Front suspension arm ball joint dust cover query?
 

Firstly what is it? Failed the MOT this morning due partially to this. Is it easy to replace or is it a new ball joint fix?
Secondly I could do with new top mount bearings, worth doing at same time or does it require different parts removing?

i could be wrong but its a new wishbone as the ball joint is part of it, mines failed on both ball joints ,now both wishbones(£150 each) and bushes changed,just waiting for the BIG bill :sad3:

I was under the saloon yesterday and noticed a split in a rubber mount as in the pic! Assume this is the suspension arm ball joint?

Dust cover on a ball joint is an advisory only. That said, you can buy the dust cover kit on its own. They are a pain to fit, Had to do one on Gerry3's car for the mot.

Item 12 here

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID001541

Thanks Dave, thats what I had got round to thinking it was.
You say that it was a pain, I assume the whole wishbone has to come out to do it? Any advice or "How To"?

It is a failure not an advisory anymore in new MOT rules apparently...

I don't know if the boot kit comes with instructions, but they should. Somewhere around here is a thread discussing where all the bits of the insertion tools go. You can't fit a new boot without dropping the joint from the hub. You can't fit the boot clips without the tools supplied with it.

TC

Looks like a dust cover kit, a 18mm flexable head spanner and lots of wd40 beforehand are called for then! Looks straightforward enough to do, I assume best to have car on axle stands rather than ramp to take pressure off the joint before finding it's seized......

You can't do it on ramps because the wheel has to come off and the suspension must hang loose.

TC

Thats not clear in this How To:smilie_re:http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=91095

Cant see why I need to even remove wheel according to the how to?:shrug: I would have thought taking the weight off it would be enough or am I missing something?

I did one of mine last year, if it is the one in the photo linked to above. It was perfectly straight forward and the part I used - the dust cover, was a standard off the shelf item (not Rover specific) costing a few pence. The only special tool needed (possibly), is a ball joint splitter, but I think mine cam apart without. It bit tricky to get the cover in place, but it can be done with just the basic tools if you are careful. They are held in place with a spring wire, a bit like a very thin version of a key ring.

I went for it and ordered the rimmers part so come next weekend there should be some swearing from under my car....

I was assuming it was the large central ball joint that attaches to the hub.

Rimmer's boot kit points to the front subframe mounting. Is that the one that's split?

TC