Best way to remove ball joints

How do you guy's get your ball joints out of the hub and back in without damaging threads?

I was going to replace my wishbone bushes today but I overlooked the fact that the ball joints need to come out as well. I took one out when I was messing around with the gearbox but when I came to put it back in I had all kinds of trouble doing the nut back up, I had damaged the threads which made it a right ball ache.

I've ordered new ball joints but they won't be here till sometime in the week so I was just going to see If I could get on with as much as I could today.

Any suggestions?

A good clout with a hammer on the part of the hub where the ball joint goes through usually does it, usually whilst using a levering down on the lower arm with lever bar or similar.

I use my brothers balljoint splitter.

When your new balljoint come. You will need them pressed out. Then the new ones will need some spot welds on.

I've decided not to bother today. I had no bother getting the old one out before it was when I put it back and tried to tighten the nut back up, I just couldn't get the nut to turn without turning the whole ball joint turning I ended up having to put a pair of grips on it and I only just managed to do it up.

Good shout on the press and spot welds though Stu. I have access to both so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm guessing you have to cut the old ones out then or grind of the weld underneath?

To stop it spinning put a jack under the ball joint and Jack up .. taking weight of car onto wishbone . Will tighten no bother then

Also removing ball joints from wishbones is easy .. remove wishbone . Remove circlip . Hold in a vice and hit ball joint with a lump hammer .. Will come out after a few clean hits

Supernova wrote:I've decided not to bother today. I had no bother getting the old one out before it was when I put it back and tried to tighten the nut back up, I just couldn't get the nut to turn without turning the whole ball joint turning I ended up having to put a pair of grips on it and I only just managed to do it up.

Good shout on the press and spot welds though Stu. I have access to both so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm guessing you have to cut the old ones out then or grind of the weld underneath?

The old ones are just pressed in so don't need cutting or grinding.
The new ones aren't gtir specific so tend to be a little loose hence the spot welds.

Old ones can be pressed out or hammered out by using likes of axle stand tube to support around outside of joint then give it a tap or two.
New ones can be pressed in & even a good engineers vice can do this, just be careful have suitable size tube around top of new joint & don't pinch the rubber boot.
only reason you need to weld them is if wrong ball joints or hole in lower arm out of spec, i never welded one in 20years,i use delphi TC600 & they fit fine, ICP parts also list one for the GTiR
http://www.importcarparts.co.uk/parts-info?id=1684&cat=87&sub=119&sec=1184&var=0&dc=&gen=&searchKey=&searchPart=

Nissan have never sold the gtir ones. You have to buy the wishbone complete.
Thats why I said they arnt gtir specific.
It used to be only gti ones you could get and they went in easier than the old ones came out. This is why a weld was put on them.
It's been proberbly 10 years since I last did one and had to have spot welds on them and that was the norm then lol

They nothing unusual it just as nissan wanted sell whole arm & R not a big seller the bj got over looked in patern parts rather than not being available from manufacturers. I seen a few people say about welding & few not. is really down to what joint you get & the brand too as the spec size differs a little thus the interference fit could be too low in worse case scenario. I found brands like delphi & 555japan & Moog K9633 with no knurling spline on the fit area far better interference tolerance over real cheap monkey metal brands .
Basically OEM arm bore is 38.0mm, due to hole deformation/stretch from re-use & clean up from corrosion you need joint around 38.2mm minimum for good interference, Delphi TC600=38.2mm, Moog K9633=39.2mm will work if ream bore out to 38.8, they have grease nipple, innovative boot & very good quality, FAI SS1163 should work as well but not used or measured them .

much prefer the bolt on lower joints over press fit but they not used much these days as it all going towards full arm :-/ done ones on 206 hdi today what a cock those arms are hidden in the subframe  with bolts from top with not enough room to fully lift bolts without hassle, f00king french engineers :-S can work easier on an R with one arm than 206 with 2 arm :-P

Arent they great mr b .... ive done a few of them now ... tut french cars

Cheers for the advice guys don't know why I didn't think of jacking the wishbone but never mind.

Ended up fixing my horn and fitting new Front anti-roll bar bushes so at least I'm making progress . Wishbone bushes and Whiteline RARB to do should make a healthy difference hopefully, ready for MOT next month. Just need to sort this lumpy idle/light throttle hesitation now.

nomad wrote:Arent they great mr b .... ive done a few of them now ... tut french cars

lol if I get another one I will put it in a big jiffy bag & post it to you :-) f00king awful engineering :-S

I did a megane headlight bulb change .... where you have to remove the wheel and inner arch to get to it .... renault wanted to charge her 2 hours labour plus the price for the bulb

^ that is shocking for a bulb.
Why people buy the french sh1te I do not know ! Hardly any in thailand fortunately as they not strong enough for our roads & heat & thais & me got bored of constant awkward repairs, the dealers closed as couldn't sell the junk :-D

I ve read this thread because i cant remove the wishbone and As usual i'm in the shit  
I cant smack the top of the ball joint thread cos the driveshaft is in the way,
Ive tried levering it down but it just wont budge,
Do i need a ball joint spiltter?  

Tap the side of the hub where the ball joint goes in a few times this will loosen it.. Careful not to crack the casting though! Worked for me, a lot of garages etc do it that way too.

Sometimes it takes a lever bar and someone tapping as said
Personally I would of had ball joint moving before I took bolt out the arm

I Introduced it to Mr lump hammer and boom, it popped right out.
Cheers


Is this wishbone too far gone to renovate? Its well rusty but seams solid enough.

Mine were like that, used a grinder with a wire wheel attachment, cleaned it up checked over it. Soaked in acid favourite thing at the moment then painted with POR 15

I like the look of that, ive git some kurust and kurust paint to use up first but ill give that por15 a go next.

Just make sure the prep is correct for the por 15, very finicky stuff! but if done right glass hard results!

I went and got a cheap ball joint remover, believe me it made the job so much easier. Mine seemed really fookin stuck and I tried bashing the hell out like a sideways monkey for ages. Mine was on the car though so a little harder.

Im off to machine mart tomorrow for some moon spanners and a ball joint remover.
about time i bought one those

gtir_woody wrote:I went and got a cheap ball joint remover, believe me it made the job so much easier. Mine seemed really fookin stuck and I tried bashing the hell out like a sideways monkey for ages. Mine was on the car though so a little harder.

Sideways monkey
Ill be using that one,