vee8auto
2nd September 2017, 07:19 PM
here's a solution if you have got stuck on a particularly tight lower control arm ball joint taper. I went to Supercheap and got the bolt and plate set for a trailer axle. It was for a 50mm square axle and the bolts were about 120mm long.
It obviously requires some extra disassembly but when you are stuck you are stuck and this is a way you can keep moving forward.
Carefully separate the speed sensor cable from the hydraulic brake line, its held with a number of plastic clips. Remove the brake disc retaining grub screw, the Torx head one. Undo the 2 large brake caliper bolts, and swing the caliper and disc out of the way while supporting them with a strap to the upper control arm.
put the U bolts over the bottom arm of the yoke and loosely assemble the 2 square plates with the flat washers and nuts on. With the ball joint nut backed off slightly put a socket on and insert a short 1/2 drive extension through the hole in the plates. It will be at an angle so try and balance the nut tensions to make it as lined up as possible, but it wont be square-on.
Back the bottom nut on the ball joint off until it puts pressure on the plates then square it up as much as possible to the plates. Apply as much pressure as you think you can, by un-doing the bottom nut on the ball joint, the coarse threads on the U bolts now being the weakest link. If this doesnt release the taper then support the control arm on a jack and give yourself enough room to get under the end of the 1/2 drive extension and give it a good whack upwards with a mallet. This is the most effective way to release tapers and press fit items, by applying pressure then shock it along its axis.
This solution is instead of having access to large sturdy ball-joint separator tools, for whatever reason you dont have access to one.
It obviously requires some extra disassembly but when you are stuck you are stuck and this is a way you can keep moving forward.
Carefully separate the speed sensor cable from the hydraulic brake line, its held with a number of plastic clips. Remove the brake disc retaining grub screw, the Torx head one. Undo the 2 large brake caliper bolts, and swing the caliper and disc out of the way while supporting them with a strap to the upper control arm.
put the U bolts over the bottom arm of the yoke and loosely assemble the 2 square plates with the flat washers and nuts on. With the ball joint nut backed off slightly put a socket on and insert a short 1/2 drive extension through the hole in the plates. It will be at an angle so try and balance the nut tensions to make it as lined up as possible, but it wont be square-on.
Back the bottom nut on the ball joint off until it puts pressure on the plates then square it up as much as possible to the plates. Apply as much pressure as you think you can, by un-doing the bottom nut on the ball joint, the coarse threads on the U bolts now being the weakest link. If this doesnt release the taper then support the control arm on a jack and give yourself enough room to get under the end of the 1/2 drive extension and give it a good whack upwards with a mallet. This is the most effective way to release tapers and press fit items, by applying pressure then shock it along its axis.
This solution is instead of having access to large sturdy ball-joint separator tools, for whatever reason you dont have access to one.