Front suspension lower arm balljoint help

[nimbus]

Hello everyone,

 

So my felicia past the MOT so i'm happy for that   But it also says that the Front suspension balljoint should be changed for the next test. So i wanted to try to do it my self and its so that i can't remove the balljoint clamp bolt. ( see picture ). After trying to unscrew it i find out that the torque of this clamp bolt is 65 Nm.

 

My question is how can i unscrew it ?

Edited 19 September, 2016 by nimbus

[RicardoM]

My question is how can i unscrew it ?

Obviously with the proper tools and a bit of force. By proper tools I mean solid 16 and 17 socket and/or ring wrenches. By force I mean muscle to overcome the rust. Hammering the head of the bolt before unscrewing may help. Also using penetrating oil like WD40 or similar. In extreme cases when the nut is seized you'll need to apply heat to the nut from a blow torch. After unscrewing the nut and removing the bolt you may need a crowbar to detach the pivot of the ball joint.

 

PS

65 Nm is not the end of days. It's the rust that seizes fasteners or the previous mechanic used an impact gun. For comparison wheel studs are torqued at 110 Nm and front wheel axle nuts at 210 Nm.

[nimbus]

Hammering the head of the bolt before unscrewing may help.

Well then i will try it, thanks for the answer Ricardo.

[KenONeill]

Obviously with the proper tools and a bit of force. By proper tools I mean solid 16 and 17 socket and/or ring wrenches. By force I mean muscle to overcome the rust. Hammering the head of the bolt before unscrewing may help. Also using penetrating oil like WD40 or similar. In extreme cases when the nut is seized you'll need to apply heat to the nut from a blow torch. After unscrewing the nut and removing the bolt you may need a crowbar to detach the pivot of the ball joint.

 

PS

65 Nm is not the end of days. It's the rust that seizes fasteners or the previous mechanic used an impact gun. For comparison wheel studs are torqued at 110 Nm and front wheel axle nuts at 210 Nm.

Water Dispersant 40 is not a dismantling lubricant! Something like PlusGas is.

 

Other than that I agree though.

[RicardoM]

Water Dispersant 40 is not a dismantling lubricant! Something like PlusGas is.

If you read carefully, you'll see that I said penetrating oil, which is not a "lubricant". The term is used by all American mechanics and refers to WD40, PB B'laster, Liquid Wrench and other similar products used to unseize fasteners. Trust me, I choose carefully my words when I reply. By the way, WD stands for Water Displacement, not Water Dispersant as I already told you 9 months ago in this post. Let's keep it real.

[nimbus]

Hi again,

 

so i  unscrew the screw, but it was quite hard. ( just a little bit of rust on it) Then i try to lever down the balljoint with the crowbar, but the balljoint move down only a little bit.

Is there a specific trick to have it free ? Or is it again a story of force ? Thanks for the help 

[KenONeill]

Hi again,

 

so i  unscrew the screw, but it was quite hard. ( just a little bit of rust on it) Then i try to lever down the balljoint with the crowbar, but the balljoint move down only a little bit.

Is there a specific trick to have it free ? Or is it again a story of force ? Thanks for the help 

It's easiest and safest to use a ball joint splitter such as http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/tools/hand-tools/laser-ball-joint-separator-cup (for illustration only; no recommendation of Halfords stores or of Laser tools is made or even implied).

[nimbus]

It's easiest and safest to use a ball joint splitter such as http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/tools/hand-tools/laser-ball-joint-separator-cup (for illustration only; no recommendation of Halfords stores or of Laser tools is made or even implied).

I don't how you want to take the balljoint out with that tool... this is a balljoint : ( see picture )

[KenONeill]

I don't how you want to take the balljoint out with that tool... this is a balljoint : ( see picture )

It was the first hit on a search for "ball joint splitter".

[RicardoM]

Is there a specific trick to have it free ? Or is it again a story of force ?

Working on running gear is often a matter of brute force despite Haynes, Google and Wikipedia describing how to repair a virgin Felicia with special tools, in a garage with A/C and car lifts and with no rusted fasteners...

 

In real life we use a pry bar and a big hammer. It is a rusted conical joint. You can't talk nice to it. Take your vitamins and do it.

 

[RicardoM]

I don't how you want to take the balljoint out with that tool... this is a balljoint : ( see picture )

Exactly. Ken is confusing the lower ball joint with the track rod end. The tool he mistakenly advised you to use (based on first hit on Google) can be used only on track rod ends.

[nimbus]

Feedback :

 

So i finish the work, and it was hard. The bigger challenge was to liberate the balljoint from the lower suspension arm, because it was fitted with rivets. So i cuted the head off and perforated. To do this, i needed more space between the rivets and the ground, so i take off the lower arm.

 

It was hard but i'm happy now

 

Thanks for the help.

[RicardoM]

It was hard but i'm happy now

This is what DIY jobs is about. Hard work, not enough tools or proper tools, not a proper space to work in, maybe some scraped knuckles. But in the end everybody is happy seeing they accomplished something by themselves. Not to mention more money left in the kitty. Well done.

[nimbus]

This is what DIY jobs is about. Hard work, not enough tools or proper tools, not a proper space to work in, maybe some scraped knuckles. But in the end everybody is happy seeing they accomplished something by themselves. Not to mention more money left in the kitty. Well done.

Yeah thanks

[Jeggo]

when i did mine i jacked up the disc then started hitting downwards but your done now

[nimbus]

when i did mine i jacked up the disc then started hitting downwards but your done now

Oh that's a good idea, I didn't think about it.

[daverapid]

That is a very bad idea in my opinion! For a start the disc isn't designed to be strong enough to lift a car with, and if the disc/hub turns while supporting the car there's a good chance of hurting yourself! Great that you're fixing your car, but please play safely!

 

Oh that's a good idea, I didn't think about it.

[Jeggo]

That is a very bad idea in my opinion! For a start the disc isn't designed to be strong enough to lift a car with, and if the disc/hub turns while supporting the car there's a good chance of hurting yourself! Great that you're fixing your car, but please play safely!

the car was already on axel stands, the jack was soley used to bring the disk up. first gear and the disk in the crevis of the jack and it cant spin away