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Terrano suspension ball joints - FFS!

This is easy, I thunked, as the top balljoint seperated with a forked splitter and a few minor whomps with a small hammer.

Then the lower bastard - the forked splitter wouldn't budge it even when being "carefully" whomped with a sledgehammer. The wind-it-up splitter was then employed with a spectacular lack of success, mainly due to the amount of sideways play in the two parts allowing the bolt to slip off the bottom half when under a lot of tension.

I've now fitted two washers to the splitter to take up the sideways slack but I have a sense of impending doom about it, TBH.

Is it worth leaving the joint under tension for a while? Heat's not really an option.....unless I remove all the rubber and grease from the ball joint.

In short, bollocks!

Si

Reply to
Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot
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I've done one off these in the past.

From what I remember, I ended up putting the ball joint splitter on, tightening it reasonably well, then hitting the side off the casting where the ball joint goes through with a hammer. I'm sure that neither on their own would work, and it required both together to work. I'm not sure if it's the terrano or the diahatsu fourtrak (i'm pretty sure it's the terrano) that requires you to remove the CV shaft to get the ball joint out.

Reply to
Moray Cuthill

*Thinks*

Oh shit - there's not much room there...

I wondered why they used nuts and bolts on the bottom joint and just bolts on the top one. It's because there's no room to get a socket on the top of the bolts - just a spanner, and a socket underneath.

Ho hum, we shall see later when I feel up to having a look.

Thanks for the removal advice anyway, and the warning.

Si

Reply to
Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot

The new improved splitter worked a treat - the joint popped apart after just a few turns.

Yes, it is the Terrano. Bugger.

I don't suppose you remember how to get the driveshaft away just enough to get the balljoint out? I'm going to have to get a manual for it...

I undid the six allen bolts to get access to the end of the shaft, just for a look, and removed the circlip inside, but it looked too scary after that so I've put it back together until I can find someone wot knows.

Just as a final laugh.....I thought I'd give up and take the car to a garage and let them do it but now the threaded end of the balljoint is so knackered that if I want to do that I'll have to hacksaw a few mm off it to get the nut back on!! Laugh?

Si

Reply to
Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot

Can you get a grinder to it?

Reply to
PC Paul

It's not too hard to get the CV shaft out.

Undo the 6bolts, which removes the auto-hub. Then removing the circlip will let the shaft slide out. It may off course require a bit persuasion to get the shaft out. While you've got the free-hub off, it is always worthwhile adjusting the wheel bearing. Which requires you to remove the locking bolt (should be a countershunk allen headed bolt), removing the locking plate that the bolt passes through, then tightening up the nut behind that to remove any play.

From what I remember, you don't have to take the CV shaft right out, just enough to get into the nuts/bolts. You'll have to have the top ball joint off when doing this, and it helps if you;ve got someone else there to help hold/move the bits. Also make sure you put all the nuts/bolts into the new bottom ball joint before you put the shaft back in.

Reply to
Moray Cuthill

You absolute star! I will play with it in due course.

Si

Reply to
Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot

Job done. Many thanks for the help with this, Moray.

It was a bit of a bugger seating the circlip back onto the driveshaft after adjusting the wheel bearing though. I suppose that's what the threaded hole is for in the end of the shaft - to use a puller of some description.

Anyway, all done now and I are a happy bunny :o)

Si

Reply to
Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot

Glad to hear you got it done. Now that you mention it, i did have problems getting that circlip back on. Think I got someone else to push the shaft in while i put the circlip back on.

moray

Reply to
Moray Cuthill

You are a biker and I claim my five free signs of the holy pushrods.

Si

Reply to
Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot

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