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Badger688 said:
Will be changing front ball joints this week, any additional advise?
Click to expand...

Is my plan as well, Steering knuckle ball joints that is.

Aprt from using a very big G clamp that came with the kit in the large red box, I expect to be using lots of verbal persuasion mixed with a little bit of blood.

Cheers
 
I have never understood why people have such problems with separating ball joints. All that has to be remembered is that the conical part holds together with friction. (In France people don't even bother with dedicated ball joint separators.) Whether you use them or not, the first thing to do is crack the nut then undo it until it is all still on the thread but not leaving any thread open to be damaged by subsequent operations. Now give the nut a hefty thwack with a hammer. Supporting the other end on a big socket or something that will allow the other end of the threaded part to move. Sometimes that will be enough to separate them. If not, put pressure on the end of the thread/nut combination and at the same time smack the side of the joint with a hammer, cf @bluebeasty this is to distort the female cone-shaped housing just enough to free it for a fraction of a second, enough to allow the male part to slip. If that still doesn't work, and this requires a tiny bit of practice and coordination, go for "double hitting" which is where you use two hammers and hit the side of the ball joint at exactly the same time as you hit the end of the thread/nut combination. Don't forget to support the opposite end of the joint on an axle stand or some such. The whole point of all this is that it takes a relatively massive amount of force to pull the cone shaped pieces apart, but it take much less force to shock the female shape out of round to allow the other bit to move. I have heard of ones on lorries being so hard to do that mechanics undo the nuts then take the truck down a favourite bit of potholed road to shake them all about and free off the ball joint. If all else fails, go to Halfrauds and buy the one that looks like a weird set of nut crackers, I have one I occasionally use and the business part takes a 1" socket, IIRC. Good for where hammer access is difficult. An old mechanic mate of mine took one of those typical forks you hammer on the end of and welded it to a long piece of round section bar, lengthening the bit you hit, so he could split the joint from afar! More comfortable than grubbing around on the floor and hitting his fingers with his FO hammer! Just remember, the bigger the hammer, the less you have to swing it and the more control you have over things.
 
Stanleysteamer said:
@Badger688 was asking for advice, I gave it, as did @blue beasty nothing to do with preaching to you, or your G-clamps. Sorry if you object to my giving advice. Perhaps should have quoted OP's Q.
Click to expand...

If it is the steering knuckle ball joints that @Badger688 is removing, then he will need more than just a big hammer or a drive down the road to remove the joint from the axle. Splitting the steering knuckle at the ball joint cone is just the half of it.

Cheers
 
Badger688 said:
Will be changing front ball joints this week, any additional advise?
Click to expand...
No mention of steering knuckle ball joints.
neilly said:
If it is the steering knuckle ball joints that @Badger688 is removing, then he will need more than just a big hammer or a drive down the road to remove the joint from the axle. Splitting the steering knuckle at the ball joint cone is just the half of it.

Cheers
Click to expand...
If he is, then he could do worse than to read this. https://www.landroversonly.com/forums/f40/replace-your-ball-joints-how-will-follow-101794/
As you are doing this @neilly do you have a press? Or do you have a crafty way of not needing one?
 
Stanleysteamer said:
No mention of steering knuckle ball joints.

If he is, then he could do worse than to read this. https://www.landroversonly.com/forums/f40/replace-your-ball-joints-how-will-follow-101794/
As you are doing this @neilly do you have a press? Or do you have a crafty way of not needing one?
Click to expand...


I am using the big G clamp , that I mentioned before. If you do a search you willl find a fair few who have done similar plus vids on youtube. That have a more info than the yank post.:p

And I think @blue beasty comment, might have had a tongue in cheek element to it.:eek:

Cheers
 
Stanleysteamer said:
I have never understood why people have such problems with separating ball joints. All that has to be remembered is that the conical part holds together with friction. (In France people don't even bother with dedicated ball joint separators.) Whether you use them or not, the first thing to do is crack the nut then undo it until it is all still on the thread but not leaving any thread open to be damaged by subsequent operations. Now give the nut a hefty thwack with a hammer. Supporting the other end on a big socket or something that will allow the other end of the threaded part to move. Sometimes that will be enough to separate them. If not, put pressure on the end of the thread/nut combination and at the same time smack the side of the joint with a hammer, cf @bluebeasty this is to distort the female cone-shaped housing just enough to free it for a fraction of a second, enough to allow the male part to slip. If that still doesn't work, and this requires a tiny bit of practice and coordination, go for "double hitting" which is where you use two hammers and hit the side of the ball joint at exactly the same time as you hit the end of the thread/nut combination. Don't forget to support the opposite end of the joint on an axle stand or some such. The whole point of all this is that it takes a relatively massive amount of force to pull the cone shaped pieces apart, but it take much less force to shock the female shape out of round to allow the other bit to move. I have heard of ones on lorries being so hard to do that mechanics undo the nuts then take the truck down a favourite bit of potholed road to shake them all about and free off the ball joint. If all else fails, go to Halfrauds and buy the one that looks like a weird set of nut crackers, I have one I occasionally use and the business part takes a 1" socket, IIRC. Good for where hammer access is difficult. An old mechanic mate of mine took one of those typical forks you hammer on the end of and welded it to a long piece of round section bar, lengthening the bit you hit, so he could split the joint from afar! More comfortable than grubbing around on the floor and hitting his fingers with his FO hammer! Just remember, the bigger the hammer, the less you have to swing it and the more control you have over things.
Click to expand...

What a load of slobbering gibberish who can use two hammers at once with enough force to crack a ball joint lol
Never seen anyone in 30 years drive a car or truck to crack a ball joint pishhh :rolleyes: :D
 
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