Bmw front shock replace, bastard ball joints

[steelej]

Hello troops,

Need some mechanical advice, doing the front shocks on my old BMW and the only trouble I had doing thr drivers side today was getting the bd ball joint on the track rod end to pop, I do have a ball joint removal tool and it did end up shifting it but it crushed the top of the thread and was then another bd to get the new nut on.

So planning on doing the passenger side tomorrow so need some techniques to release the ball joint without using the tool. Seen a video on youtube where the guy smacked the wheel carrier with a big fk off hammer and i'm all up for that, just want to make sure I won't break anything

So any bright ideas?

John.

[993AL]

John - Loosen the nut of the track rod end until the Nyloc part of the nut is off the thread, leave the nut on to protect the thread in case your aim with a hammer aint what it used to be. Get a bit of wood or something you can use as a lever between the tie rod and the hub carrier just to put a load on the tie rod. A sharp hit with a normal hammer where the track rod end enters the carrier while keeping the load on the lever and the track rod end should pop out.

Good luck and watch you wee fingers

[steelej]

Thanks Al, you might get a phone call tomorrow if I have trouble

John.

[steelej]

Also meant to say the old shock was so fked that gravity could pull the piston down, absolutely zero rebound, when Gill said it was all over the place a few weeks back I told her to stop driving it like the XKR, doh!

Jhn.

[tonytifoso]

steelej said:

Also meant to say the old shock was so fked that gravity could pull the piston down, absolutely zero rebound, when Gill said it was all over the place a few weeks back I told her to stop driving it like the XKR, doh!

Jhn.

You have now learned the first lesson in life my young padawan, SWMBO always is correct !!

[steelej]

Yes, i'll maybe listen to her next time Tony

Well todays passenger side shock replacement went much smoother than yesterday, yesterday's bd problems were replaced with new bd problems

Al, couldn't get the track rod ball joint out using your method, was probably doing it wrong but managed to use the ball joint tool without crushing any threads today so that was good.

Have to say though, this job was the first time i've used my snap on impact gun for something other than taking wheels off and on, there wasn't one single rusty bd bolt that this gun didn't remove like it wasn't even tight, an expensive tool but fking awesome!

The old beemer feels like a totally different car now, both shocks were really fked and i now have an amazing sense of achievement at completing my first haynes manual 4 spanner job

John.

[tonytifoso]

Well done that man

Now, next Wednesday evening meet if you bring the impact wrench(hope it's the new compact version), I'll bring the bricks and we can have some payback on BucketLander Boy. Oh yes, now we're talking Chapelhall revenge style

[A.J.M]

tonytifoso said:

Well done that man

Now, next Wednesday evening meet if you bring the impact wrench(hope it's the new compact version), I'll bring the bricks and we can have some payback on BucketLander Boy. Oh yes, now we're talking Chapelhall revenge style

Hope your bringing a pallet of bricks. Oh and while your stealing my wheels, can you swap the alloys to the BBS 6 spoke style for me put the tyres from current alloys to new ones as well.
You can keep the old alloys

4 spanner work sounds good, oh and snap on stuff must have cost a few £££

[steelej]

tonytifoso said:

Well done that man

Now, next Wednesday evening meet if you bring the impact wrench(hope it's the new compact version), I'll bring the bricks and we can have some payback on BucketLander Boy. Oh yes, now we're talking Chapelhall revenge style

Tony, my snap-on is the mother-fker maximum torque one, bucketlander wouldn't stand a chance

John.

[tonytifoso]

steelej said:

Tony, my snap-on is the mother-fker maximum torque one, bucketlander wouldn't stand a chance

John.

That'll loosen the young'uns nuts

[A.J.M]

Wonder how far down the street i could tow that shonky 430?

[steelej]

A.J.M said:

Wonder how far down the street i could tow that shonky 430?

Lol, you wouldnae get far with nae nuts

John.

[A.J.M]

Pah, you need to get past the locking wheel nuts first.

Or i shall use the standard chapelhall keyless mobility tool

[OlberJ]

steelej said:

Have to say though, this job was the first time i've used my snap on impact gun for something other than taking wheels off and on

Hopefully just a play on words but never, ever use air tools to put wheel nuts on. It will end in stripped threads.

Agree they are the mutts nuts for removing bolts though

[steelej]

OlberJ said:

Hopefully just a play on words but never, ever use air tools to put wheel nuts on. It will end in stripped threads.

Agree they are the mutts nuts for removing bolts though

Don't worry Olly, the gun is only used to lightly put the nuts on then they are torqued properly, now i'm obvioualy an expert mechanic having completed a haynes 4 spanner task i wouldn't make such a school boy error with the wheel nuts

John.

[OlberJ]

Personally i wouldn't even do that but now you've hit 4 spanners you can replace wheel studs too