A-Frame balljoint replacement

Thanks Gents.

Nowadays, as a pen pusher it took me about 2 hours to split the nut. Due to my damaging some of the threads I could not get it off easily because the tapered shaft was spinning and no way to hold onto it easily.
Eventually got the assembly out. I was lucky that the tapered shaft was not corroded I suppose, as it just popped out by hand. In fact there was no sign of wear or corrosion anywhere. Would have been a heck of a job if it was corroded in.


Then came the job of trying to knock out the press fit joint from the casting.
I cut the 4 lobes off the joint to assist in holding the assembly firmly in the vice.
I bashed away with a lump hammer and pipe section (similar in diameter), heated up the casting, applied penetrating oil, more heating, more penetrating fluids (various brands) for another couple of hours.
Busterbus must have some muscles on him, I only managed to move it 1mm and then it went no further. No amount of my pen pushers brute force could budge it any more.

I am soaking it overnight now. If it does not move tomorrow, its off to a 100 tonne press somewhere.

All good fun though, and no injuries.

So far uve done it right by cutting it but I don't think it's going to move without a press. When I did mine it was solid. Loads of heat and a 30tonne press eventually did the job. But at a struggle.

ear yar.
save yerself some grief.

Land Rover Defender Rear A Frame Ball Joint & Housing | eBay

ANR1799 | A Frame ball joint


Dave

In fact there was no sign of wear or corrosion anywhere.

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so why you changing it?

EeEk said:

so why you changing it?

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Split rubber boot maybe, 'tis an MOT failure I believe. Or at least over hear.

I needed to change it because the boot had been perished for some time and much grit was inside, and I try to fix things before they actually fail.

Went to a local garage this morning, and they got the old one out with a few strong whacks but it was even more difficult getting the new one in without a press. The mechanic ended up cracking his very large vice, so the $20 I paid him to swap the joint will unfortunately end up costing him about $500 for a new vice.

Its all complete now, but it turned out to be a butcher job I am not proud of (no disrespect to butchers). Dents and hammer marks all over the wings. May even have damaged the ball and socket, as the joint does not swivel easily by hand any more (have to tap it with a piece of wood in order to move it). Time will tell I suppose, if I've stuffed it and have to go through this again.

In retrospect, to do this job properly, it was definitely a hydraulic press job.

Jason F said:

I needed to change it because the boot had been perished for some time and much grit was inside, and I try to fix things before they actually fail.

Went to a local garage this morning, and they got the old one out with a few strong whacks but it was even more difficult getting the new one in without a press. The mechanic ended up cracking his very large vice, so the $20 I paid him to swap the joint will unfortunately end up costing him about $500 for a new vice.

Its all complete now, but it turned out to be a butcher job I am not proud of (no disrespect to butchers). Dents and hammer marks all over the wings. May even have damaged the ball and socket, as the joint does not swivel easily by hand any more (have to tap it with a piece of wood in order to move it). Time will tell I suppose, if I've stuffed it and have to go through this again.

In retrospect, to do this job properly, it was definitely a hydraulic press job.

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you do need a press

jamesmartin said:

you do need a press

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And care not to damage boot