How do you change Top and Bottom Ball Joint?

[tonyr1664]

As it says on the tin, How do you change these? Do you have to remove the wishbone to do the upper etc?
cheers all

[Blackett]

Don't know, but funny you should ask this. My lower near side bottom ball joint was picked up on my MOT as having excessive play. This is the first time I can recall anyone mentioning them.

Ian.

[team french]

theres a guide on changing cv joints some where, it tells you how to do the bottom one i think as you need to un do it to get the movment to take out the drive shaft/stub axle.

bottom one is easy just2 bolts hold it in

top one is pressed into the top arm so needs a press to get it out , but it is possible to do it without taking the top arm off

[tonyr1664]

Cheers guys,
Time was short and bottle weak so got VW to do it, supposedly it was a b**ch to do and took them 3 1/2 hrs, so glad of my choice

Originally Posted by tonyr1664

Cheers guys,
Time was short and bottle weak so got VW to do it, supposedly it was a b**ch to do and took them 3 1/2 hrs, so glad of my choice

hope they only charged you book price and not 3 1/2 hours labour?

[ANDYJAKEMAN1]

You remove the lower one using a ball joint seperator (to remove the tappered part) and a splined bit (not a torx bit) to remove the two bolts that hold the ball joint on. The upper one is difficult (tight) but I used a three leg puller welded on to the housing that the ball joint is pressed into stop it flying open and also heated the ball joint housing. I tightened the puller as much as possible then hit the housing with a lump hammer which enables you to get another quarter turn on the puller. To refit the top ball joint I made a tool to press the ball joint back in out of a lenght of exhaust pipe (I will post some pics of this tool, if you can call it a tool tomorrow if needed).