P38A Ball joint press kit

Hi,

My lovely girl -2001 4.0 P38 just sailed through the MOT at a mere 160k. However we had one advisory that I knew was coming on the offside front lower control arm balljoint. Having a quick look on the internet pressing kits to remove/install the ball joints made specifically to the P38, they seem outrageously expensive and way more than asking my local indie to do both sides. Can anyone recommend a generic product that has the right size cups etc??

Cheers

this is normally man enough but I'm not sure where you'd get on in blighty!

Oil the thread before using.
You can just crank it down but you can also jyst put the pressure on and tap around the outside of the ball joint and it'll let go slowly.
While your there do all of them on both sides.

Don't Touch the collar on the bottom ball joint fitting as this Is the alignment for the drives haft oil seal just undo the nut while holding the collar on place!!!

Do the drives shaft seals as well and inspect the cv boot covers for cracks or escaping grease...

Grease the new ball joint outer casings on refitting.
These can also be placed in the freezer overnight to reduce their size a little.

Then put a punch mark on the casing next to the ball joints to show they've been replaced once already.

The top ball joint will drop out of its cup, this is normal as it only maintains the hubs vertical alignment.
The bottom ball joint does the majority of the work to keep it solid.

Mark Piercy said:

this is normally man enough but I'm not sure where you'd get on in blighty!

Oil the thread before using.
You can just crank it down but you can also jyst put the pressure on and tap around the outside of the ball joint and it'll let go slowly.
While your there do all of them on both sides.

Don't Touch the collar on the bottom ball joint fitting as this Is the alignment for the drives haft oil seal just undo the nut while holding the collar on place!!!

Do the drives shaft seals as well and inspect the cv boot covers for cracks or escaping grease...

Grease the new ball joint outer casings on refitting.
These can also be placed in the freezer overnight to reduce their size a little.

Then put a punch mark on the casing next to the ball joints to show they've been replaced once already.

The top ball joint will drop out of its cup, this is normal as it only maintains the hubs vertical alignment.
The bottom ball joint does the majority of the work to keep it solid.

Click to expand...

Thank you Mark. I will have a hunt around for the kit.

AndyF07 said:

Thank you Mark. I will have a hunt around for the kit.

Click to expand...

I keep the new joints in the freezer for 24 hours and warm the axle ends with a heat gun when refitting then they slide in easily.

Get a kit with the extra mandrels & sleeves. There's plenty on Amazon for around £60-£80.

Also you want lots of penetrating fluid & blowtorch to heat the ball joint surrounds.

Hi, not sure if the P38 is the same set up as the D2 but I used the kit as in Mark Piercy's post. I did have to have a adapter made to press one of the knuckle joints back in & modify one of the cups in the kit (didn't know about the larger kit). To remove the lower b/joint I had to cut the threaded part off to get the 'tool' in but with a bit of heat they came out fairly easily, getting them back in was a different matter, as said freeze joints overnight & heat knuckle, the G clamp took a bit of a beating getting the last few mm's in (although I used the kit to fit radius bushes on the D2 yesterday). I think it was easier putting the top one back in 1st as you can put the tool through the lower joint hole, see pics & best of luck as I wouldn't fancy doing it again !

pwood999 said:

Get a kit with the extra mandrels & sleeves. There's plenty on Amazon for around £60-£80.

Also you want lots of penetrating fluid & blowtorch to heat the ball joint surrounds.

View attachment 313383

Click to expand...

Blow torch? Not something I would use, heat gun is better IMO, less danger of distorting the housing.

I second getting a larger kit with the extra mandrels and sleeves. You can't have too many.

I did my upper and lowers last year, both sides. It was a pretty easy job really, the C clamp thing gave up getting the last one out, so I bought another from Amazon Prime and it was with me by the end of the day! It's a pity I bent one of the clamps, but they were cheap so I didn't mind. Probably never do them again!

I froze the new ones before starting, and they went in dead easy. Didn't need any heat. I couldn't adjust my collet if I'd have wanted to because it was seized solid!

If you're near Bucks you can borrow mine for free.... I have a large kit with mandrels, and a smaller one with a bent C clamp... but even more sleeves and mandrels!

