. Not too bad me thought till I took a look at the front suspension set up. So here come the questions, 1, does the caliper, hub, disc etc all have to come off to do the job? 2, with the wheel and suspension hanging free does the spring need to be compressed a little for extra safety and to allow free movement? 3, I have read the other posts on the task and feel capable of knocking up the tube tool to remove the joint but just how does the new one go back in, does one need to drift it back in with another tube? 4, have I missed anything. The car also seems to have a front engine oil loss, can't be sure where from yet as haven't driven it much but anyone know any particular suspects with rectification ideas?

well that'll keep you all going forra bit, and cheers in advance for any help offered. Nick, in the Charente, France.
PS anybody going to the Circuits des Remparts, racing this weekend at Angouleme? Look it up on line, its brill!! I've plenty of B/B room!
 
1) Yes (As well as the swivel pillar itself.)
2) No
3) Yes
4) No

Cleaning out the engine breather system is a first place to cure oil leaks.
 
I did one of these years ago :evil: and found that putting the new ball joint in the freezer for a while, and warming up the pillar with a hot air gun, allowed it to be tapped into position very easily.

Getting it out was a bit of a problem :shock:

Richard
 
Soak the old joint in penetrating oil and warm up the swivel pillar with a blowtorch - that will help get the old one out
 
I don't like heating them up, go too mad and you could cause yourself problems, as it's only the fact that the joint is such a tight fit in the leg that holds it in there.
 
I have had little success pulling out ball joints using the Rover tool. I usually end up just pulling out the ball from the joint. Having done that I just run a bead of electric weld around the inside of the socket and then it comes out quite easily.
 
necpwa said:
I have had little success pulling out ball joints using the Rover tool. I usually end up just pulling out the ball from the joint. Having done that I just run a bead of electric weld around the inside of the socket and then it comes out quite easily.
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Using the Churchill tool I have had the pin pull out of the joint on quite a few occasions, and as you say, then just weld it back in, but I would say that by far the vast majority pull the joint out without problems.
 
Thanks to All who replied to my ball joint queries; blimey they anren't half tricky! The ball post started to come out the socket so i've weld it all together and still no joy, tried heating leg end, no joy, I am now soaking for the weekend in a parrafin bath, and will start afresh on Monday morning. I fancy putting cold clay around the swivel inside the tube, then heating the leg, but so far it hasn't budged at all. I did luckily notice the retaining ring, I bet alot don't!! Cheers Nick
 
NicksP6 said:
I did luckily notice the retaining ring, I bet alot don't!! Cheers Nick
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It's not a retaining ring, it's only there to show you that the ball joint has been pressed into the leg far enough. It will not stop a loose joint from coming out, so go careful with all that heat!
 
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