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View Full Version : Lower Control Arm Replacement Woes


PerthDisco
20th July 2020, 09:15 PM
Friend of mine has 2013 L405 FFRR.

Had clonking suspension noise over speed bumps and when tapping brakes driving him nuts so I diagnosed LCAs. Online confirmed is a common failure like on D3/D4. Online articles also say it’s an easy 3 hour job. I’ll do that for you mate says me. What could possibly go wrong!

Ordered parts and front LCA is single piece 6kg lump. Two bolts what could be easier?

Aside from the 38mm new socket needed for ball joint nut got off to a flying start with bolts and nuts undoing easily. Next stop seperate ball joint taper and time stopped. 4 hours later tapping pushing and pulling no movement. Also tried air hammer gun.

Gave up absolutely defeated and humiliated but came back this morning with heat gun and the CRC soaking must have helped also as a few taps and 5 minutes later she’s out!!! 30 minutes later new arm is in and old bush was very cracked and broken (75,000km).

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200720/2fcb3694e59c29a631ea393ff83797f5.jpg

Victory!!! Taper was clean with no corrosion.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200720/baf9bb0a4fbb6ddd1fe5dea3fccdfd6e.jpg

Like new again!

Move to other side and repeat same problem all over again. Day 2 finished with no success after lots of heat gun, tapping smashing bashing pushing and pulling. Tried jacking under the ball joint thread to pop it up. Nothing.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200720/9d43f79487c51bdab1c21c6db8b418a4.jpg


Have drowned in CRC to soak overnight. Try Day 3 again.

Hub carrier on L405 RR is cast aluminium with a steel cone insert for the ball joint. Getting heat into it is hard.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200720/c36149843a37f730e3758a2aa2864682.jpg

Shocking the aluminium has a long way to travel through the aluminium to get to steel cone insert.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200720/8f0f896c1ff9d76131068bd8f0b2d2fe.jpg


Any further tips tricks I’m missing?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200720/82c1d539aed840814e3efa88cd776eeb.jpg

Car is a bugger to jack and support compared to D3. No subframe and electric auto side steps down full sides. No where for a jack stand other than engine sub frame.
John_D4
20th July 2020, 10:31 PM
...and? Your keeping us in suspense... did you get the job done??
PerthDisco
20th July 2020, 10:34 PM
...and? Your keeping us in suspense... did you get the job done??

Today was Day 2. Home slightly defeated again gaining strength for Day 3 tomorrow hence seeking any tips. How can it be so hard?

Problem is you can’t get a puller or splitter tool around the hub carrier to pop it.
PerthDisco
21st July 2020, 05:01 PM
Day 3 defeated have air hammered heated, CRC’d and beaten but it’s not popping. It’s like it’s welded together. A very special C tool is needed is all I can think.

Question- would driving it slowly forward and back and braking pop it? I can put the nut on so if it pops it is without front LCA. Dangerous?
theelms66
21st July 2020, 07:50 PM
Day 3 defeated have air hammered heated, CRC’d and beaten but it’s not popping. It’s like it’s welded together. A very special C tool is needed is all I can think.

Question- would driving it slowly forward and back and braking pop it? I can put the nut on so if it pops it is without front LCA. Dangerous?They are designed to put more pressure on the taper when weight is on wheel so I think it will be fruitless. Can you put a crowbar thru the 2 arms and apply pressure on the joint then hit the side of the arm at the taper. Put nut back on loosely so you don't bust your scone.
PerthDisco
21st July 2020, 08:03 PM
They are designed to put more pressure on the taper when weight is on wheel so I think it will be fruitless. Can you put a crowbar thru the 2 arms and apply pressure on the joint then hit the side of the arm at the taper. Put nut back on loosely so you don't bust your scone.

Has all been done. Whack bearing end of arm whack ball end of arm whack hub whack bolt end. Can’t put nut back on now.

I put the v chisel tool on the air hammer and hit the top of the taper rattling the hell out of it and nothing. Air hammer the bolt from below with point tool and nothing. Heated with air gun for minutes aimed at the steel cone insert.
BobD
26th July 2020, 09:32 PM
RoverTech did mine in a morning for pretty low price and did not report any difficulty. Must ask Kevin if they had any issues!
PerthDisco
26th July 2020, 10:47 PM
Cut a long story short.

The car is 2013 but was a UK car till 2-3 years ago when friend brought it home with him. Is immaculate in every way but the underside does show more surface corrosion than I see on my D3 after 12 years. Nothing nasty to the eye.

To show I’m not a total numpty after all. After three days of work I got one side done but the other side ball joint defeated me using all possible DIY techniques at my disposal.

I bolted the arms back up except for the ball joint nut on the seized side as the thread was too damaged from beating it.

I booked it in at local car mechanic 1km away humbly explaining the scenario the need for a hoist not pit. A few hours later he called to say he also was defeated and after trying to pop the ball joint out moved to remove the hub with stuck LCA and doing it all on the bench. He was worried about the steel insert pushing out with the ball joint. Problem is he then couldn’t push out the shaft from the hub and didn’t want to go further looking for the needed puller tool.

So went back to trusted independent (UK trained) 41km away and said we are coming in. Car drove perfectly with one new LCA and without one ball joint nut with me following closely.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200726/ecb09cb39202594478ad12fad8dc872e.jpg

Result is both sides sitting on the floor with shafts soaking to be pushed out and the stuck ball joint removed. Replacing outer CV boots while there and should be back together tomorrow with plenty of copper grease.

Now I know why 5-10 year old UK cars are half the price of ours.
Ferret
26th July 2020, 11:50 PM
There is a uTube video around somewhere of someone changing LCAs on a UK D3 using a reciprocating saw. [biggrin]
Graeme
27th July 2020, 01:06 PM
You need to freeze the ball's taper to shrink it.
PerthDisco
27th July 2020, 03:43 PM
You need to freeze the ball's taper to shrink it.

Has a steel cone insert in the Ali hub the BJ sits in I did try extensively heating that with air gun which worked on one side quite quickly to release it.

I bought some freeze in a can but that did nothing.

My last remaining option I did not try was dry ice on the top of the BJ in some form of dam.

In pick the LCA is the new one with new nut. The offending stuck arm has been pushed out in this picture.

At least now all parts will get a good overhaul and new CV boots while we are in there.
Piddler
27th July 2020, 08:00 PM
try liquid Nitrogen from a good engineering company
John_D4
27th July 2020, 09:49 PM
When I did the D2 I put the ball joints in the freezer overnight and I heated up the receiver with a blow torch. They went together easily with about 1mm off free play. Once the temps stabilised there was no separating them.