Which Front Lower Ball Joint? Sheered Bolts

[kissifer]

I am in the middle of replacing both front struts on my 2.0 TDi Elegance Estate. Due to not having exactly the right tools it took me 3 hours, yesterday, to swap out the driver's side front strut and replace the drop link.

 

Started on the passenger side this evening, having bought a breaker bar and deep 16mm socket. I started to remove the nuts on the lower ball joint and two have sheered, so I have left the 3rd in place. I have started to look for a replacement lower ball joint and I can find 3 similar but different parts. One is, like the one currently fitted, with three bolts with flat heads running through it down and out of the bottom of the lower arm. 

The other I have found simply has three holes , through which you presumably thread your own bolts and nuts

The third is a Lemforder version on the ECP site that has a v shaped metal piece with nuts welded in and you bolt it up from underneath?

 

 

Has one superseded the other? Are they interchangeable?The part number I have from online is 1K0407365E or ending B or C. The Delphi part being TC1316, for the ball joint with the studs fitted.

 

Does anyone have experience of these different parts, if they are interchangeable which is best?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Chris

Edited 1 April, 2014 by kissifer

[wiilydog]

the first one looks like the correct part and the 3rd one is for an octavia mk1 / golf 4 and will not fit

 

beware the euro car parts website does not always give the correct part as mine snapped to when I changed my strut and was given the wrong part despite the part guys saying it was the correct part on the computer for my car and ended up going back again as it was similar to the part in your picture 3 and did not fit

[kissifer]

Thanks a lot for that. That is what I was worried about.

 

How difficult was it to get the ball joint out of the hub? Have bad experiences, on other cars, with them getting welded in before. At least Skoda/VAG don't make you buy a whole lower arm in order to replace a ball joint like I had to with my Rover 75's.

 

Someone did suggest I could wind out the studs and replace them. But to be honest at around £20 for a Delphi part, I'd rather replace it, especially as it looks like it has been on a long time.

 

Not having much luck with this car, have had it 8 months and so far have had ABS fail (which I still need to diagnose), rear parking sensor fail, rear brake shield fall apart with rust, two front springs snap and a rear drop link fail. This on a car that has been serviced every 6 months from new, the 1st 80k by Skoda and then the next 20k by an independent specialist.

Edited 1 April, 2014 by kissifer

[Russler]

I have just ordered the ball joints from ECP Part No.: 617440665 I am really hoping they are correct!!!! it is the only one listed when putting in my reg number

[TsvRS]

I bought passat lower arms and balljoints  for just over £100 off a popular auction site. My thought process was that I gain new bushes and new ball-joints for a similar spend I would have had anyway plus the bonus of alloy lower arms.

[Russler]

Hi Mike

 

I cant find the advanced search on ECP? where is it hidden?

[kissifer]

I have bought the Febi Bilstein one from Andrew Pages, was only £22.58, and is exactly the same as the one on the car currently.

 

As feared though, the old one doesn't want to separate itself from the hub.

 

Chris

[wiilydog]

I took mine to the garage as i didn't have any experience of changing ball joints as access seems restricted by the driveshaft

[kissifer]

I took mine to the garage as i didn't have any experience of changing ball joints as access seems restricted by the driveshaft

I managed to get a ratchet spanner in there and get the nut off but the spindle didn't want to come out of the hub. Then the three bolts on the underside didn't want to come out the lower arm either. So when I got my chisel in between the lower plate and the lower arm, as one side would wriggle free a little, the spindle released as I was whacking the chisel between the plate and the arm. 

 

New ball joint took some getting in to the lower arm too, the bolts were just a little out of the angle needed to slide in. So I put the nuts on, so as not to damage the threads, and a couple of taps with my shortie lump hammer and they slid straight in.

 

My only concern is the replacement struts from bilstein don't have a locating tab on them, so I am worried they will turn in their collars?? I guess time will tell.

 

Just the rear drop links to sort now, but that is going to have to wait til the weekend, I ache everywhere and I can't work out how you hold the top bolt while you undo the nut, as there is no head on it?!? Both sides are the same so I assume they are supposed to be like that? They look like they are going to be a swine to do, but the death rattle from the near side one is doing my head in, so I need to get it sorted pronto.

Edited 2 April, 2014 by kissifer

[wiilydog]

I'm surprised that your bilstein struts didn't have locating tabs on them as mine did have them on?? but the collar bolt should hold it in place anyway

 

As for the rear drop links you need a spline bit to prevent bolt spinning and use a 16mm spanner to loosen the nut

[dave0885]

I done my ball joints 0n my fabia1 1.9 TDI, all went well until i turned the steering and the calipers were hitting the bottom arm, there are 3 types of pin on thees balljoints mine is a 15.8 mm, and the ones i bought was 15mm, not much i know but makes a big difference

[brown_d9]

On 02/04/2014 at 10:09, TsvRS said:

I bought passat lower arms and balljoints  for just over £100 off a popular auction site. My thought process was that I gain new bushes and new ball-joints for a similar spend I would have had anyway plus the bonus of alloy lower arms.

Exactly what I did too. Nice to have a fully built unit ready to install plus save a few pounds in weight!