2 quickies chaps - HC lubing + balljoints fail..or win? lol

HDI Dave · Unread post by **HDI Dave** » 14 Jun 2011, 22:06

Evenin all

Height corrector,

I've been lubing it every 6 months or so, and doing the old citroebics thingamijig,

am I lubing the correct bits,as in my pictures, or is it a stripdown job of the 'round thing' (yes, I'm very technical like that

)

and yes, my car does indeed look n undred years old underneath...

...darn these steelcity immaculate members

The car goes up and down ok, just wondered what part seizes!

Bottom balljoints,

I'm doing both these for the mot,this week. Pig of a job? Special tool? hope not..

Link to a bbjoint linky much appreciated

Cheers, Dave.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 14 Jun 2011, 22:11

Yes, the linkages are the bits that seize.
The round barrel like thing is the actual height corrector.
The horizontal linkage is the self automatic one, connecting to your anti roll bars, this one normally seizes and eventually causes the plastic dog bone to pop off through stress. If the dog bones can be rolled side to side or wobbled then it's time to change them as they eventually wear out. They're cheap from the dealer though.
The vertical linkage is connected to the manual override lever in the cabin. If these seize it's not for long due to the force applied by the lever.

HDI Dave · Unread post by **HDI Dave** » 14 Jun 2011, 22:22

Cheers Xac

by the way, should I grease the dog bone plastic jobby,on it's ball joint connector, or is it best left dry, which would wear it out faster?

oh my lord these frenchtrickery's

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 14 Jun 2011, 22:24

I wouldn't worry, new ones are so tight I doubt you'd get much lube in them.
They last at least 10 years from factory.

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 14 Jun 2011, 22:29

Bottom balljoints? hehe!

Basically,
Undo the hub to wishbone ball joint nut, split taper.
Undo the hub to track rod end nut, split taper.
Take off driveshaft nut.
Take off bolt that squeezes the strut, prise the clamp apart with an 8mm allen key and lift the strut up and out.

I can't remember the best order for the above but the hub needs to be on the bench regardless.

Somehow remove the peened bits, whether that be by knocking them back out or carefully grinding them but they have to be completely out the way of the hub or nuthin' ain't movin' nowhere.
If you can get hold of the special tool, great. If not, use a cold chisel to undo the balljoint from the hub, varying the indentation you hit.

To put back together, screw on the new balljoint.
Peen it.
Refitting is then reverse of removal bearing in mind you'll need to check your tracking.

The above is a summary of the main points. No doubt I have missed one or two things out. Some bits need to be loctited and torqued up too. Basically, give yourself a while to do it, especially if its the nearside (always a job, as thats the side that picks up all the muck).

EDIT: Its worth checking the condition of the track rod ends and the wishbone bushes (the rear ones are the ones that tend to fail, front ones not so much) as seeing you have everything out, it might be worth replacing.

HDI Dave · Unread post by **HDI Dave** » 14 Jun 2011, 22:35

Great, I know they (dog bones) were replaced 3 or 4 years ago,

Thanks for your advice,cheers Xac

Dave.

HDI Dave · Unread post by **HDI Dave** » 14 Jun 2011, 22:47

red_dwarfers wrote:Bottom balljoints? hehe!

haha, thought as much..hmm,

Is it really a vice/bench/hub off the car job?

bummer...oh well,at least I do have the luxury of a cracking old school 'proper' big vice

looks like a trip to the beer shop first then, so at least I've got something to look forward too

Cheers Kev,

Dave.

Xantidote · Unread post by **Xantidote** » 14 Jun 2011, 23:21

I apply plenty of grease to the ball that the dog bone cups fit onto, partly to help with re-assembly, but also so that there's at least some grease in the right place at the mating surfaces.

Also, the grease should stop/slow down the rusting/corrosion of the steel ball itself. Several years ago, I had the rear dog bone popping off, and there was a little play even with the new dogbone fitted, because of corrosion & pitting of the steel balls.

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 15 Jun 2011, 07:54

i have done these on the car but you have to mind you dont pull/rip the drive shafts apart,

here is a lower swivel tool

http://www.toolbox.co.uk/sealey-sx027-l ... 631-106546

regards malcolm

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 15 Jun 2011, 09:09

although not pretty, I have always managed the bottom Bj's ON the car (so far) ... in fact, having the car as an anchor is quite useful..

my method is to split the joint but leave the nut on (so the joint is opened somewhat) , tap the locking tab out of the indentation in the hub as best as possible.. apply some heat carefully.. and then get a large stilson and a scaffold pole and go for it

- there isn't much to grip, but if you are patient you will get the one good grip you need to get things moving...

the first one I did took about an hour, the one I did last month took about 2..

it's just one way of doing it, worth a try before you get the hub off? but the tools mentioned are a neccessity...

john

handyman · Unread post by **handyman** » 15 Jun 2011, 11:26

Easiest way to tackle this job is with the correct castillated socket, a big air wrench and some heat. Everthing else is hassle.

