Balljoint change - knuckle from axle

zurbfoundation

hi lads im trying to change a ball joint, i ahve all the appropriate bits off and now i am to separate the knuckle from the axle but it wont budge - see attached - as far as i can tel they should pull apart, am i correct (from the red line i have drawn)

Interslice

Smack of a hammer should do it. Thread the centre nut back on a bit so you don't damage the threads on the drive shaft. Watch you don't pull the DS out of the diff too.

Avns1s

I presume it's the lower Ball Joint (left side of this pic) that you want to replace. Anytime I done this, I just removed the joint itself without much difficulty. No real need to remove the whole hub in my opinion.

Having said that, If you do need to remove it, it'll be as the last poster described. Take care not to damage the threads on the driveshaft or you'll have a much bigger task on your hands.

Avensis LHS?

zurbfoundation

thanks lads - if i don't remove it i am not sure i can get at the castle not keeping on the ball joint. i have been hitting it hard enough, will get the lump hammer out and try again.

@Avns1s - very close, Carina E - failed NCT on that balljoint, otherwise its was spot on.

zurbfoundation

where is the best place to hit it? dont want to damage anything

Mech1

If you hit it too hard you will collapse the split pin hole area.

zurbfoundation

id i bolted it back onto the strut and hit the end of the axle would it go backwards?

i was hitting it from behind to drive the knuckle forward if u get me -

Avns1s

You could refit the ball joint and the shock and replace the nut to protect the thread on the driveshaft. There will be plenty of play in the shaft to be able to loosen it with a few taps of the hammer. It's not normally too difficult to separate the driveshaft from the wheel bearings - as you are trying to do.

Avns1s

When you have it together, see if you can get a ring spanner over the castle nut.

Have you managed to remove the split pin yet?

CJhaughey

Is it essential to remove the driveshaft?
If you undid the nut holding the balljoint to the knuckle you should be able to get it out in place.
Loosen the nut and give it a few smacks with a big hammer to loosen it.
Do you have a pickle fork balljoint splitter or the threaded ones?

zurbfoundation

F**K it anyway - i was re-assembling everything to get car ready for morning and go at this this again next weekend, when i was tightening the castle nut down on this it was not going down to the bottom - i have stripped the threads-

what is this thing called so i can get another one?

thanks for the replies on this lads, i beat the thing but she wouldnt move - might be giving up on it and visiting the mechanic - shame as i am pretty close to getting it done.

Avns1s

Track Rod end.

Is it the threads on the nut that's stripped? You might be able to clean out those threads / get it rethreaded if its in good shape besides.

Interslice

Track rod end. They don't need to be pulled in that tight. Just give them a nip Normally a locking nut although have seen a standard one used as a replacemnet... Count the number of turns to take it off the track rod and put the new one on the same. You might fail on allignment though even still particularly if the part is a different manufacturer.

zurbfoundation

the nut gets on a certain amount then the bolt part its threading onto starts to spin - i need to find a way to stop it turning

Avns1s

zurbfoundation wrote: »

the nut gets on a certain amount then the bolt part its threading onto starts to spin - i need to find a way to stop it turning

Ok, so the thread its ok?

Try putting some force on the head of the ball joint (track rod end) to push it into its socket. The "bolt" is slightly conical. Pushing it in like this should help stop it turning.

I can't just recall but if the nut is on top and the ball on the bottom(if you get my drift) you could try putting a jack underneath it.

zurbfoundation

yes! i lowered it onto an axle stand a little and was able to tighten it - thanks!

i have it all back together and was puting on the axle nut - the 30mm that gets covered with the castle cap and pin, its very tough i am reluctant to force it - i fear i may have knocked a thread when hitting the axle to try and get it out - what do u think? force it a little and see will it come good or is that too much of a risk?

kilianmanning

zurbfoundation wrote: »

yes! i lowered it onto an axle stand a little and was able to tighten it - thanks!

i have it all back together and was puting on the axle nut - the 30mm that gets covered with the castle cap and pin, its very tough i am reluctant to force it - i fear i may have knocked a thread when hitting the axle to try and get it out - what do u think? force it a little and see will it come good or is that too much of a risk?

If you have damaged the threads with the hammer there isn't a lot you can do, just make sure the threads are clean, wd40 & a wire brush can work wonders sometimes

pablo128

Sorry to say, but you went arse over tit in doing this job. All you had to do was take off the nut on the ball joint,(or even loosen it a fair bit), and then hit the hub a crack of a hammer right where the ball joint goes into the hub. Ideally with a long bar levering down on the wishbone. You might want a hand to lever down while using the hammer.

When the bottom ball joint is loose and removed from the hub, only then remove the 3 17s where it bolts to the wishbone. Installation is easy, bolt ball joint to wishbone and then put it onto the hub.

You might get away with grinding off the damaged threads on the c.v. joint, (the 30mm nut), as the first few threads are not that important.

zurbfoundation

yeah i thought it would be abit handier, i think i ran out of talent at some point :-)

zurbfoundation

maybe its tight cos that part of the axle is exposed - no hub caps on her, so a bit of rust might be fattening her up?

pablo128

The threads look fine on that. A quick go of a wire brush and some wd40 and it should go back on fine.

zurbfoundation

phew! i will give the brush and oil and then the impact gun to drive it home -- in the morning

visual

Hacksaw blade running from good thread to damaged thread will make it easier to get nut back on.

visual

Hacksaw blade running from good thread to damaged thread will make it easier to get nut back on.

zurbfoundation

got it back on lads thanks for the posts, ball joint still needs changing though, but thats another days work. next weekend i suppose :-/

i will try to follow @pablo128's advise and save myself some grief!

pablo128

zurbfoundation wrote: »

got it back on lads thanks for the posts, ball joint still needs changing though, but thats another days work. next weekend i suppose :-/

i will try to follow @pablo128's advise and save myself some grief!

Where in the country are you, out of interest?

zurbfoundation

south tipp/waterford area

zurbfoundation

Just wrestled the new ball joint into place. Thanks for help from all. I will tighten everything in the morning with the impact gun.

Do u think the tracking will need to be done for the retest?

Avns1s

zurbfoundation wrote: »

Just wrestled the new ball joint into place. Thanks for help from all. I will tighten everything in the morning with the impact gun.

Do u think the tracking will need to be done for the retest?

Good practice would suggest that it should. Just get a front wheel alignment done on it if it was good first time out. Any garage should be able to do this for a small fee.