10 replies to this topic

[CaptainBland08]

hi.

im attempting and failing at trying to change all the ball joints on my front end.

ive managed to mangle the locking strip out of the way of the cup but cant seem to get the thing to budge...

how do other people do it? take them off whilst the hub is on the car? in a vice?

socket of open ended spanner?

Cheers

Chris

[Ethel]

They're usually ok on the car, the bottom one could be a bit fiddly to hold still. There is an extra deep socket made for the job but there was also a flat ring spanner that's probably best if they put up a fight.

[Ivor Badger]

Decent cold chisel and hammer, at least 2lb. Pick up the edge of the hex with the chisel and smack the nut round and loosen it.

DO NOT HIT YOUR HAND HOLDING THE CHISEL, it is sore!

[IainR]

I cut a groove down the side of the cap with a dremmel, then heated the whole thing with a blow torch until the grease was bubbling out of the top and then hit it with a cold chisel located in the groove, whilst holding the hub carrier in a vice.

All 3 measures are maybe a bit over the top but it did shift eventually, it depends how stuck it is.

Ditto do not hit your hand, my knuckles took a few weeks to recover.

Edited by IainR, 18 February 2010 - 12:16 PM.

[Johneh]

Me and my friend replaced all 4 hub balljoints on both mine and my his car. As we were replacing both our wheel bearings at the same time, we had removed the hubs completely, we then moved the locking tab out of the way with a hammer and chisel and locked the ball joint in a metal jawed vice. We then wrapped a breaker bar in a rag and put it through the centre of the hub and turned the hub anti-clockwise, this worked without any trouble.

Hope this helps, Johneh.

[Punts]

Hit one of the flats where the spanner goes with a hammer and hold a bigger hammer at the opposite side. Do this with as many sides as you can. It "stretches" the cap a bit and I can usually get mine slackened with an adjustable spanner.

[Big_Adam]

I used a big a$$ Stilton wrench.

And swearing, lots there of.

[CaptainBland08]

well... its off... after snapping a vice... and a ratchet and skimming a nuckle (lots of swear thereafter)

cheers for the help guys!

Chris

[Big_Adam]

[miniboo]

if doing top and bottom: get a ball joint splitter and remove the hub from the car put the hub in a vice and then use the correct deep 1 1/2" (1.5") socket.

If just doing one then it is doable on the car but is still much easier to do off the car.

GET THE CORRECT TOOLS AND DO IT IN LESS TIME AND ACTUALLY ENJOY WORKING ON YOUR CAR RATHER THAN GETTING FRUSTRATED AND *melonsed* OFF WITH IT.

[CaptainBland08]

if doing top and bottom: get a ball joint splitter and remove the hub from the car put the hub in a vice and then use the correct deep 1 1/2" (1.5") socket.

If just doing one then it is doable on the car but is still much easier to do off the car.

GET THE CORRECT TOOLS AND DO IT IN LESS TIME AND ACTUALLY ENJOY WORKING ON YOUR CAR RATHER THAN GETTING FRUSTRATED AND *melonsed* OFF WITH IT.

thats exactly what i did... still didnt enoy it>

im guessing they were on so solid because they been on there for 21 years or so.