Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

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Sparrow
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Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Sparrow »

Hello Ladies and Gents,

I need your help as i am close to pulling the little hair i have left out. I started tonight doing the ball joint bottom trying to get the bastard out would it come out no. I have used half a can of WD40 and heat for a long time close to red hot and still the bastard wouldnt budge. I got a spanner round it to guide it and smacked the shit out of the top with a hammer to try and knock it down and no go. Below is the other side does this go down to get it out?
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Also i had a look to try and get the inner tie rod off but from looking at it there is nothing to grip so does anyone have any ideas as i did manage to get the outer ones ready to come off
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Pete Boole
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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Pete Boole »

You will only get the ball joint out with a press - it may take 5 ton or more to move it - vital that the arm is supported properly around the ball joint as you do it. Cut off the tapered bit to make it easier to get the press tool in place. You may damage the arm doing it any other way.

Tie rods; you need a tie rod removal tool - search fleabay - "inner tie rod removal tool" - don't forget to prevent the rack from rotating as you do it.

Pete

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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Alan_M »

As Pete says, they will need to be pressed out. Take the arms off and head to your friendly garage with the new ball joints so they can press the old out and the new in.

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Sparrow
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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Sparrow »

I would love to do that guys the only issue there is i dont really want to get the anti roll bar off as i have been told its a total bitch to put back on.
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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Alan_M »

You may, just may be able to do it with one of these - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075KNY8DH/ ... UTF8&psc=1

I have managed to do a similar ball joint on my Mercedes with this tool. Took almost all day and a good bit of heat. I wouldn’t want to do it again. You would need to check sizes of adapters to see if will fit.

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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Excel SA »

I pushed my lower ball joint out in a vice - I'm not sure my vice will ever work properly again though, and I had no rust like you have.

I think the issue with the anti-roll bar is the rubber in the lower arm - that's the hard bit to remove and refit, but the ARB can be removed without removing the rubber as it fits through the center of it - more nuts, bolts and washers to deal with, but probably the best way I'd think. But if you're replacing all the suspension rubbers.....

Neil.

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Sparrow
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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Sparrow »

Thanks guys i also need your advise on this. The front shock bolt was seased to the spacer in the middle which required the grinder. However, from using the grinder i didnt notice but i cut into the circular area where the ARB bush is and i ground down the side wall slightly. Do i need a new one or would this be ok? School boy error.

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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by AndyC »

Have it welded and give it a little rust protection, it will be fine.

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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Sparrow »

thank you will do :)
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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Pete Boole »

Tricky to weld though - it's galvanised. Gas welding might work - tig just spits and pops. Also vaporised zinc is very toxic, but your welder will know that.

Pete

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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by bash »

I used a pair of stiltsons and an induction heating tool to get the rack ends off. The induction heating tool is the best £300 Ive ever spent on tools.
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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Esprit2 »

Ball joints and rod ends use a Morse Taper on the stud & bore. When drawn together, the taper produces a friction-lock that holds them together very securely.

You can use a hydraulic press or a special screw-jack 'puller', or you can go old school 'Mongo'. Lay the part with the tapered bore/ receptical (upright, or steering arm) on an anvil or suitable surface, then use a steel faced hammer to give the outside diameter of the eye... the part with the tapered hole in it (ie, hit the side, radially). Give it good whack, but don't beat the crap out of it. A good hit relaxes the metal (knocks it unconscious ?).

Then rotate the part so the ball joint/ tie rod end's stud in pointing up, and give it a good whack on the end with the hammer to drive it out of the bore. It should just drop out of the upright/ steering arm. I know it's about to be scrap anyway, but something in me dislikes hitting the ends of threaded shafts. So I spin on a sacrificial nut to take the brunt of the hammer blow... or you can just hit the end of the shaft.

The vast majority of the time, one radial hit on the side of the upright/ steering arm, and one hit on the end of the tapered stud, and it's out.

If you're working in the car, then the head of a large sledge hammer can suffice as a portable anvil.

A Europa friend had been struggleing to get the steering rod ends out. In frustration, he removed the uprights from the car and brought them over to my shop. I happened to be standing next to my bench vice when he walked in and showed me the parts. I took the first one, laid the steering arm end on the vice, and gave it a whack with a hammer. Then rotated it 90 degrees, and smacked the end of the rod end's stud, and it fell out. I repeated with the other upright ass'y, and the entire task was done in about 30 seconds.

He stood there slack-jawed, not sure whether to be relieved, or angry that he'd just wasted a weekend and an 1.5 hour round-trip drive on a 30 second job.

Good luck,
Tim Engel

PS... Agreed, an induction heater is a great tool to have in your arsenal.

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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by AndyC »

I think Tim's answer is aimed at how to remove said items from the upright hub carrier, but Sparrow is after the answer of removing the lower balljoint from the lower arm and removing the track rod arm (not TRE) from the steering rack.

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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by Sparrow »

Well Ladies and Gents,

I have the inner joints off which is great a good £11 tool :D. I have now taken off the control arms also however, i am going to remove the rear bush as they look a bit knackered but what do you guys think of the inner do you think they are ok?

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Re: Help with Ball joints and inner tie rods

Post by TAR »

It's highly likely that all the bushes are the same age so I would just replace all of them, you'll have peace of mind knowing you don't need to worry again. :)

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