VR6 ball joint removal problems

[Fanjita 1]

Hoping someone can offer some help here, I've been struggling with this most of the day. Following the Bentley manual, I have a ball joint extrator tool as specified there.

 

Only trouble was the top of it wont fit beneath the CV joint, so i hacksawed a bit off the top of the threaded shaft from the ball joint. I've managed to bend the extractor tool but the ball joint just won't budge, I hope I'm not doing this wrong but any feedback is welcomed!

 

I have also hammered a forked type ball joint remover tool but that's had no effect. I've tried hammering the wishbone as close to the balljoint as possible, but that's not worked either.

 

I've left it under tension overnight in the hopes that a miracle might happen, but this is really frustrating me :bad-words:

 

Just to shed further light on this, here are some pictures:

 

Hopefully someone might have some suggestions to free this up, I can only guess the other side will be just as bad. Looks like these ball joints have been in since the factory!

 

I am replacing them so hacking them up is no problem.

 

Thanks,

Jim

[winchbietch 0]

If you get a drift or punch and hit the hub where the ball joint locates while its under full tension it should pop out.

Give it a proper couple of hits not a :camp: girly tap and its probbably best to hold the drift with either a proper holder or vice grips - it will properly hurt if you miss and hit urself otherwise..

 

Paul

[emu 0]

When was doing my ones, just used bigger hammer and works fine without fancy tools :)

[quicky1980 0]

as above, if you still struggle try to get some localised heat onto the ball joint.

[Fanjita 1]

If you get a drift or punch and hit the hub where the ball joint locates while its under full tension it should pop out.

Give it a proper couple of hits not a :camp: girly tap and its probbably best to hold the drift with either a proper holder or vice grips - it will properly hurt if you miss and hit urself otherwise..

 

Paul

 

Ok so leave the extractor tool wound up and just smack the housing the ball joint is desperately clinging onto? Worth a try thanks mate :clap:

[Fanjita 1]

When was doing my ones, just used bigger hammer and works fine without fancy tools :)

 

What did you hit exactly? :lol:

[winchbietch 0]

Yep. Just use a decent sized hammer :)

[tandino 0]

Ive had some real stubborn ones before and although the fork type usually knacker the rubber dust cover on the balljoint they always pop eventually.

Your going to really have to give the hammer some welly, i usually stand up with my back to the car and swing down onto the extractor, also get some heat onto the bottom of the hub not the balljoint :D

[poll250 0]

I had to do this last week, used a fork type extractor and it took a fair while wcking the crap out if it, but sure enough they came out in the end!

[Fanjita 1]

Ive had some real stubborn ones before and although the fork type usually knacker the rubber dust cover on the balljoint they always pop eventually.

Your going to really have to give the hammer some welly, i usually stand up with my back to the car and swing down onto the extractor, also get some heat onto the bottom of the hub not the balljoint :D

 

ok cool,

 

I never knew it was this tough though! I'm just scared of damaging my steering rack or something by all this smacking :lol:

 

So I've just got to keep at it then, I'll probably get the fork type out again tomorrow and give that a run.

 

This is a bit of a funny question, but what way to you orient your fork type extractors?

 

On mine one side slopes and the other side is perfectly straight, I've been using the straight edge against the main housing with the tapered side in contact with the ball joint, this seem fine?

[poll250 0]

That's how I did it yup.

[lilfuzzer 1]

Had the same problem doing my mates ball joints a while back. Had to go home for my 4lb hammer add a little heat and it sorted it :D

 

Keep at it mate

[Fanjita 1]

I can't imagine how hard fitting the replacements is going to be if removing them is this hard :(

[STU175 0]

i had to undo to bolts holding the ball joint to the end of the wishbone and the whole hub to get mine off in the end

 

i thought i was gonna damage something aswell :(

 

got it out ok once in a vice tho

at least it gave me a chance to clean it all up and paint it all :D

[Fanjita 1]

i had to undo to bolts holding the ball joint to the end of the wishbone and the whole hub to get mine off in the end

 

i thought i was gonna damage something aswell :(

 

got it out ok once in a vice tho

at least it gave me a chance to clean it all up and paint it all :D

 

Did you do anything with the wheel bearings?

