lca balljoints

[cri_ag]

id like to replace the balljoints that connect the LCA to the steering arm in my sprintah, before i go ripping and tearing in an effort to get the LCA's out, can sombody confirm that a press is needed to get the buggers out of the LCA? nothing is mentioned in the service manual http://www.toymods.net/TechDocs/ae86...scanned_14.jpg

[MOPO_PERFORMANCE]

they are pressed my friend, pressed...

[roadsailing]

just use a big vice, thats how i did mine, no sweat.

then you just need some right-sized bits of pipe to support it.

oh yeah, dont forget the big circlips under 20 odd years of greasy dirt

that manual isnt very detailed at all is it.

do it like this:

get LCA out of the car, clean the dirt and grease off it

take the metal ring that holds the boot on off, take the boot off

using a pair of opening circlip pliers (flat ones prefeably) pull off the big circlip that holds the balljoint in place.

put the securing nut back on to the balljoint thread upside down, wind it on until the top face of the bolt and shaft are flush

get a bit of 2 inch exhaust tube about 20mm longer than the ball joint bulb is high (to allow it to be pressed out) and put it over the ball joint bulb against the LCA

put this in the vice, so the vice is pressing on the tapered balljoint shaft and the exhaust tube

tighten vice until it pops out

to install, repeat these steps but backwards, you will need a different bit of pipe to press the balljoint in, as you are doing it from the other side. strut tube works well.

also, take the boot off before you press it in, otherwise you will wreck the rubber and have to replace it anyway. boots are sold on their own for this reason.

have fun!

oh yeah, from memory the part number is BJ145

[cri_ag]

ok my mate who is a mechanic has suggested that maybe they are not replaceable? anyone know for certain? im talking the balljoints that connect the LCA to the steering arm. not the balljoints that connect the steering arm to the tie rod.

cheers all.

[roadsailing]

they are defiantely replacable, some cars they arent but these cars they are.

get him to clean the dirt off and he will see how they work

[cri_ag]

ok cheers, il send the LCAs into the suspension place tomorow to get them replaced.


edit: just noticed your full explanation on how to do this, thanks heaps mate!

[mrshin]

They're quite replaceable, and you don't need a press. Howver, oftentimes cheap replacement joints really suck...

[Brett]

Hmm, what's this about pressing balljoints in?

When I installed mine a while back, I didn't do any pressing or vice work. I just had a hell of a time with the circlip! I can't really imagine how they would need to be pressed in, I'm talking about an MA61 LCA btw...

[cri_ag]

yea i dident actualy try it, mine were so dirty i had no idea there was a circlip! i just assumed they were pressed!

[roadsailing]

you could probably hammer them in, i had the vice there from taking them out, was an easy way to get the new ones in. should be at least a light interference fit to get them in, they rust together, thats what makes them difficult to get out.

coat everything with WD40/CRC/RP7, gets the dirt and grease off easily too. i gave mine a good wipe with a rag before putting new ones in, didnt want to make it any easier for the new ones to come out!

[ian]

an old trick is to put the ball joint in the freezer for 24 hrs
and then when you are about to put them in to the control arms boil the balljoint end of the control arm in a tin of water then the ball joint should slip in eezy peezy
ian

[TA-022]

hammer ftw when i did 1 in the ta22 yrs ago.

although it did pop out the next day

hole in control arm got a few strategic chisel dents to hold the bj.


Homer quote: "lets us never speak of this again"

[rollin_stock]

Dont hammer them out, you will elongate the hole in the lower arm, (I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE) I had to get the ball joints tack welded to the lower arm to stop them from slopping around.

They are press fit for a reason.