replacing bottom Ball joint, give me few pointers...

[-Neil- 0]

For the first time of me owning a corrado im doing my first DIY job!

 

 

Im replacing my passenger bottom ball joint tomorrow. i have the new ball joint.

 

I take it its just a case of unding the top bolt, hitingt the arm down, then undo the bottom 3 bolts?

 

If there are any pointers or any help anyone has got please give them to me!

 

Neil

[bcstudent 0]

That's more or less it, but you may find a ball-joint splitter is easier than smacking seven bells out of the wishbone. The forked type aren't very expensive and work very well.

[PhatVR6 0]

first of all, you'll need a ball joint splitter, or you'll never get it out.

 

slacken wheel bolts

jack car up

remove wheel

undo 17mm nut and bolt in bottom of hub carrier.

hammer the bolt out (it'll be tight)

use ball joint splitter and hammer to get ball joint out of hub carrier

undo the 3 13mm bolts holding the ball joint to the wishbone

 

clean up all the bolts with a wire brush and apply copper grease to the threads

fit new ball joint to wishbone

use a screwdriver to line up the bolt holes

refit 13mm bolts but don't tighten just yet

apply a bit of grease to new ball joint

push down wishbone and swong hub assenbly over then let go of wishbone to allow the ball joint to go up into the hole

give wishbone a tap from underneath with a hammer to make sure the groove in the ball joint is lined up with the hole fort he bolt you took out first

refit 17mm head bolt and renew locking nut

reift wheel

drop car back down

check camber

jack back up and adjust ball joiint as necessary

tighten all bolts

go and get tracking.geometry set properyl befor eyou wear your tyres out

 

sorted.

 

I will stress again, you will NOT get it out without a ball joint splitter.

[bcstudent 0]

Probably not the place for this, but NICE PIC PHATVR6!

[Supercharged 2]

LOL - I may be wrong but, if it's an original BJ don't you need new bolts and the plate that they thread into...

[PhatVR6 0]

never said you did.

 

but if it's never been off, it's odds on they'll either snap or round off.

 

single hex sockets are what you need.

 

class avatar eh!

[billinjah 0]

so the bolt that hold the bj on isnt threaded? mines well tight i smacked the cr*p outa it and no budgie shal i warm it up and schmack it some more ya?

[s.g 0]

i would advise a ball joint splitter, as it took me hours to get my out without one and i got a new plate + bolts with mine.

[s.g 0]

so the bolt that hold the bj on isnt threaded? mines well tight i smacked the cr*p outa it and no budgie shal i warm it up and schmack it some more ya?

 

which bolt are you on about?

[PhatVR6 0]

the hole in the hub carrier isn't threaded, no, the bolt will just be rusted into it.

 

wind the locking nut off,but also still try and turn the bolt itself to break off the rust.

 

just be careful with heat, you'll melt the DV boot if you're not.

 

also, this does not apply to VR6's, as they don't have the through bolt, they have a big nut on the ball joint, and a STUPID socket i the end of the ball joint, whixh is just so feeble and weak that it just splits every time and is utterley uselss for holding the joint still.

[-Neil- 0]

i do have a ball joint splitter in the garage luckiy,

 

When you say adjust it if i need to, are the 3 bolts oblonggated?

[s.g 0]

i do have a ball joint splitter in the garage luckiy,

 

When you say adjust it if i need to, are the 3 bolts oblonggated?

 

yes, you can always mark where the plate is before taking it off then when you put it back on you can get it somewhere near but i would definatly get the car re-aligned(spelling?) and tracked as soon as possible afterwards

[Madjackal 0]

When i did mine i bought new bolts and locking plate from VW. for 7 quid it'd be rude not too.

[Roger Blassberg 0]

It's easier to push the bottom wishbone down if you undo the anti-roll bar drop link.

 

It's best to get the camber checked afterwards even if you have marked the position of the plate.

Best wishes

 

RB

[-Neil- 0]

well i did it, only took 4 hours!

 

3 and half of them was trying to get the sodding ball joint out of the hub!

[PhatVR6 0]

lol! even with the splitter?

[-Neil- 0]

lol! even with the splitter?

 

 

 

errrrrr.....well my mate had it and he was at work and i had the car in pieces so i couldnt get, that'll be why it took so long!