Thread: Upper + Lower Ball Joints

All four ball joints are now out, the boy is checking whether we can use the Sykes bearing puller to instal the new ones, visions of them
stuck half way in are not good.
Thanks Ollie

Stu managed to set up the Sykes bearing puller with a home made spacer and installed one of the lower ball joints, it took some force but its in.
Ollie

I sympathise with you, or at least my mechanic does. I had to have the front left done, and asked Kevin at Rovertech to do it. His reply was that he had never done one before!!??!! Anyhow, after emailing him Hendriks tute on the subject, he went at it with all the tools and presses. Turns out they had to cut the top pin out, much the same as you, and then they had issues getting the new pins to go in straight. His final comment was, "well that was the first and last time we'll be doing that job!"

Cudos to you giving it a go.

cheers
Nick

Stu set up the Sykes puller with a home made lower cross member and pushed in the upper ball joints. For an apprentice carpenter it was a good effort.
As with most jobs after you have finished it you know how you should have done it. I will make up a kit of tube spacers and bars to be able to use the Sykes puller to do the job. If the BJs do not move then cut the top off to open them up, weld around inside ( leave segment unwelded for the cut) press again if still no movement carefully make two cuts and press to remove. The Sykes is actually a Force bearing puller from Tradetools a comprehensive set is under $200. I will post dimensions for the extra parts reqd.
I will get some parts made as the Td5 will eventually need the same job, the BJs are OK at the moment but the rubbers are split. Has anyone found a fix for damaged BJ gaiters?
Regards Ollie

Good work getting them out Ollie. I like the jig you made up to remove them, very well thought out.
I also had trouble removing the right hand side ones when I did mine about 3 years ago, and did have to heat the joke around the ball joint.

I would suggest you replace the ones on your td5, once the gaiters go on them they are pretty much shot. MR Automotive do sell some replacement gaiter kits when I last checked. But now that you know how to do it, you may as well replace all the ball joints as well. I know I won't have to replace mine for a while

Hi Hendrik what were the Klms when you needed to change yours?

There's a hand tool for that!

Dare I mention it but a Jeep OTC ball joint remover/replacer tool will shift , fit that lot!
See:-
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/OTC-8031-Ball-Joint-Truck/dp/B000O1E52E"]OTC 8031 Ball Joint Set for Jeep/Truck : Amazon.com : Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41XqDk8l-AL.@@AMEPARAM@@41XqDk8l-AL[/ame]

If the ball joint is very tight, I get a load on it and give the side of the yoke a smart whack with a lump hammer while I have a matey boy on the tool . The shock/vibro often causes the worn out ball joint to "jump" in the yoke and start moving.


Yes I have had some tight ones in the shop and one incidence took me 5 hours to R n R 'em!
Book time calls for 5 hours tops, had to go some to meet it!

(A bit sore afterwards on my 65 year old bones)

Don't be tempted to use fire!
The last bloke who did that stretched the yokes and rendered the axle scrap on a P38!

Not an easy job in your front yard!
Dennis
zedcars

Dennis

I did see this gear the other day. Do you use this on Discos. (I think it was $65 for the kit). For that price I assumed it was pretty poor quality, use once and throw away.

Regards
Andrew