Well, with only a month to go until the dreaded MOT, I thought I had better tackle the rear outer ball joints.

So far I have managed to get the passenger side out and will hopefully remove the drivers side tonight.

My concern is, how do I go about getting the new ones in? If I drive them in, (well greased) I am worried I may break the flimsy shoulder off, and if I warm the arm up will I cook the grease out of the joint itself once it is in position.

What would be the best way?

I just found a socket that fitted snugly upto the collar and drifted them in with a drop of lube for good measure .HTH

Cheers Bud!

How did you go about getting it out? I tried and failed miserably, haven't been arsed to have another go since.

Leave the hub bush in the freezer over night and warm the arm before fitting the new hub bush, they should drop in no problem and once the arms cool down and the bushes warm up they will be a tight fit.

 

Jeff TT

Once I had removed the track rod and tied it out of the way, I removed what was left of the rubber boot.

After that I used a dremmel to cut off the the tapered part of the ball joint. I then ground back the rest of the ball joint flush with the face of the arm itself.

(making sure that all of the shoulder was removed and not digging into the arm itself.)

The next stage was a bit more frustrating to say the least. Using a Draper 3 legged gear puller and a combination of sockets, I gradually pressed the little bu**er out.

Important! I heated the end of the arm with a blow lamp every turn or so making sure not to over heat the hub itself,

If I did not keep the heat in the arm the thing just refused to budge.

All in all it took me 3 to 4 hours to get the thing out.

Nice one Jeff! :thumbup1:

I am looking forward to replacing the new ones now knowing that.

I was dreading the possibility of getting the thing stuck half way in and being up the creek without a paddle.

Thanks Mate.

Just a little more info, we have changed scores of these and usually remove them by heating the arm with a turbo blow torch, keeping the arm hot means the new bush goes straight in, total job time per side is around 30 mins with grinding the face of the hub bushes off. That said sooo much easier when its on a 2 post ramp and standing up with air chisels, grinders, and air gins at hand, well done for your efforts.

 

Jeff TT

Cheers Jeff.

I did mine like jeff said, expansion and contraction simple but very effective :)

Both of them out now, relief or what!

When it comes to re fitting the new ones, should I add any grease? or just pop them in dry?

(bearing in mind that the arm will be between 100 and 200 degrees probably, and the track rod end about minus 20)

No grease required should almost fall all in you get the temps right.

 

Jeff

Cheers Jeff!:thumbup1:

 

Thought that I should share this, so as to be of help to others contemplating doing the same.

Firstly, I cleaned up the 2 bores, removing any corrosion and scoring and wiped clean.

With the first of the 2 removed from the freezer, I set about heating the bore of the arm.

As a gauge, I told myself that once I could no longer touch the arm at the hub end for more than a few seconds, then the bore would be ready.

Nothing more to do than to pop the thing in? Disaster struck! I got the thing stuck half way. PANIC set in and so tried to drive the thing home with a socket and hammer.

No joy I'm afraid. (only resulted in damage to the flange) Once the red missed had cleared, I tried the same method as I used for removing the old ones.

I warmed the arm up again and used my gear puller to press it home. Relief or what?

 

This is where I went wrong, Jeff advised me that the ball joints should be left in the freezer over night, this I forgot to do, so I only had them in for an hour tops!

(big mistake, they were nowhere near cold enough)

Also, When I warm the second arm up, it will be so hot that it will not be possible to for me to even touch the arm at all.

 

So, with the second ball joint removed from it's cryogenic state and the arm really hot this time I tried again.

Popped straight in up to the flange, no messing! I held it for a few seconds for the arm to grip the track rod and all was good.

 

Moral of this story, listen to Jeff and do as I am advised.

 

Thanks again Jeff and the crew.

 

ps I have ordered a new track rod and will change the damaged one as soon as it arrives

where did you get them from bud as i need to do my passenger side.

where did you get them from bud as i need to do my passenger side.

 

Mike at MJP is your best bet mate!!

 

Richard:thumbup1:

As Richard said, Try Mike at MPJ, He is in the traders section.

 

I got mine from Coz at,

 

http://www.conceptzperformance.com

Well, removed the right hand side rear outer ball joint tonight, the one I b*lls-ed up previously. :asshole:

(and remembered to put the new one in the freezer this time):blush:

All I have to do is warm the arm up sufficiently tomorrow night and pop the thing in.:blink:

Bl**dy nervous mind, wish me luck.:clover:

just ordering mine now, so pop the new on eon the freezer over night, then jack the car up remove tyhe wheel and toe arm, then heat the sucker out , then what? then once its out keep the arm warm and pop the frozen new one straight in. that right?

Well, in essence, yes. but I felt it worth reiterating my journey.

 

18th May 2012, 20:15 Once I had removed the track rod and tied it out of the way, I removed what was left of the rubber boot.

After that I used a dremmel to cut off the the tapered part of the ball joint. I then ground back the rest of the ball joint flush with the face of the arm itself.

(making sure that all of the shoulder was removed and not digging into the arm itself.)

The next stage was a bit more frustrating to say the least. Using a Draper 3 legged gear puller and a combination of sockets, I gradually pressed the little bu**er out.

Important! I heated the end of the arm with a blow lamp every turn or so making sure not to over heat the hub itself,

If I did not keep the heat in the arm the thing just refused to budge.

All in all it took me 3 to 4 hours to get the thing out.

 

So that said, I then prepared the bore, making sure there were no burrs etc'

Next I warmed the end of the arm up until I could no longer touch the arm near to the hub.

(make sure you move the flame around the bore so as to get an even spread of heat.)

 

It is just a matter of popping the thing in making sure your approach is square on.

I have to say, I have just done my rear offside for the second time and it went in a treat!!

 

Happy Days!!

 

good luck with yours z32bolt, if I can help further, just say.

ps once you have popped it in, hold it there for few seconds to let the heat balance out and grab the ball joint.

Edited May 29, 201213 yr by redwine300

was wondering if this will work for Zed's too?

 

I have just done one of mine, I had the same problem with it sticking half way, managed to heat an drive it in with a socket but the joint seems loose compaired to before i started, should I be able to move it by hand? Or should it feel solid?

It should feel quite solid, although it should move by hand but with a bit of effort.

If it is loose I would fear that you may have softened the fit with excess heat.

I have just done one of mine, I had the same problem with it sticking half way, managed to heat an drive it in with a socket but the joint seems loose compaired to before i started, should I be able to move it by hand? Or should it feel solid?

 

they seem to be a mild interference fit Gary...put it back with a removable threadlock iff you think its a bit slack

Are we talking about the ball joint fit or the actual press fit on the diameter?

I was referring to the torsional resistance of the joint itself, not the drive fit.

I think I may have misunderstood Hellraisers point.