How to make a sphere removal tool

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clarkekd
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How to make a sphere removal tool

Post by clarkekd »

As GSF say the Andyspares sphere removal tool is not available, I hope they won't mind if I give details of how I made one. This was cheap and easy to make and a moderate tap with a hammer loosened a sphere which had broken several straps, chains and a wire rope.
Get a 10mm threaded steel bar from a DIY store, mine cost about a £1 for a metre. Bend this into a U shape to fit fairly snugly around the sphere. The bar needs to be about 400mm long but if you start with a longer one and cut it to size afterwards you should be able to bend it by hand around a round post or something held in a vice. Be careful not to damage the threads on the straight parts.
Find a suitable lever, which needs to something strong enough but which you can drill holes in. I used a heavy guage 25mm x 25mm x 400mm square section tube I found in my garage which was ideal.
Drill a hole through the lever near the end, and a second one positioned to suit the width of the U bar.
Assemble the tool around the sphere with the ends of the U through the holes in the lever and tighten two nuts on the ends. As it starts to tighten, ensure it is located immediately beside the ridge around the sphere. The threads on the curved part provide a good grip on the sphere.
I hope this will be of interest - Kevin
allmond
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Post by allmond »

Kevin
Made the tool today. 20 minutes to make the tool, 20 seconds to get the spheres off. It's ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!
I did two rear spheres on the Xantia. Before I made the tool I tried to budge them with filter tools etc. I've done a few rear spheres on BX's and Xantias and have usually managed them but always with a bit of a struggle. Having made the tool, the job took literally ten minutes in total.
The tool is now hanging up in the garage and being kept for next time.
Thanks again Kevin. It seems so obvious now I've made it, but thanks for the inspiration. <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>
Jamie
Rich
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Post by Rich »

Hi everyone,
That sounds like a rather good piece of kit!! Nice one Kev!! I will try that when i next change some spheres as the last time i tried changing the rears on a Xantia i broke four oil filter wrenches, took a big lump out of one of my fingers, and offended all the local residents within 200 yards with my cursing and swearing too!! Not wanting to have the same trouble again, i put plenty of grease around the threads of the new spheres on fitting them, i even smeared some around the joint after fitting, a desperate attempt to keep the crap out of the threads hopefully so they come off easier next time................
Regards, Rich.
kafkaian
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Post by kafkaian »

Yes I wish I'd done this in the first instance whilst following Tom's great advice.
Now I'm having a mare with a half working suspension. Although rear sphere are on, the blasted rear suspension only rose to its maximum height once before staying in the permanently in the minimum position. Kept bleeding the front pressure valve for half an hour, pressurizing, depressurising and repressurising but alas to no avail. Agghrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr[xx(][|)][:(!][:0][B)][}:)][:(][xx(][:(!][|)][?]
alan s
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Post by alan s »

That sounds VERY height corrector type problem to me.
Alan S
kafkaian
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Post by kafkaian »

Thanks Alan, I'm looking into this and a few other things currently. Notice I should re-read my postings before committing them - apologies for appalling grammar but am trying to multitask at the same time and you now what women say about men and multi tasking!! Apparently we can't!!
RichardW
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Post by RichardW »

There's something funny about the security valve on the Xantia that can 'lock out' the rear suspension until it is re-set. Can't remeber where I heard/read it, or how to do it....
Richard
Update: Have a look at this thread:
http://www.andyspares.com/discussionfor ... s=security
Unfortunately we didn't get to a way of resetting the SV other than replacing it. Sure I have read somewhere about resetting it - I'll try the Xantia-L on yahoo....
kafkaian
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Post by kafkaian »

Tell me more guys.....
Thanks Richard. I did have a look at this thread. Looks like I'll have to do a methodical check around the place and buy the components needed. Love to reset the S/V though.....
andycarter
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Post by andycarter »

Thanks Kevin - Brilliant idea
Here's some pics of the one I made yesterday as they say, a picture speaks a thousand words.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/amcarter/c ... l_side.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/amcarter/c ... l_back.jpg
I used an offcut of unistrut because it avoided having to drill the holes. This stuff tends to be available for free in skips outside industrial units & shopping centres when the plumbers / electricians have done their bit.
Andy
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