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Car Forum / MINI / September 2004Removal of top balljoint
Hello all, Any hints for loosening the top balljoint? I have a fork type separator which is wearing quite rapidly and its my second. I broke one of the points of the first. Am I doing something wrong? Dennis Jansen http://www.densminiminis.tk Model Mini's And Elvis was sitting next to Dennis Jansen in the spaceship, which I thought was kinda weird, but then they turned to me and said: > Any hints for loosening the top balljoint? I have a fork type separator > which is wearing quite rapidly and its my second. I broke one of the points > of the first. Am I doing something wrong? My favourite technique for stubborn taper joints: hammer in the splitter fork (or if you're using a scissor type splitter tighten up the bolt) then pour a kettle full of boiling water over the joint. Follow up by pouring cold water over it. hammer in the fork a bit more (or tighten up the splitter) and repeat. Usually just pops apart after the second kettle of hot water. This technique works really well for stubborn flywheels too. > Hello all, > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > http://www.densminiminis.tk > Model Mini's I have had this problem, the fork started to splay. I think it's down to a cheap splitter, at least in my case. I ended up hacksawing through the balljoint and drilling it out of the top arm in the end. Far from ideal, I'm going to shell out for a decent splitter next time. (After trying the boiling water trick) Dave Try jacking up the car (obviously) and hit the top arm with the biggest/heaviest hammer you have and the joint will just "ping" apart, after of course you've loosened the nut first...works everytime for me :) > Hello all, > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > http://www.densminiminis.tk > Model Mini's >Hello all, > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >http://www.densminiminis.tk >Model Mini's Get yourself a proper heavy-duty 'scissor' type ball joint splitter. Then just keep tightening the bolt on it!  SignatureChris Morriss Hello all, Thanks for your advice. Bought a scissor-type for 34 euros, and it worked in 3 minutes. No more fork for me. SignatureRegards, Dennis Jansen http://www.densminiminis.tk >Hello all, > >Thanks for your advice. Bought a scissor-type for 34 euros, and it worked in >3 minutes. No more fork for me. Don't forget to unwind the nut until it is at the top of the thread before using the splitter. (Rather than taking the nut off completely). The nut stops the thread from being damaged by the compression force. SignatureChris Morriss > Hello all, > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > http://www.densminiminis.tk > Model Mini's I found that the top ball joint on my car was completely seized in, due to the conical nature of the shaft. Blazed away with a hammer and splitter for hours, no joy. It isn't elegant, but what I did was lodge the lifting ram of a bottle jack against the base of the suspension damper mounting bracket inside the wheel well, blocked the hub so it couldn't turn, rested the base of the bottle jack on the whell hub and cranked away. When it goes, it tends to jump - a la removal of a flywheel. The pressure required was absolutely massive, there is no way I would have got mine off otherwise. It does crimp the metal at the base of the damper bracket, but it is superficial, and allows you to get the job done. >> Hello all, >> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >the base of the damper bracket, but it is superficial, and allows you >to get the job done. I still don't understand why you don't all buy a heavy-duty 'scissor' type separator. It makes the job trivial. SignatureChris Morriss > I still don't understand why you don't all buy a heavy-duty 'scissor' > type separator. It makes the job trivial. I my case because the biggest one I could find, I broke. Thirty years of binding adds up to a lot of friction... >> I still don't understand why you don't all buy a heavy-duty 'scissor' >> type separator. It makes the job trivial. > >I my case because the biggest one I could find, I broke. Thirty years >of binding adds up to a lot of friction... Oh, you said you'd used a hammer, which made me think you were using a 'fork' type of splitter, rather than a screw-thread scissor type. Why fork-type splitters are still sold also baffles me. They're next to useless on a really tight taper joint. SignatureChris Morriss > Oh, you said you'd used a hammer, which made me think you were using a > 'fork' type of splitter, rather than a screw-thread scissor type. Why > fork-type splitters are still sold also baffles me. They're next to > useless on a really tight taper joint. So, the scissor type apply more force do they? I always thought that scissor typre splitters were for the easy to remove joints but were more gentle, whereas the fork type what was you used on tight ones that needed a good beating. I guess it's just me, if I'm struggling with something I like to hit it with a hammer! Any reccomendations for a decent scissor type one? I have had trouble with balljoints, to the extent of having to hacksaw through them and drill the taper out of the arm when its off the car. Cheers, Dave > So, the scissor type apply more force do they? I always thought that >scissor type splitters were for the easy to remove joints but were more >gentle, whereas the fork type what was you used on tight ones that needed >a good beating. The opposite is true, and the scissor type cause less damage to the suspension. > Any reccomendations for a decent scissor type one? I have had trouble I have this one from Gedore. http://www.gedore.de/e/products/data/1/pc_712_7_2_normal_6634330.jpg Or maybe a puller like this one from Beta http://www.beta-tools.com/html/catalogue/images/1561.jpg More pullers from Beta on: http://www.beta-tools.com/html/menu2.htm ; item pullers ; nr. 1559..1561 Tools like these are pricy but invaluable. Jeroen. >>> I still don't understand why you don't all buy a heavy-duty 'scissor' >>> type separator. It makes the job trivial. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > fork-type splitters are still sold also baffles me. They're next to > useless on a really tight taper joint. Hmmm, interesting one this. I have been playing with Minis since I was 16 (in my mid thirties now ;-) A fork type splitter (superslim or something) was the first 'special' tool I bought myself with the money from my Saturday job, I bought a fork job because at £10 for 12 hours work it was all I could afford. A few years later when money was better I invested in a scissor type after reading that they were better, It lasted about 2 years. Last weekend I used my same old fork splitter to do the ball joints on my wifes '68 850. The moral, I suppose is that the quality of the splitter is more important than the type. Drew. >>>> I still don't understand why you don't all buy a heavy-duty >>>>'scissor' [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > >Drew. True, but a scissor type doesn't have the chance of damaging anything else like it's all too easy to do when beating the hell out of a tapered fork splitter! SignatureChris Morriss >>>>> I still don't understand why you don't all buy a heavy-duty 'scissor' >>>>> type separator. It makes the job trivial. [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > else like it's all too easy to do when beating the hell out of a tapered > fork splitter! Yes, I agree that a user that is not careful could do damage with fork type. In my experience even the most stubborn (and I mean friction welded and rusted joints) come adrift with a couple (or maybe three) really good hard whacks with a 4lb lump hammer (forget using a normal carpenters claw hammer or similar). To date I have done no damage to anything using a fork splitter. I know it is the brute force and ignorance approach, but it does split even the worst joints. the joint that broke my scissor splitter opened after a couple of good whacks with the fork. The trick when using the fork splitter is to split the steering joint first, then turn the hub as far as it will go before applying the splitter to the ball joints. That way you can get the angle of the splitter such that there is no (real) chance of hitting the body work and you can stand up to get more power in your hammer blow. If I were buying a splitter now, I would probably go for a very good quality scissor type, but if on a tight budget, a good quality fork type will get the job done as well, if not better that an el-cheapo scissor. Drew. |
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