Top ball joint

J

John Skittles

New Member
I replaced the boot on one of my top ball joints last week. In the process I managed to mangle the upper part of the thread fairly badly with my remover (a scissor type tool I think is the name for it). I've managed to re-assemble OK, but think it may be worth replacing the entire ball joint now.

The question is, how do I get the blasted thing off the swivel pillar? According to my manual, you remove the 3 retaining bolts and 'tap' the joint out. Well, I've tapped it as hard as I can with my biggest hammer and it's not moved a millimetre (or should that be 1/16th?).

Anyone know the trick?

John
 
never had to do this - plenty of postings on here about it - it seems best to remove the swivel pillar and hold it in a big vise.... and then heat it up - but from what I've read you need a lot of heat - more than a little blow torch will provide.. perhaps a local garage can heat it up and pull it out for you if you take them the pillar?
 
Looks like I'll probably wait a bit then. I did try using a blowtorch on a scrap pillar/joint I had knocking about, and couldn't get it to budge with that.
 
John
Sound silly but I used the complete opposite aproach to removing the joint. I belted and swore until I was blue in the face, and even used heat. It dawned on me that since metal expands as it heats, am I not forcing the two surfaces together? As luck had it I had a supply of dry ice on hand ( great for the beer at parties). After a suitable chilling the joint popped off with a few gentle taps of my copper mallet!
Just be careful, I also acheived a small degree of frostbite to the old fingers, ( best use gloves).
Hope this helps, I have also had luck with a slim screwdriver tapped at the the joint of the strut/ball joint interface. Just be sure to use a screwdriver that you DONT want to keep!
Cheers
GUY :)
 
The cooling idea is a great one. I wish I had thought of that some years ago when I ruined a brand new upper ball joint banging it back in. That is a very tight fit on that pillar !!

Dick west
 
That's an interesting idea Guy. I've got a can of stuff for freezing water in pipes which might do the trick.

Nice one. Thanks.
 
I have to change the rear engine/gearbox mount on our P4 soon & apparently you heat the area of the gearbox where it fits in, then insert the mount, after removing it from the freezer which is where you put it 24 hours earlier.
Glad I found that out before I attempted the job.
 
Top ball joints normally come out OK using a cold chisel against the flange . A 2lb club hammer is enough force
I did find that the new one was harder to get in than the old one was to get out , but I suppose a few thou tolerances makes a differnce
 
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