Upper and lower ball joint puller

Colin T

New Member
Hi all.
I have just dismantled kitty's passenger side suspension/steering and I really need to get the top and bottom ball joints out.
Book says I need a tool for it. Anyone know where I can get one?
 
Top ones come out fairly easily usually without a special tool.
You’re better off making or getting a bottom joint tool made.
Here’s one I made from steel offcuts I had. As you can see they can be very tough to remove so make the top piece from something substantial or braced- channel would be better as a lot more resistant to bending.

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The joints regularly pop out of their sockets so need welding to remove the whole joint. The heat from the weld probably helps loosen things too.

Not pictured is a section of the correct sized steel tubing which the tool sits on to keep things centred, and that the joint can be pulled through

Jim
 
Hi all.
I have just dismantled kitty's passenger side suspension/steering and I really need to get the top and bottom ball joints out.
Book says I need a tool for it. Anyone know where I can get one?
The lower ball joints are difficult to remove. I made up a rather rough looking similar "tool" to remove mine and also welded the ball joint. Note the bend in my tool and Jim's after use. Make is sturdy! Mine was far too weak for the job and certainly for reuse. Not showing in the photo is the other solid plate the bolts pushed against. You can see the simple piece of pipe I used as a spacer between the flat plate and the suspension assembly to push against.IMGP4566.JPGIMGP4567.JPG
 
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I made a puller from a piece of tube with a 56mm inside diameter and 3.5mm wall thickness, and an old motorcycle sprocket and washer as the reaction plate. I used two lengths of tube as I cut the first one too short to take the joint all the way out. I just wound the nut on the balljoint spindle down against the sprocket, took up to 100 lbft of torque, and lots of heat and WD40, but eventually it came out.



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This is a superb effort... but makes me dread doing mine all the more!! I managed to replace the bottom joint on one side years ago with some 'original special tools' lent to me by the late Ian Wilson, but don't fancy doing it again..!
 
These are the tools that I used for lower ball joint removal and refit. Echoing Harvey's advice, do not remove the splines from the ball joint prior to fitting. They will be compressed upon fitting delivering a significant increase in force required for removal at a later date. The degree of interference is the factor of safety built into the design.

Ron.

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a question regarding the bottom link strut assembly. it has a large metalastic bush one end and a ball joint the other.

is that ball joint removable? or part of the assembly.
 
a question regarding the bottom link strut assembly. it has a large metalastic bush one end and a ball joint the other.

is that ball joint removable? or part of the assembly.

It is an integral part and not replaceable. I don't know if ball joints such as these can be reconditioned.

Ron.
 
Thanks Ron. I did suspect that which isn't what i wanted to hear. I have a knocking noise from the front and on closer inspection, that part looks past its best.
 
Anyone know of an equivalent to briconengineeringgroup in the UK. Someone who can re-engineer the joint in the lower link? I heard there was another in South Africa.
 
Anyone know of an equivalent to briconengineeringgroup in the UK. Someone who can re-engineer the joint in the lower link? I heard there was another in South Africa.

Did a bit of digging Peter and found these two, one in South Africa, the other in Queensland Australia.
Mr Ball Joint
Ball Joint Repairs | Sunshine Coast | Balljec Marketing | Balljec Marketing

The company below manufactures stabilisers. Don't know if they offer items suitable for the Rover.
Link Stabilizers (delphiautoparts.com)

Couldn't spot any within the UK that refurbishes ball joints.

Ron.
 
Thanks Ron, V8 new ones can be had but they are nearly £400. By the time postage to and from the other side of the world is added, then it will be close to that! It surely shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to do this after all they are manufactured, they aren't carved out of a single billet!
 
That DIY ball joint repair method is ingenious! What is actually happening here? Does the injected hot plastic fill the void between the ball and the worn socket, then cool down and become a new snug socket surface?
 
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