Anyone had this before ?

ViperKen

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Removing the front suspension for complete refurb. All was going well until I tried to remove the control arm to hub ball joint.
The joint has split but the shaft of the ball joint is siezed solid. I used a ball joint splitter, the type where you hammer it in, I got nowhere with this.
Today I have removed the front strut to gain better access and bought a splitter which fits over the ball joint and presses the shaft out, still no joy.
Resorted to heating the hub and tried to drive the shaft out, no movement.
Has anyone had this problem and how did you sort it.
Starting to think my only option will be to remove everything and buy a new/used IMG_20200917_140948.jpghub.
Any advise appreciated
 

t-tony

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Never yet had one I couldn’t split. What I do is leave the nut on a couple of threads, turn the steering so you have access to clout the part that the pin goes through on its side. Then get a long bar over the lower arm and under the chassis so that someone can stand on the end of the bar while you apply the hammer. Hence the reason to leave the nut on the pin.

Tony.
 

black fingernail

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What t-tony said.
You need to t@@t it with gusto, on the centre of the radius of the casting, with a decent size hammer @2 1/2 lb ball pein.
Very rarely need a splitter, only on inaccessible ones on plant.
 

ViperKen

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Thanks for the info, will try out the lever method, hopefully at the weekend, when I can find a 'big' mate to stand on the bar.
One question, which part of the chassis is the best place to lever the bar against ?
It was typical, thought the job was going too easily, no problems loosening nuts/bolts etc everything going great, then this.
Split quite a few ball joints in my time, but never had this happen before. Hoping the other side is easier !!
Thanks again
Ken
 

t-tony

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Hi Ken, just place it somewhere under the main chassis box section away from anything like brake pipes etc. You can put a block of wood between the bar and the chassis if you want.

Tony.
 

ViperKen

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Update on the stuck ball joint. Tried the lever option suggested by Tony, but ended up bending a weight lifting barbel. So resorted to taking it all off and putting it on the bench. This gave me access to the taper end of the bush, soaked in release oil for a week. Gave it heat and a good t**t as suggested by Black Fingernail, no movement, but screw threaded part started to deform. Tried the press splitter again but the splitter bolt kept moving off the screw thread.
Eventually, decided to cut off the screwed section flush to the knuckle, filed nice and flat and used the press splitter again, much better contact.
Tightend the bolt and one almighty bang and the control arm dropped out. Huge sigh of relief.
So, big thanks to everyone for their suggestions.
One thing I did find, was when I removed the brake caliper, was that one pad had cracked in half and delaminated from the metal part of the pad, the other pad was showing a hairline crack in the same place, another job !!
 

t-tony

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Pads usually crack because they’re too tight in the calliper due to corrosion and they stick and try to bend in the middle of the pad, hence the crack.

Tony.
 

ViperKen

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Thanks for that Tony, I just assumed that the previous owner must have fitted cheap pads. I will be refurbing the brakes before reassembly, so hopefully won't happen again. One question is it possible to renew the back plates without having to strip the hub
thanks
 

t-tony

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You have to remove the hubs to change the back plates front and rear unless you split them and feed them round the hub flanges.
I use a brake file to clean the crud out of the pad slides. Brake files do not remove metal from the calliper just the soft corrosion. The front back plates often crack around the mounting screws and come loose and rattle.

Tony.
 
Last edited:

Woodsta888

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You must reside in the frozen land to the north
You have to remove the hubs to change the back plates front and rear unless you split them and feed them round the hub flanges.
I use a brake file to clean the crud out of the pad slides. Brake files do not remove metal from the calliper just the soft corrosion. The front back plates often crack around the mounting screws and come loose and rattle.

Tony.

Interesting. Can you link one of these said files matey?

I spent some good time with a grinder and wire wheel on mine. In places corrosion was quite thick so this file sounds useful.
 

t-tony

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Brake files do come in quite a range of prices. Such as Snap-On and Mac Tools are north of £30. This Sykes Pickavant one is worth looking at. In general cheaper ones do not last, they wear out (lose their "bite") quickly.


Tony.
 

ViperKen

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You have to remove the hubs to change the back plates front and rear unless you split them and feed them round the hub flanges.
I use a brake file to clean the crud out of the pad slides. Brake files do not remove metal from the calliper just the soft corrosion. The front back plates often crack around the mounting screws and come loose and rattle.

Tony.
Thanks for that Tony, as my knuckle is completely stripped down now apart from the wheel bearing, I think I will try and split them as you suggested, keeping away from the three fixing bolt holes, don't fancy removing the bearing. Will try and locate some sort of metal bonding to repair the cut.
 

t-tony

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Removing the hub isn't difficult but you will need (probably) a 3/4" socket set. We fitted one (or was it two?) on Paul Rice's Z4 on a Shed day.

Tony.
 
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