Your thoughts please? Replacement of bottom ball joints ZX

Unread post by **Rhothgar** » 24 Sep 2011, 09:06

Mornin' all!

Looking to change either the lower arms or the bottom ball joints on their own on Sylv's ZX today.

There appears to be an amount of play in the rubber bushes to the subframe side fo the arms but nothing I would class as excessive IMHO.

Has anyone any views on whether to go budget or premium on the arms themselves? Some suppliers supply arms and ball joints separate (GSF) and some supply them as a unit.

Not sure what the original Citroen ones are (rivetted or bolted ball joints). Never paid attention!

Would always prefer to use genuine Citroen or premium quality but wondered if anyone has had the fortune / misfortune of using budget?

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 24 Sep 2011, 09:22

I've got Sasic bushes on the Xantia LCAs. They've been on the way out for a little while, but in honesty other wear aspects probably hastened their brutalisation. Probably good for 60K miles when done right and not abused.

You could also look at a DIY changeover, with a set of rebuildable used arms that were kitted and then swapped.

Unread post by **Rhothgar** » 24 Sep 2011, 09:29

Hi Addo,

I am thinking of braving removing the ball joints on their own and replacing but it seems a bit daft to change them and then leave the bushes.

Also, by changing the whole arm, I can refurbish the removed ones with genuine Citroen parts for the next replacement so perhaps budgets is the way to go.

Unread post by **Rhothgar** » 24 Sep 2011, 09:46

Great news!

The bottom ball joints are bolted on on the ZX so that opens up the possibility of a simple replacement with genuine Citroen balljoints.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 24 Sep 2011, 10:07

Easy!!!

I was wondering if they were like Saxo ones... For that a hydraulic press is an absolute necessity...

Unread post by **Rhothgar** » 24 Sep 2011, 11:01

Cheers for that, Jim!

Euro Car Parts are winging some Lemfoerder ones over from Tamworth to Nottingham for 1pm at £20 a piece + VAT

They are genuine fitment I would imagine as Citroen are £22 a piece + VAT.

No brainer now!

Did you drive back from Aber yesterday or did you find a guest house?

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 24 Sep 2011, 11:19

Rhothgar wrote: Did you drive back from Aber yesterday or did you find a guest house?

Oh yes

Couldn't wait to get back on thiose lovely Welsh roads

Despite some araf traffic at times!!!

Unread post by **Rhothgar** » 24 Sep 2011, 17:43

Well!

Get the Lemfoerder bottom ball joints and lovely they are too!

Fitted one side at my mate's garage (he's an Independent) as he lets me use his facilities.

After I'd changed one, he asked how I knew it was the bottom ball joints that were knocking.

Some of you may recall that some idiot ran into the back of Sylv's ZX in the middle of August. As the other party asked to settle outside of the insurance, we took it for an inspection at Bristol Street Motors in Nottingham and they did a VHC (Vehicle Health Check) which identified both bottom ball joints requiring replacement and what's more they didn't bother pricing the repairs for the damage caused by the 3rd party.

So that's how I knew that bottom ball-joints had gone!

My mate, said in his experience it is quite rare for bottom ball joints to knock.

So he got involved and checked the side I hadn't done (OSF) which is where the knocking sound appeared to come from.

Last week, I only got around to changing the NSF drop link and left the OSF until this week when I thought I'd kill all birds with one stone.

He told me there was no play in the ball joint after checking it. He advised me that a commond fault on the ZX was the subframe bolts coming loose so he gave them a tweak and they did tighten quite a bit.

So we went for a test drive and the knocking was still there but somewhat lessened.

He did nothing more than get the car back on the ramp and hit the underside of the OS of the front anti-roll with the palm of his hand in a sharp knockng action and there was the knock.

Moral of the story -

NEVER TRUST A MAIN STEALER!

Question to the forum:-

Do I have any legal remit with Bristol Street to recover the cost of the bottom ball joint which I have fitted that they indicate on their VHC didn't need fitting?

They do have a tiny E&OE beneath the work required!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 24 Sep 2011, 17:49

Rhothgar wrote: Moral of the story -

NEVER TRUST A MAIN STEALER!

Aye, that'll be right

handyman · Unread post by **handyman** » 25 Sep 2011, 16:23

Roger, although ZX ball joints do not knock when worn, they do still wear, and they get to the point where they shear when they want to give up the ghost.

Did you not check the BJ once you had seperated it from the hub carrier? A nice, easy on car test requiring the removal of one bolt and a little levering on a tyre iron!

H

dieselnutjob · Unread post by **dieselnutjob** » 26 Sep 2011, 17:11

you are lucky
to get the balljoints out of the hub carrier of my 607 I needed a blacksmith
he had to get the hub carrier glowing red before the balljoint would come out

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 27 Sep 2011, 00:27

To the OP: Where were the Lemförders made? I'm curious.