London - Ball Joint Install

Anyone know of a place in London that will press a ball joint into my control arm for a decent (read - cheap!) price? Is there someone in London who would be able to lend me a long breaker bar, 32mm socket and propane torch so I can remove my axle nut? If anyone wants to assist me I'd love some company and I have some beer!

Drop me a PM!

Scotty

I have all of the above, though I fucked my breaker bar, damn heavy machinary. Need to find a snapon truck to get it replaced. If I was still at work I could get it pressed for you too.

I could get it off without the bar probably though. Heat + 1/2 inch drive ratchet & 32mm socket + piece of pipe + hammer = loose nut

you don't need a press Scott,


I did it a few times, once with the control arm out the other times with the control arm in the car.

I to hammer it out I heated the arm and sprayed some WD40 in the ball joint to make it cool, I am not sure if that had any effect.

To put it back on I had the new balljoint in freezer and heated the hell out of the arm. Again I am not sure how much putting it in the fridge helped but whatever.

anyways, It takes the right socket so you can use the dear hammer.


What do you need to take the axle nut out for, I don't remember messing with that one.


Amin

My nice brand new Metric sockets have barely been used

I need to get the axle nut off cause when my ball joint came out while I was driving my axle ripped out of the CV housing so I need to replace my axle as well as the ball joint.

Shaun, unforunately my car has been turned into a tricycle so I won't be able to make the drive to Ingersoll to pickup your tools.

Amin, do you remember the size of the socket you used? I don't THINK any of the sockets in my 103 piece Canadian Tire set would be deep and wide enough to fit over top of the ball joint. Or did you just hammer on the ball joint itself (the screw at the top perhaps?)

Thanks guys!

Lemme know when and here and I'll come to you.

Is it possible to remove the lower control arm but not support the car with a jack once it's removed and have any damage occur? My building manager is anal about having my car up on jacks for even a few hours so I was just going to jack it up, remove the lower control arm, jack it back down. Right now with the ball joint separated from the control arm I don't have the car supported on a jack (cause she threatened to tow me) and the front end is staying up no problem.

Any insight or experience?

NOOOOO

you can't leave the car with no control arm,
unless you put the wheel back on and then support the car actually with a jack underneath.(hidden)


I don;t remember what size of socket it was but I think eben 32 was small.

I didn't use a socket anyways, but for the next time I wheel. However I won't be using the socket on that side.

My idea was to support the control arm(around the ball joint) with a socket so you can hammer the sucker out.

putting it back in is not that hard,
by the way if you plan to take it out, which I don't recommend, then you can do the change right on the spot, NO PROBLEM, with the arm off the car it is DEAD easy. trust me.

just look at the area for a while and you will get a good idea about the method that I am talking about.

Amin,
Why do you suggest not taking the control arm out to put the new ball joint in? Seems like it's only a few bolts and the control arm is off and it would give me way more space to put the ball joint in. So why would you NOT take it off?

Take the control arm off....then you can put in ES bushing while your there

Scott, lemme know if you need a hand/tools. I'm a little unemployed right now so i've got plenty of time lol

Well I got the old ball joint out of the control arm with a lot of heat and smashing with a 2 1/2 pound hammer but the nut is still on the stud in the hub which connects the BJ to the hub (my ball come right out it's housing while I was driving which is why it's stuck in there) and the shock is too close to have a hope in hell of getting a socket in there so....

Does anyone know what size wrench I need to get that nut off (17mm??)? I just don't want to buy 4 wrenches from CT when I could get the right one the first time

Thanks guys!

Scotty

Yes, it should be a 17mm.

Ghislain.

It could be 17 butI have seen non stock ball joints to be 19 too.