Andy Warren said:

Hi, not sure if the P38 is the same set up as the D2 but I used the kit as in Mark Piercy's post. I did have to have a adapter made to press one of the knuckle joints back in & modify one of the cups in the kit (didn't know about the larger kit). To remove the lower b/joint I had to cut the threaded part off to get the 'tool' in but with a bit of heat they came out fairly easily, getting them back in was a different matter, as said freeze joints overnight & heat knuckle, the G clamp took a bit of a beating getting the last few mm's in (although I used the kit to fit radius bushes on the D2 yesterday). I think it was easier putting the top one back in 1st as you can put the tool through the lower joint hole, see pics & best of luck as I wouldn't fancy doing it again !

Click to expand...

Thanks Andy. I am trying to avoid needing having anything to be made as don't have anyone to do it. So I'm hoping the larger kit will have everything I need fingers crossed !

MrGorsky said:

I second getting a larger kit with the extra mandrels and sleeves. You can't have too many.

I did my upper and lowers last year, both sides. It was a pretty easy job really, the C clamp thing gave up getting the last one out, so I bought another from Amazon Prime and it was with me by the end of the day! It's a pity I bent one of the clamps, but they were cheap so I didn't mind. Probably never do them again!

I froze the new ones before starting, and they went in dead easy. Didn't need any heat. I couldn't adjust my collet if I'd have wanted to because it was seized solid!

If you're near Bucks you can borrow mine for free.... I have a large kit with mandrels, and a smaller one with a bent C clamp... but even more sleeves and mandrels!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind offer. Unfortunately in Mid Wales now.

pwood999 said:

Get a kit with the extra mandrels & sleeves. There's plenty on Amazon for around £60-£80.

Also you want lots of penetrating fluid & blowtorch to heat the ball joint surrounds.

View attachment 313383

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice Phil. Having done plenty of other work on her I have plenty of penetrating fluid and the biggest blowtorch I could find , and of course an angle grinder lol

AndyF07 said:

Thanks Andy. I am trying to avoid needing having anything to be made as don't have anyone to do it. So I'm hoping the larger kit will have everything I need fingers crossed !

Click to expand...

Hi, the smaller kit I had was OK for removing the knuckle joints but you'll see in one of the those pics I did use an impact socket to finish off removing the lower joint. The adapter I had made was for installation, which in turn @Royston 90 was going to use to do his joints after he kindly lent me his torque wrench for doing up the hub nuts. I'll post a pic tomorrow of the adapter (from the kit) I had to modify, again for installation), all the best.

Plus gas and map gas torch and a long 1/4 breaker bar. Good work out but very rewarding. Just be careful not to nick the cv boot rubber removing the hub retaining nuts. Use a 1/2 extension and a socket to break the rust between the hub and housing once you’ve undone them a couple of turns.

I had trouble shgifting the hub on mine, even after undoing the bolts a few mm at a time & whacking with a hammer. Easy method was to use the old disc mount back on, and hitting hard from behind with big 'ammer. Discs were being replace anyway so no loss there. Hubs came out nicely that way.

Andy Warren said:

Hi, the smaller kit I had was OK for removing the knuckle joints but you'll see in one of the those pics I did use an impact socket to finish off removing the lower joint. The adapter I had made was for installation, which in turn @Royston 90 was going to use to do his joints after he kindly lent me his torque wrench for doing up the hub nuts. I'll post a pic tomorrow of the adapter (from the kit) I had to modify, again for installation), all the best.

Click to expand...

Yes I still have them somewhere. I will look them out as I`m having a workshop tidy up & when I find them I`ll make a duplicate up.

Everybody is different, I would never use a flame on a malleable iron casting. I found on both mine that the old items came out without heat, just a good clean up and penetrating fluid. I used a heat gun to just warm the housings when fitting the new joints that had been kept in the freezer and they went back in easily without lubricant.

Datatek said:

Everybody is different, I would never use a flame on a malleable iron casting. I found on both mine that the old items came out without heat, just a good clean up and penetrating fluid. I used a heat gun to just warm the housings when fitting the new joints that had been kept in the freezer and they went back in easily without lubricant.

Click to expand...

I feel the same way you do.

I'm just scared of setting the beast alight!

Mark Piercy said:

I feel the same way you do.

Click to expand...

I never knew you cared ducky

Pic of modified adapter from my kit & 8mm through nut to separate hub from the carrier + a link for it in use (I used two opposite each other then just undone the bolts, no bashing required )