any chance of doing an a-frame ball joint at home?

[Saffy]

I need to change my A-frame ball joint at some point in future. I am going to swap the one that is fitted with a non boge type. So I have stripped the replacement A frame off the donor truck, separated the taper ball joint and have the both halves of bracket off and on bench. I cut the bolt hole tabs off and took it around my neighbours and put it in his 6 tonne press and it just laughed at us. