That front lower arm ball joint - #%&!

[TourerSteve]

Originally Posted by SD1too

You're quite right Steve I did, but I don't follow how the strut would affect it. Surely it's the outer balljoint that needs to be separated from the hub so that the arm can be placed easily in the correct position to align the bush housing fixing holes or have I forgotten something?

Simon

With the strut (including hub) in place fully extended as no weight on it , you either have to push the strut backwards or forwards to allow the arm to lift along side the hub to get it to the ride height position to fit the bolts in the rear bush housing .
Others have fitted the outer ball joint and jacked the strut back up but arm is not as manoeuvrable that way to line up .
You just had the hub to contend with so would be easier to move out the way to line up .

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by TourerSteve

You just had the hub to contend with so would be easier to move out the way to line up .

It was even easier than that for me Steve because I invested in some preparatory work as follows:

• Separate outer balljoint from hub.
• Release inner balljoint from subframe using brilliant Sykes Pickavant articulated puller.
• Remove anti-roll bar saddle clamp to obtain unhindered socket access to bush housing bolts.

This came at a price in terms of tools and time but I was repaid with the ease of changing the rear bush and problem-free reassembly.

It's not everyone's cup of tea though, I know.

Simon

[Retap]

Hi Rover enthusiasts its been a while since my last post, should be outside now cracking on with it but arm, hands, knees, head all ache... Its ground hog day under neath this car again


any members who are godly please pray for us as today marks day 3 of changing yet another lower front arm on this car due to outer loose ball joint [into hub]. Currently got half a (rip off) sealey 1.5T puller on it and the 2T jack so cars weight to but it say no so far, see photo.

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by Retap

... yet another lower front arm on this car due to outer loose ball joint [into hub].

Hi John,

You say outer balljoint into the hub but doesn't your photo show the inner balljoint into the subframe?

For that joint try the Sykes Pickavant articulated puller which I recommended in my previous post.

Simon

[Popcorn]

Did mine last year to get the inner ball joint out I ran the nut up flush with the pin jacked the car up so the whole weight of the car was on the ball joint and brade the wishbone and the shock releases the taper (ran the nut up because the wishbones were going back on)
Not brade the wishbone I ment brade the subframe doh

[Retap]

Hi Simon,


thanks for the reminder about the Sykes-Pickavant, i managed last time without that using a cheap splitter but this time it got mashed up even though it was well greased so i got hold of a sealey VS3811 which is the same thing but with 1.5T hydraulic ram, the castings are identical just a bigger threaded hole in the sealey version for the ram but its clearly the same china c-r-a-p-o-l-a with a sealey sticker on it and quiet a mark up, not happy!!. If there is interest i will photo shoot that later



The reason for change is the loose outer balljoint into the hub as the smallest joint on it i find it takes the brunt of impact when its foggy and dark with mucky road edges to find. There i confess

[Retap]

Originally Posted by Popcorn

Did mine last year to get the inner ball joint out I ran the nut up flush with the pin jacked the car up so the whole weight of the car was on the ball joint and brade the wishbone and the shock releases the taper (ran the nut up because the wishbones were going back on)

Forgive me i am not getting some of your lingo, there is no pin do you mean the threaded stub of the balljoint? and "brade the wishbone" I get dropping the cars weight on it and i am thinking of trying it as a last resort before i throw in the towel. Photo'd above is the weight of the car on the threaded ball joint end as its jacked up so cars weight is also on the ball joint along with the puller.



The nut was crossed i confess to putting it on way to tight couple of years ago, on removal it tor up the thread but have a die on standby in case there is need to "retap" it to secure with fresh bolt so can drive it to a garage should this operation fail over the weekend. Trying to be none destructive as a result but do feel like sawing the entire arm off and getting my large cheap chinese bearing puller onto it as a last resort but failure would be disaster as no means to move it then probably a sub frame off job and i dont have the kit or the skills for that at present.

[Popcorn]

Yes by pin I mean the threaded part of the ball joint run the nut so it is flush with the thread this stops the thread from getting damaged Jack the car up on the nut so the weight of the car is on it then hammer the subframe (in my last post I edited wishbone for subframe)the shock will release the taper and you should be all good

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by Retap

Forgive me i am not getting some of your lingo ... "brade the wishbone"

I'm glad it's not only me John!

I tried all the forum suggestions to release the inner balljoint and that's when I decided that a puller was required. There's no need to give yourself all this grief John for the sake of £60. Order the Sykes Pickavant and it will pop out nicely putting a big smile on your face!

Simon

[Retap]

Originally Posted by SD1too

I'm glad it's not only me John!

I tried all the forum suggestions to release the inner balljoint and that's when I decided that a puller was required. There's no need to give yourself all this grief John for the sake of £60. Order the Sykes Pickavant and it will pop out nicely putting a big smile on your face!

Simon

I hear you and take your wise council on board especially as the car just bit me when the splitter pinged off just now, as a result got couple of nice deep bites in my hand but worryingly not much blood came out, the long hoarded bottle of iodine just came in handy it stings like fk upon application but is now nice n numb (Not the enire hand lol just the bite area).



Can get a sykes pickavant as suggested by next fri which is cutting it fine as need the car by fri evening but needs must already spent daft money on the sealey which is going to have to go back as useless.