Pain in the botty

[olbod]

G,day.
My poor Disco has developed the dreaded clunk in the
rear A frame balljoint.
I understand that Bruce Davis Performance Landy's
market an adjustable jobby ?
Is there any advantage using this as opposed to an
original Landrover thingy ?
Tar.

[rick130]

The Bruce Davis one would more than likely be a Maxi Drive one.
The advantage of the Maxi Drive one is that it's greasable and can be adjusted for wear, and spare boots are available.

[cookiesa]

Anyone have a tip on checking this. I have had a clunk from when I got it three years ago.... (When asked to check out the clunk the stealer told me it was just wear and tear and they all do it :(

Any idea what these cost to replace?

[jx2mad]

i had an adjustable one fitted by Bruce and no more clunk. Cant remember the price though ^_^Jim

[olbod]

Thanks.
I think I will contact Bruce and order one.
I am hoping that I wont need any special tools to
fit it ? Other than a hammer and chisel !
Tar.

[olbod]

If anyone is interested, The adjustable one from
Bruce Davis costs $88 plus postage. I'm ordering one.
Decided to replace all of the rubbers and bushes in
the back end, while I'm at it. Most of it is the original
stuff so I will replace it now and forget about it.
Cheers.

[PAT303]

If your ball joint is anything like my fenders one you will need more than a hammer!! Pat

[Vern]

If anyone is interested, The adjustable one from
Bruce Davis costs $88 plus postage. I'm ordering one.
Decided to replace all of the rubbers and bushes in
the back end, while I'm at it. Most of it is the original
stuff so I will replace it now and forget about it.
Cheers.
I rang Maxi Drive yesterday and was quoted $158 pluis postage for one:eek:. Think i'll shop around:mad:

[87County]

echoing PAT303's comment, IMHO I do not think that a hammer & chisel will get you far (in case you thought it might) - if you like getting into heavy stuff yourself - then fine :)......... otherwise it could pay to entrust it to a realiable mechanic with a 20t press - cause that's what some of my bushes needed -

(I could recommend a LR workshop in western sydney who did all my bushes in a day. but that's obviously no use to you):)

[dmdigital]

I put a maxi-drive in the Defender recently - for that price too. When I say I put it in I mean I got the local mechanic to do it as he had hoist, oxy, press, and heaps more patients (cause I was paying for it). Two of us tried for about 4 hours to get the A-frame joint apart and couldn't get things to budge, in the end it still took the mechanic 2 hours to do and they said it was the worst one they've done.

[olbod]

Yep, tony at Bruce Davis's told me about needing a
press etc.
So I am going to have Trevor and Graeme Harris at
Mackay Landrover Spares ( the best in the business )
fit it and do the other stuff.
I would really prefer to do it myself but at the moment I dont have a 20 ton press ! Looking around tho.
Gotta get a new lathe too.
Being retired I have the time and a lifetime of mechanical experience and besides which, its very satisfying to get into it yourself, eh.
Dont like rebuilding auto gear boxes anymore tho.
Cheers.

[Landy110]

When I get my A frame ball replaced I just remove the joint assy from the two link bars and the diff then cut through the wings on the old ball joint with a hacksaw stopping just short of hitting the body and bend the wings up & down till they break off. Then just take the body & new ball joint to my mechanic. The old one is dead easy to press out with the wings cut off and he only charges about $10

[awabbit6]

I replaced the a-frame balljoint in my Disco a few weeks ago. As others have said, you will definitely need a press to get the ball joint out. Getting the new one back in is equally as difficult - again requires a good press. My mate owns a suspension shop, so I used his 10t press. Still difficult (and dangerous if you aren't careful!)
I didn't bother with an adjustable one. I figured the one that was in it had lasted 13 years and I'm not likely to be bothered checking and adjusting it.

[olbod]

G,day.
I have decided to buy a press anyway and do it myself.
Once you've got this sort of equiptment you always
wonder how you ever got by without it.
They are not very expensive, one on Ebay yesterday
( 20 ton ) for $259 but closed last night !
Cheers.