Front strut wishbone balljoint play

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have no choice, mine uses alloy front wishbones, with the ball joint cast into it - so when the time comes to replace it, it's all or nowt. I managed to find a dust cover to replace a split one on the joint a while ago - which saved me around £100 for a new arm.

 

[DIYspanner]

The bushes are still good so I've ordered a ball joint to fit.

 

[Burnerman]

you'll need to support the wishbone very firmly if you are going to bash the old joint out......I find they are just tight rather than splined in but they get one hell of a grip.
I believe there is a kosher extractor tool but I haven't seen one.
John

 

[Astra99]

Going back to the days of Vivas and Victors, a friend of mine had made up a "tool" from a scaffold pole and a steel plate. After bashing the old joint out, the new one was placed in position, and the tube and plate put over the joint with the threaded section sticking through. A non-nyloc nut was then screwed on, taking up tension. Several clouts with a hammer, and re-tightening the nut between blows, and the balljoint was drawn up into the wishbone. Circlip on, re-assemble and job done.

 

[DIYspanner]

This is the ball joint. The seller stocks both Blueprint and Febi, brands owned by Bilstein.

Had the ball joint been on a VW Bora, it would simply unbolt.

 

[DIYspanner]

Is this the push/pull tool to consider for a wishbone ball joint?

 

[Burnerman]

Yep, that's the sort of thing.....if it's strong enough!
You can get by - if you support the wishbone sturdily - by using a socket that clears the joint peg and an extension that you can whack with a hammer to get the old joint out (supporting the underside with a large socket) and another socket to press the new one in.
In my limited experience (half a dozen or so) the wishbone isn't splined but rather the splines self cut as the new joint is entered - a bit like wiper arms where the alloy arm secures to the hard steel taper, which is splined.
Make sure no one has nicked the circlip for the new joint
Hope it goes well! If it does give you grief you can still replace the complete wishbone.
John

 

[DIYspanner]

Got the job done this afternoon.

I'm not buying any more Moog products I doubt. Been installed for about 3 years and the peg was flopping about and the spring steel circlip broke into three.

I cut the old peg off then rested the end of the arm on a 2 by 3 and knocked the base out with the mash hammer.

Got the new ball started by drilling a hole in a 2 by 3 wood to sit over the base so I could tap it in squarely. Once nipped in the arm, set it on the vice and worked round with a punch till the base was seated in. New circlip fitted and coated with red rubber grease.

The new BluePrint ball joint just looks better made.