 

Or just put it all back together?

 

I may have to consider that but the nut on the end of the driveshaft spline is putting me off, I haven't a clue what sort of socket will undo it!

[STU175 0]

Did you do anything with the wheel bearings?

 

Or just put it all back together?

 

I may have to consider that but the nut on the end of the driveshaft spline is putting me off, I haven't a clue what sort of socket will undo it!

 

yeah replaced bearings at same time

 

nut is 30mm or 32mm i think

 

you may need to have the wheel alligned after tho :(

 

OR i have in the past marked around parts so you can get them in exactly the same place when you do them all up again

ie strut to hub & balljoint to wishbone

[Rob_B 0]

if you want a hand im about this weekend. i have all the tools you need to do this and i done mine the other week. wont take many minutes

[Fanjita 1]

if you want a hand im about this weekend. i have all the tools you need to do this and i done mine the other week. wont take many minutes

 

Thankyou sir :salute:

 

But you'll all be pleased to know i smacked the living schitt out of the blighter this morning, with a slight dash of heat. It popped in fear, I'm just hoping the other side will have seen this and will put up less of a fight. That's the engine jacked up one though, so even more fun!

 

Can anyone who's done this tell me, will the driveshafts and CVs be ok on a lowered car if i undo the front and rear engine mounts and jack the engine up to gain access to the front wishbone bolt?

 

I believe this is the best way to get to it.

Cheers

[Rob_B 0]

has your hub got the pinch bolt that holds the ball joint in place? if so, did you take it right out and not just slacken it off? you do have to smack the crap out of it though!

[Fanjita 1]

has your hub got the pinch bolt that holds the ball joint in place? if so, did you take it right out and not just slacken it off? you do have to smack the crap out of it though!

 

Hi Rob,

 

I slackened it off, but I will probably remove it altogether on the other side, as I had to jack the wishbone up to stop the ball joint shaft from turning. Once i jacked the wishbone up I had to use the forked extractor again to get the balljoint out :lol:

[Rob_B 0]

has your hub got the pinch bolt that holds the ball joint in place? if so, did you take it right out and not just slacken it off? you do have to smack the crap out of it though!

 

Hi Rob,

 

I slackened it off, but I will probably remove it altogether on the other side, as I had to jack the wishbone up to stop the ball joint shaft from turning. Once i jacked the wishbone up I had to use the forked extractor again to get the balljoint out :lol:

 

ah i see now. it has a different hub to mine. mine has a pinch bolt that runs from front to back, yours is held in from the nut on top.

where abouts in norwich are you then?

[emu 0]

When was doing my ones, just used bigger hammer and works fine without fancy tools :)

 

What did you hit exactly? :lol:

 

 

You are leaving nut on joint to avoid destroying thread on ball joint. Nut must be little above thread, then put something under wishbone to avoid movement when You will use a hammer and hit, simple as that. I had to hit one 7 times before come off.

[Fanjita 1]

has your hub got the pinch bolt that holds the ball joint in place? if so, did you take it right out and not just slacken it off? you do have to smack the crap out of it though!

 

Hi Rob,

 

I slackened it off, but I will probably remove it altogether on the other side, as I had to jack the wishbone up to stop the ball joint shaft from turning. Once i jacked the wishbone up I had to use the forked extractor again to get the balljoint out :lol:

 

ah i see now. it has a different hub to mine. mine has a pinch bolt that runs from front to back, yours is held in from the nut on top.

where abouts in norwich are you then?[/quote:1orypwcl]

 

East mate, village called Brundall, you?

[Rob_B 0]

I'm the other side near Dereham

[Fanjita 1]

I'm the other side near Dereham

 

Cool, when it's all done, likely will be by this weekend, pint somewhere outside?

 

Your motor on the road is it?