Ball joints 2 impact driver 0....

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Paul-R
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Re: Ball joints 2 impact driver 0....

Post by Paul-R »

Mandrake wrote:I am coming to the conclusion that an impact driver may not be the best tool for the job for the Xantia's lower balljoint...
And the C5. Mine failed the MOT just before Christmas and I had to do the job in the road. I had the correct castellated socket and hoped that a rattle gun would take it out. No chance of course, not even with a blowtorch heating the area. I tried using my breaker bar would the hub was floating around too much and there was no resistance to work against.

So, in the end I bit the bullet and took the complete hub off. I took it round to my brother's where we could mount it in a vice and then use his oxy-propane torch. It took the torch and my breaker bar with my five foot gas pipe extension to get it loose. And even then I had to put my considerable bulk on the pipe.

Once it was off a quick spruce up with a wire brush, some Copaslip on the threads and the new one went in easily. The most difficult thing then was the heat shield which no longer was a tight fit round the joint. It still rattles a bit now.
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Re: Ball joints 2 impact driver 0....

Post by CitroJim »

Only issue with taking oxy to it Paul is you risk melting grease out of the wheel bearing if not careful and thus shortening its life as a result.

Those pesky heat-shields never fit back snugly and need a lot of careful hammer work to make them a half-decent fit again... Very annoying!
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Re: Ball joints 2 impact driver 0....

Post by Paul-R »

I was worried about the bearing so kept some water handy for sprinkling if necessary. And I dunked the whole assembly in a bath of water when the ball joint finally succumbed.

We didn't have to get it quite as hot as the example you dealt with a few posts back though!
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Re: Ball joints 2 impact driver 0....

Post by RichardW »

CitroJim wrote:Simon, that's a good assessment of the issue.. Hence why the 4 foot breaker bar works well on even the most stubborn ones...
4 ft would have got no where near the 307 one - especially with your petite frame, Jim!! I'm considerably bigger than you, and had more than 4 ft on it :-D I'm very glad when I installed the vice I took the time to make an angle iron frame under the bench surface it is bolted to - otherwise I would probably have been wearing the Vice on Sunday afternoon.... :evil:
Mandrake wrote:I'm going to replace the track rod ends and drop links before tackling that joint again, that's for sure!! :twisted: I fully expect that if it is the ball joint on the hub that I may have to find another 2nd hand hub... #-o I can't see that mangled mess of what is left of the flange of the joint ever undoing, stilsons or not... :?
We'll get it out, Simon :twisted: I'll keep one of the 307 ones - if the stilsons and heat won't shift it (and with a bit of prep I will have a near 6ft spanner extender =D> ), then we can cut the end off and weld the nut part of the 307 one onto it to give something to get hold of. The heat from the weld will probably help it come out [-o<
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Re: Ball joints 2 impact driver 0....

Post by CitroJim »

Richard and Simon, that lot will work for sure... I've got some out that looked impossible in the past... If that doesn't work I'll be amazed!
Jim

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