Xantia Front Lower Balljoint

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 17 May 2006, 08:33

This seems to have gone on mine. When driving you can hear a knocking when quickly letting your foot on or off the accelerator and also sometimes going over bumps etc.

I took it into a local garage as I didn't really fancy changing it cos it looks like a pain in the arse to get out - no doubt totally seized. They diagnosed virtually non-existant pads, replaced those, but couldn't find a knocking from the ball joint. (Prob didn't road test it!)

It def sounds like the balljoint to me, it isn't the drop links, as these have already been done.

The question is - how easy are these generally to change? What's the best way to get them out? Hammer and chisel, or does it need heating?

Cheers

jgra1 · Post by **jgra1** » 17 May 2006, 09:28

Hi Lee.. there are a few ways people try to remove this.

One method is to buy the tool that engages with the ball joint.

Otherwise you could remove the suspension arm (pretty striaghtforward) and take it to someone with the tool.

You may be able to remove arm and get joint in a vice?

I have never had success with a chisel / hammer approach.

What works for me is a large pipe wrench, extended with a long pipe. Working on the arm with it all in situ. Both times I have done this it has been a 20 minute job.

Others may have more elaborate ways

John

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 17 May 2006, 10:26

There are all sorts of sources for knocking noises-it could be the drop links (replacement is no guarantee) or it could also be the track control arm.

Before wrestling with the ball joint jack it up and give everything else a good levering/shaking.

My experience of the balljoint tool is that it was useless for getting them off, handy for putting new ones on, but you can manage without it.

You may be lucky and it'll come off in situ, but both my balljoints were a real struggle- I found it quickest and easiest to not muck about trying to do it on the car, but to remove the hub and get it in the big vice. it takes only 10 or 15 minutes or so to remove the hub assembly and it then makes it so much easier to work on.

The actual threaded part of the joint doesn't rust in- its the mating faces and the peaned over washer that all seem to fuse together, and I cut these away with the grinder- it then wound out pretty easily, a bit of heat helps as well.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 17 May 2006, 23:44

The lower balljoint is located inside the hub - not inside the lower control arm.
Its a fair bit more complex to remove the hub than the control arm

Really - the job is not that difficult with the right tool.
But you will need a socket that fits over the special balljoint socket - and a lever bar that can withstand serious torque

We are talking 3/4" square drive tools here. Forget about ½"square drive here - it will twist off.

Honestly - if you can spare the ££'s - this job is best left to a garage. At least you will think so when you've been through it - its really amusing for your backbone

jgra1 · Post by **jgra1** » 18 May 2006, 00:03

sorry Anders

my mistake 8)

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 18 May 2006, 01:20

AndersDK wrote:The lower balljoint is located inside the hub - not inside the lower control arm.
Its a fair bit more complex to remove the hub than the control arm

Really - the job is not that difficult with the right tool.
But you will need a socket that fits over the special balljoint socket - and a lever bar that can withstand serious torque
We are talking 3/4" square drive tools here. Forget about ½"square drive here - it will twist off.

Honestly - if you can spare the ££'s - this job is best left to a garage. At least you will think so when you've been through it - its really amusing for your backbone

It's a shame they didnt stick with the balljoint designs used in the GS and CX where the balljoints mounted to the hub with two small bolts and a peg. *so* much easier to remove and fit...a simple 5 minute job with ordinary spanners...

It seems that many "new" designs used in cars these days are done to make the job harder for the DIY'er rather than any real improvement in design...

Regards,
Simon

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 18 May 2006, 10:03

It's a shame they didnt stick with the balljoint designs used in the GS and CX where the balljoints mounted to the hub with two small bolts and a peg. *so* much easier to remove and fit

And just about every other manufacturer in the world !!

I think they pinched the idea from BL, who used to use a similar screw-on balljoint design on the hydragas cars,but with the added feature that you had to assemble the balljoint yourself and shim it as well!!! Oh, the fun......