You'll need to heat up the hub carrier, to release the thread locking compound holding the old BJ in. Do not soak the carrier with too much heat as they can distort.

You'll need threadlocking compound when you fit the new BJ, along with the security shield, re-peened to stop the BJ unscrewing.

Handyman

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 15 Jun 2011, 13:21

i never use heat as it can travle into the hub bearing and melt the grease,

and i cant remember but one side you are pushing the drive shaft home on undoing the swivel, and the other side you are pulling the shaft outwards,

so if doing that one whilst still attached to the car you will need someone to hold the hub with a long bar to stop it trying to pull the shaft out of its socket,

regards malcolm

HDI Dave · Unread post by **HDI Dave** » 15 Jun 2011, 22:01

Well that was a fail from me,on the ball joint..yup,just the first one!..quite vexed with myself

Wifey could see I was getting angry with it, to the point where you start breaking things in desperation attempts..so she phoned..

...a garage

oh my lord, not had to resort to a garage job since the mundano went for a cambelt/w/pump and summat else, the day before our jollies! and that was ten years ago.

She keeps trying to big me up by offsetting my failure..aawww!

It actually looks like a logical solution..don’t make me feel any better at failing though…Here:

My usual mot guy charges £50,just for the mot.I’ve usually gone through the jobs myself, so there’s nowt much to do for him, but he always pulls me on some new wipers lol,anyway,cheap,he is,but thorough.

This backstreet garage says, " I'll do your BJ's for £50 (both), and £25 for the mot..." So £75.

So if my usual mot bloke had the car, that’s £50 for the mot straight away, then BJ’s on top… hmmm.

So then she says,(because I was a bit miffed that I might have had a better chance with the proper sealey tool Malcolm posted,), well that’s another, what, tenner off this backstreet bill, as they’ll have one? Well, yeah! So that’s £65!

And, as you didn’t have the tool, (yes, I know it sounds like a bad workman blaming etc,but), Ok, I don’t have the tool, I thought…but the BJ is real close to the brake disk, don’t want to go crazy with the stillsons /big bar etc..if it all goes bang ,summat’s gonna break,mainly the disks..

..Ok, I’ll whip the calliper + disk off…get a bit of room to maybe nack the old BJ, grind a flat off, stillson/big spanner it off…

Nope,,the 2 calliper bolts aren’t your normal…bolt things..ie, with heads on..oh no no no..French round types,why?!! with a large torx..which I don’t have.. So I’m hardly wanting to start hammering and chiselling ½” from the brake disk am I.. Lookee!

“So you’ve saved more £..on a big torx?” Well, yeah.

“so that’s what, £60? Then you need locktite etc,needs torqueing up to Schwarznegger air tight tool massiveness,grief etc? It’s started pi$$ing it down,the BJ looks as old as methuselah blah blah blah..So if it were our usual mot bloke…that’s a tenner for this backstreet garage to do both BJ’s and put a mot on?…”

OKAY OKAY, SOLD! Haha.

Still wish I’d done it meself tho

handyman · Unread post by **handyman** » 15 Jun 2011, 22:50

Just remember Dave, there is always another time to skin your knuckles. That's one of the endearing traits

about owning and running Citreons.

H

HDI Dave · Unread post by **HDI Dave** » 17 Jun 2011, 20:40

Well what a pleasant result

The mrs took the car to this garage today. I said "don't let him flannel / bull you,very cheap price and then, oh, we discovered this,this, and this, etc.."

No no she says, I'll just pay him for the BJ's and the mot and bring it back with any advisorys etc,for you to sort. Fine

So, he has the car all day..so I'm thinking,hmm..then he rings the mrs saying..well..this this and this..and it needs some welding..

Anyway, all is good!

The back box I bodged t'other day,(it had snapped off!) was slightly leaking. advisory.
NSR brake pipe slightly corroded. I did notice this when sorting the back box..advisory.

NSF anti rool bar has slight play in a ball joint. Advisory.
Does that mean/fit onto the drop link? as I was going to change em anyway!

FAILED on one rear sill part,the rear passenger door shut jobbie.
TBH I'd forgot all about those..but I never go in the back! I knew they were getting a bit suspect. So he's put a patch on..great.

£100 all in

Any members near Bradford:
Royal Garage, 597 Great Horton Road, Bradford BD7 4ED
Top bloke,excellent prices and service, as he's not daft and realizes people come back to him year after year,like a good garage should be..not fannying rip off merchants!

yep, chuffed with that, difficult job turned out to be a cheap mot even with the BJ/welding work