Steering Knuckle Ball Joint Removal

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SteveG4TRA

Active Member
Posts
203
I guess this one has been talked to death before on here. I need to replace the upper and lower steering knuckle ball joints and am well aware of what a pain they are to remove and refit. I have been looking at the various Chinese import Ball Joint Presses for the job on E bay and wondered what Forum members with far greater experience of this job would recommend.
Steve
 
I guess this one has been talked to death before on here. I need to replace the upper and lower steering knuckle ball joints and am well aware of what a pain they are to remove and refit. I have been looking at the various Chinese import Ball Joint Presses for the job on E bay and wondered what Forum members with far greater experience of this job would recommend.
Steve
Did mine using the Chinese press thing, like a big g clamp with spacer tubes, get as much tension on as you can the hit with hammer, they move fractions at a time. Not a job I ever want to do again
 
Yeah that’s the type I used, the box was red but that’s not gonna matter.
In reality it is a massive thread and frame, but I still distorted mine doing the Ball joints
 
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I think the key to using those big G clamps is to wind some tension on & then hit the knuckle next to the ball joint. The joint will the move a mm or so & you keep repeating until its out.
Definitely don't just try to use the g clamp thread to force the joint out.
 
there was a great vid on the tube of you showing them being used by an ozzie, unfortunately it has gone, but here is another, just not as good.

Cheers
 
I managed to remove both my o/s ones with a Cromwells make kit and got the bottom one back in but the top one defeated me as I couldn't get it started, so local indie did it for me.
Griff
 
Yeah that’s the type I used, the box was red but that’s not gonna matter.
In reality it is a massive thread and frame, but I still distorted mine doing the Ball joints
OK so it is possible with this one, that's good news
 
I managed to remove both my o/s ones with a Cromwells make kit and got the bottom one back in but the top one defeated me as I couldn't get it started, so local indie did it for me.
Griff
Did he actually come to your place as the D2 would be unmovable at that stage?
 
I think the key to using those big G clamps is to wind some tension on & then hit the knuckle next to the ball joint. The joint will the move a mm or so & you keep repeating until its out.
Definitely don't just try to use the g clamp thread to force the joint out.
Absolutely. My intention was a real good clean up, a few days of WD40 applications, wind initial tension on with the clamp, whack with large clump hammer, wind a bit more on and repeat. I know this will take time too.
 
I am at the point where the four bolts connecting the hub to the steering knuckle are removed, the ABS cable disconnected and free, calliper and back plate off.
Rave talks about removing the drive shaft nut, which looks a bitch as the nut is peened over into a recess. Can this be left on and the hub and drive shaft pulled as a complete unit? If so looking at the Oz You tube video "Replace Ball Joints" he removes something from the top of the hub before pulling it off. Is this the ABS sensor bolt? Rave says do not do this.
So am It the point where with the 4 main bolts off and the hub nut still on is it just a matter of breaking the rusty seal and pulling it out as a unit?
Are there any tricks to getting the hub off at this stage?
 
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