Whats Easiest Way To Remove Front Bottom Ball Joints From Hubs ?

[RonnieG 0]

Anyone found a really easy foolproof method of removing the bottom balljoints from the bottom of 205 hubs ??

 

Just now I jack the car up on to axle stands undo & remove the 17mm 'clamp' bolt and then use an old tyre lever to lever the wishbone down against the hub, whilst trying hard not to damage the ball joints rubber boot, but this only seems to work so far and the the ball joints 'pin' then seems to jam in the hub. Then I usually just clamber under the car & use my weight on the wishbone to wiggle the ball joint out the hub.

 

There must be an easier way of doing this - Anyone got any easy wee tricks on this one ??

[tri_longer 25]

Halfrauds or Machine Mart both sell different types of ball joint splitter. One that you hit with a hammer and one that splits them as you wind in a bolt. Both work effectively on these ball joints.

Price wise Machine Mart are cheaper.

[welshpug 1,626]

The Clarke Balljoint splitter is useless on this kind of joint, its just a pin in a hole and you cant get the tool in there as intended, and the fork type tool usually rips the boot.

 

One thing that makes it a lot easier is to slacken the inner wishbone bolts, place a lever over the wishbone and under the trackrod end as close to the joint as you can (I use my 36" snapon Pry-bar)

[RonnieG 0]

Cheers - I've got one of the U shaped ones with 'ramps' that you hammer but I've always been wary of using it because of the high risk of damaging the rubber boots....

 

Never used one of the bolt type ones - Somehow I just can't see these being the easiest way though...

Edited May 13, 2008 by RonnieG

[ifcho 0]

I punch a chisel into the hub which spreads it and then I just remove the balljoint by pulling it with my hand

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Undo the pinch bolt, quick squirt of duck oil, lock the steering over, then hit the wishbone with a soft mallet, 99% of the time out comes the balljoint pin, easy.

[Rippthrough 98]

Find a fat mate mate and have him jump on the wishbone.

[RonnieG 0]

Excellent ideas - thanks guys !!!!

 

Unfortunately don't have any fat mates at present but gonna keep my eyes open at the next trackday for any potential contenders and then give them some of my best silkiest chat so they'll be at my beck & call next time.....

 

Mmm - Got me thinking what about a fat bird - Would that suffice !?!?

Edited May 13, 2008 by RonnieG

[tri_longer 25]

The Clarke Balljoint splitter is useless on this kind of joint, its just a pin in a hole and you cant get the tool in there as intended, and the fork type tool usually rips the boot.

 

Glad you said that as I was about to buy a Clarke one. I have used the Halfords one recently and that worked fine, so i assumed Clarke one would be the same.

[tagy 1]

what I do is put the balljoint spliter (for Trackrod ends) with the pin you wind in over the rubber boot and clamp it on, then use the fork type balljoint splitter inbetween the bottom of the hub and the clamp.

 

works everytime for me and dosn't damage the boot

Edited May 13, 2008 by tagy

[RonnieG 0]

Tagy - That’s an interesting approach - I take it you mean to have the Trackrod end balljoint splitter 'upside down' with the bolt on the underside of the balljoint facing the ground ?? In effect you are just using its housing to protect the rubber boot when you use the normal 'U' shaped balljoint splitter.

 

Got both of these tools in the garage so maybe give that one a try next time out…...

[kyepan 291]

i'm weedy so need to find ways to do things like this.

 

You still need a lever but this makes it a one movement type thing rather than a brute force banging type thing.

 

If you push the bottom of the brake disc inwards, whilst levering, this forces the pin into a more upright position and reduces its resistance, it should pop out easily, use the same method to insert it, push in on the lower part of the disc and it just pops in.

[Ahl 4]

I find that - the hub (hub carrier) likes to be moved about a bit in order to release the pin.

I punch a chisel into the hub which spreads it and then I just remove the balljoint by pulling it with my hand

I wouldn't recommend that approach. The hole that the pin sits in goes easily out of round, then you'll find that it will never clamp up properly again, leaving you with a scrap hub (carrier).

Opening up the hole with a chisel is a sure fire way to make that happen.

 

Worse than that, spreading and retightening of that clamp can cause stress fractures in it. I have seen this, and you wouldn't want the thing to break apart when you are driving (or cornering hard!) down the road.

[ifcho 0]

I don't see how spreading the hub away with a chisel is different from tightening it with a bolt

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

I use a 8ft length of about 4x4 (or maybe 2x2??) wood, one end under the car body, goig over the top of the wishbone, push down on the wood and it pulls the ball joint free effortlessly and dosent damage anything

[James_R 3]

i'm weedy so need to find ways to do things like this.

 

You still need a lever but this makes it a one movement type thing rather than a brute force banging type thing.

 

If you push the bottom of the brake disc inwards, whilst levering, this forces the pin into a more upright position and reduces its resistance, it should pop out easily, use the same method to insert it, push in on the lower part of the disc and it just pops in.

 

I do the same, except I have the steering lock on the car and use the brake caliper to move the hub side to side, once the pin is parallel to the hole in the hub just pry down on the whisbone lightly and presto.

 

I've also found since putting in poly bushes it's much easier as the wishbone shas no ""resting" position where it's been clamped unlike sts bushes.

[Ahl 4]

I don't see how spreading the hub away with a chisel is different from tightening it with a bolt

Trust me, it is!

 

You want to lever the balljoint pin out with the minimum spreading of the balljoint clamp. I learned this the hard way!

[ifcho 0]

I guess you are right

[Ahl 4]

The same applies to the tightening of the clamp too, overtightening it will also stress it unduly and cause it go out of shape.

 

Its a bit of a crap design in my opinion - the big clamp on the likes of the shock absorber body is ok, but that small clamp is way to easily knackered.

[ifcho 0]

maybe this is the reason they put these crap pinch bolts originally..that just can't be tightened (because they stretch and tear..)

[j_turnell 134 3 Cars]

Agree with Tom. Personally i put the car on full lock so you get better access, ensure the ball joint is perfectly straight i.e vertical and then tap the top of the wishbone with a hammer and they drop out, ball joint splitters are good, got a laser one but as already mentioned they often damage the boots.

[jonnie205 1]

ball joint spliiters are for taper joints NOT pinch type joints like 205,s. The fork type splitters should only be used if joint is being replaced as it damges boots. Just remove pinch bolt and hit arm with mallet its dead easy

[Phil H 16]

slide in iron bar over wishbone and then under body, stamp on it....out it comes.