Stuck solid ball joint?
Discussion
Keep the faith. Yorkies are a tough bunch and a poxy worn out ball joint will not beat you.
Heat, a hammer with weight, plenty of welly and Bobs your uncle .
Jimmy No Hands said:
I'm in Heckmondwike Freddy, wouldn't want you trailing all that way!
My MOT looms for Tuesday so another evening of banging lies ahead. (Sounds rather exciting out of context)
I fear as a few of you have mentioned that I'm wasting a lot of the energy involved by the strut taking most of the force, so I'm going to attempt the two hammer method again with the fork wedged in. Failing that I'm torching it. I'll either die or it'll die.
Everyone is invited to a lower control arm ball joint party when this is over. I'll report back.
My MOT looms for Tuesday so another evening of banging lies ahead. (Sounds rather exciting out of context)
I fear as a few of you have mentioned that I'm wasting a lot of the energy involved by the strut taking most of the force, so I'm going to attempt the two hammer method again with the fork wedged in. Failing that I'm torching it. I'll either die or it'll die.
Everyone is invited to a lower control arm ball joint party when this is over. I'll report back.
tumble dryer said:
battered said:
As others say. Heat. Cool with water. Heat again. Get it really hot. Then the socket and screw type splitter. Load it up and then leather it. Repeat until one of you dies. Then finish the job and go to the pub to tell everyone who will listen and a few who won't what a total hero you are.
You wouldn't have been there, by any chance...?OP, I'm in Pudsey so not far away from Heck. If it's misbehaving by Sunday let me know and I'll come over with a big hammer, a BJ splitter and another propane torch.
My joyous task this we is to sort out a non working starter on the MX5. Not usre how easy access is, we'll see when I get home. None from the top, that's sure.
WD40/Plusgas will do absolutely nothing, how do you think it is going to penetrate the taper & what do you think it is going to release?
Penetrating fluid only works where there is a route for it to get in between threads etc & then it lubricates, so as you slacken the nut/bolt it breaks the rust down into a paste which cleans/releases the thread/rust.
The ONLY things that work on ball joints are a combination of heat and/or tension and/or shock.
Penetrating fluid only works where there is a route for it to get in between threads etc & then it lubricates, so as you slacken the nut/bolt it breaks the rust down into a paste which cleans/releases the thread/rust.
The ONLY things that work on ball joints are a combination of heat and/or tension and/or shock.
battered said:
tumble dryer said:
battered said:
As others say. Heat. Cool with water. Heat again. Get it really hot. Then the socket and screw type splitter. Load it up and then leather it. Repeat until one of you dies. Then finish the job and go to the pub to tell everyone who will listen and a few who won't what a total hero you are.
You wouldn't have been there, by any chance...?OP, I'm in Pudsey so not far away from Heck. If it's misbehaving by Sunday let me know and I'll come over with a big hammer, a BJ splitter and another propane torch.
My joyous task this we is to sort out a non working starter on the MX5. Not usre how easy access is, we'll see when I get home. None from the top, that's sure.
Apply the same process to the starter, belt the s
t out of it! 
Surely WD/PG can't hurt mind, even if its effectiveness is questionable. There is a visible channel around the pin sitting in the knuckle, I've just been dowsing the crap out of it from the top and bottom. I figure it'd be an easier job with two people, one could apply leverage while the other batters away. Will have to rope in the other half for a proper gang bang.
Jimmy No Hands said:
Apply the same process to the starter, belt the st out of it!
Already have! It freed the brushes up once and got it going but it's borked again and further starter bashing hasn't fixed it. It's strip n clean time this weekend, hopefully that will free it up. If not then it's breaker time, or an auto elec.t out of it! DrDeAtH said:
WD40 is of no use to you
PlusGas is..
I started reading the thread, and as soon as the OP mentioned WD40 and I knew someone would come out with this utter guff.PlusGas is..
E-bmw said:
WD40/Plusgas will do absolutely nothing, how do you think it is going to penetrate the taper & what do you think it is going to release?
Exactly, when you have a gas tight metal to metal seal, squirting penetrating oil onto it is going to do bugger all.Most of the really stubborn ball joints I've encountered have been persuaded by a quality pair of scissor tyre separators, wound up to within and inch of their life followed by a hefty smack on the thread side of the arms with a lump hammer. Add heat if still no luck, a decent plumbers blowlamp is usually sufficient, but oxy-acetylene is much quicker.
The two hammers method can work well, but you have to be really committed to the hammer blow (one really hefty blow, not lots of medium size ones), and proper size hammers are required.
The ball joint and separators can jump a long way when the joint releases under that much tension so you need to be aware of where it's likely to go and ensure no bits of you are there.
If I understand correctly the E46 lower suspension arm is a very similar design to a Rover 75 - apologies in advance if not! :-)
Anyway, if you jam a long handles pickle fork type ball joint splitter into the joint (I used a 5lb lump hammer to jam it in good and proper) then you can use a jack to jack up the handle which should pop it. You may have to give it a knock with a hammer too but mine split just with jacking. The secret is to put the jack in line with the handle.
Here, is the lower joint being jacked up - dont forget to undo any securing nuts or pinch bolts but dont completely remove the securing nut as it can act to limit the travel on the joint when it does pop - lot safer that way.
