[Yoda]

What is the "best" way to remove the lower ball joints with the suspension apart? I tried pounding on them a bit, but didn't want to get carried away if there is a better approach.

Seems pressing the new ones in won't be too bad once I get the old ones out. Is it better to press from the edges or the center of the new ball joint (forums metion both being correct).

Thanks!

 

[RallyBob]

What is the "best" way to remove the lower ball joints with the suspension apart? I tried pounding on them a bit, but didn't want to get carried away if there is a better approach.

Seems pressing the new ones in won't be too bad once I get the old ones out. Is it better to press from the edges or the center of the new ball joint (forums metion both being correct).

Thanks!

A B.F.H. will usually remove a lower ball joint quickly, preferably with the a-arm supported by a length of tube larger than the ball joint OD.

When replacing the ball joint with a new one, ONLY press by the edges, if you distort the center you distort the sphere the actual ball joint pivots within, potentially destroying it or at least shortening its' life and making it harder to pivot smoothly

Bob.

 

[soybean]

Once again Bob is correct. I didn't have a press, so I used a large vise to install the new ones. It takes another set of hands but it works. The procedure was as follows: Found socket big enough to fit the edges of the ball joint on the outside, another bigger, deeper on the inside of the A-arm, taking care not to hit the new threads when vise was closed and balljoint seated. While son held the A-arm, all this was put in the vise, and vise was closed until the ball joint was seated in the A-arm. HTH, Jarrell

 

[Yoda]

Probably a stupid question, but what is a B.F.H.? Big F*&^% Hammer?

 

[jeff denton]

Yes. I use my RBFH a lot, that's a Really Big F#@%in' Hammer but for the ball joints just a plain old BFH should get it.

 

[Yoda]

Thanks. Found a socket last night just under the OD of the ball joint. Will take it to the hardware store tomorrow to find a bit of 2.5" or 3" pipe just over the OD to fit in the vice.

 

[ging]

ball joint trick

Hello All,
I'm not Ging, I'm her husband and I have a clever trick. I have not had to replace the ball joints on the GT yet but I did have a heck of a time doing so on my Accord. I had to beat the old one out due to the fact that they too are pressed (breaking an already bad joint didn't bother me). The closest thing to a press that I had was a framing hammer. I ruined two new ball joints before I asked the guy behind the counter for any tricks. He said to put the new joint in the freezer overnight. The cold will shrink it just slightly. The next morining when I went to install the cold joint.... It FELL into the hole. I have not even looked at the joints on the GT so I don't know if this trick can be adapted to an Opel but if everything is off the car, I would certainly try it.

Good luck

Dan

 

[jeff denton]

Hi Mr. Ging, you have discovered an extremely handy mechanic trick. The careful application of heat to an object makes it grow bigger. Making a part cold makes it smaller. The combination makes it possible to "press fit" or "interference fit" parts together the easy way. You should see how impossible it is to put bucket bushings into the arms of a loader (big yellow tractor) by any other method!

 

[soybean]

Jeff, I had completely forgotten about "Freezing it". We used to do it when putting the Kingpins in on tracks on D-8s,-9s. "Excellent" Jarrell

 

[Swiftus]

Does freezing a ball join hurt the grease or rubber in it at all? I figure it wont because it sees those conditions outside, but just checking

 

[GoldGT]

Does freezing a ball join hurt the grease or rubber in it at all? I figure it wont because it sees those conditions outside, but just checking

Nope, just like you said, park the car outside and it could see -20 deg. in parts of the country and it will not hurt. If you want to protect it a little you could put it in a zip lock bag so it will only see the temp and not any moisture.