Another Defender drop arm

Hi all

I have read just about all the threads on changing the drop arm on my 95 300tdi, including Busters photo tour, and am aware that they can be impossible to get off.
So I have decided to replace the ball joint, now, i have seen a tool that is made to remove a part of the joint that stays in the drop arm, so my questions are, do they work ? any one used one? and can they be used without removing the drop arm ?.

Thanks all
Regards
Ray

yes and no

Yes, mine worked for extraction and insertion. It's just a bolt with some spacers of the right outside diameter and length. You could make them if you had a lathe, but it's more convenient to buy a ready made one. Yes, you can do everything in situ.

The fiddly bit is getting the bottom cup, spring and cover plate forced in whilst you refit the circlip to hold them in place. I used a small bottle jack with a socket slightly smaller than the hole in the drop arm to press them in. Make sure the circlip is fully seated in its groove as deeply as it will go, and give it a few taps with a hammer and suitable drift to check it's fully home. I've had one come out on me whilst driving and it tends to leave your steering rather loose!

Ya could make something like this,

Thanks for the reply Mr Brown, good too know that they work, Ill buy one now.

As for the other reply, there where thee questions

Turboman said:

Ya could make something like this,

Click to expand...

Damm, thats what I need

If you dont want to make one its an easy job to do in situ. I used a small jack and a piece of broom handle, dunno what the special tools are like. ****ed me off not getting it off so I made the puller, took a bit of patience to pull it off first time, once it had been off once and copper eased on reassembly its easy to get off.

It's an easy job to do in situ. just use as said before a jack and socket to do circlip out. rest all comes out easy except the top cup.

I use a long bolt.
put a washer on then an angle grinder blade.(stay with me)
put up through drop arm then use a flanged nut on top. the flange should be just small enough to miss drop arm but big enough to catch the top cup.
long reach socket on flange nut at top and tighten bottom.
hey presto it's done.
again jack and socket to fit new one