And here's the other inboard ball joint. Notice the nut is loosened but not completely removed.
Jack is in line with the handle.
And here it is after popping. See the nut is now up to the frame. Hope this helps.
Anyway, if you jam a long handles pickle fork type ball joint splitter into the joint (I used a 5lb lump hammer to jam it in good and proper) then you can use a jack to jack up the handle which should pop it. You may have to give it a knock with a hammer too but mine split just with jacking. The secret is to put the jack in line with the handle.
Here, is the lower joint being jacked up - dont forget to undo any securing nuts or pinch bolts but dont completely remove the securing nut as it can act to limit the travel on the joint when it does pop - lot safer that way.
And here's the other inboard ball joint. Notice the nut is loosened but not completely removed.
Jack is in line with the handle.
And here it is after popping. See the nut is now up to the frame. Hope this helps.
Megaflow said:
It's not the ball joint that needs heating, its the lower arm that needs heating to free it off the ball joint.
OP, you need to soak it in a proper penetrating fluid like Plus Gas, WD40 is not a penetrating fluid. Then you need some proper heat, not DIY blow torch heat, you need to be able to see it glow slightly/a lot depending how stuck it is.
A DIY blow lamp will never achieve that, you need a proper plumbers soldering torch or a gas torch.
You do realise that the ball joint on these is integral to the arm right ?OP, you need to soak it in a proper penetrating fluid like Plus Gas, WD40 is not a penetrating fluid. Then you need some proper heat, not DIY blow torch heat, you need to be able to see it glow slightly/a lot depending how stuck it is.
A DIY blow lamp will never achieve that, you need a proper plumbers soldering torch or a gas torch.
Like I said, be very careful applying heat to ball joints, they can explode.
Just keep hitting it, it will come out
As I'm feeling nice, take the caliper and disc off, disconnect the ABS sensor and brake warning wires, remove the disc, undo the track rod end, undo the anti roll bar link, undo the other ball joint and the rear bush, find an assistant and undo the strut from the top.
take the whole lot off and to a bench vice and then pound away in a much better position.
Edited by Jimmyarm on Saturday 23 April 07:17
Megaflow said:
In that case he needs to be heating the upright, or what ever part the ball joint is stuck in. Heating the ball joint, and thus making it bigger, will not help at all.
It's stuck in the hub.When you apply heat to the hub it migrates to the balljoint which can explode.
I have never ever had to use heat to remove a ball joint and I've done quite a few.
I wouldnt use heat either because of the risk of the ball exploding and smashing me in the face, and you don't need it if you have decent tools and access.
I'm guessing the OP has either got it off or is in hospital with half a ball joint stuck in his face
I'm here!
I'd like to tell you I came home, and with a renewed optimism popped the bd off within the first three swings, then went to the pub to drink many ales in celebration.
In reality, I spent another three hours in various positions on my garage floor, swinging and swearing simultaneously. I tried the pickle fork jack trick, which it laughed off. I took a grinder to a crow bar to fashion it so it would fit snugly around the joint without slipping out and put some serious leverage on it while striking the knuckle. Which it laughed off.
I then accidentally hit my left thumb with a 2.lb hammer and it's turned a lovely shade of purple (and it fking hurts)
I then swore some more, threw the hammer across the garage, closed it and went to the pub to drink many ales.
I hate to say it but it's beat me. I've exhausted the tools and space I have, as-well as my phalanges. I've reluctantly put it back together in preparation for it to go to a bloke. I wanted that euphoric win moment I really did.
Man card handed back, pride obliterated. I can't look at the thing.
I'd like to tell you I came home, and with a renewed optimism popped the b
d off within the first three swings, then went to the pub to drink many ales in celebration. In reality, I spent another three hours in various positions on my garage floor, swinging and swearing simultaneously. I tried the pickle fork jack trick, which it laughed off. I took a grinder to a crow bar to fashion it so it would fit snugly around the joint without slipping out and put some serious leverage on it while striking the knuckle. Which it laughed off.
I then accidentally hit my left thumb with a 2.lb hammer and it's turned a lovely shade of purple (and it f
king hurts) I then swore some more, threw the hammer across the garage, closed it and went to the pub to drink many ales.
I hate to say it but it's beat me. I've exhausted the tools and space I have, as-well as my phalanges. I've reluctantly put it back together in preparation for it to go to a bloke. I wanted that euphoric win moment I really did.
Man card handed back, pride obliterated. I can't look at the thing.
Chin up mate, i've been there as well, changed hundreds of ball joints and there is allways that 1 stubborn Bstd, i've also lost more finger nails to a mishammer than i care to remember
Map gas at the least, oxy at best, forget propane, load it up with a scissor type splitter and use a pair of ball pein hammers not club or normal hammers.
Never had a balljoint explode on me but i know a couple of old boys who have, it's rare but it can happen, don't let it get you down, i had to buy a 40 ton press to get the last Bstd out
Map gas at the least, oxy at best, forget propane, load it up with a scissor type splitter and use a pair of ball pein hammers not club or normal hammers.
Never had a balljoint explode on me but i know a couple of old boys who have, it's rare but it can happen, don't let it get you down, i had to buy a 40 ton press to get the last Bstd out
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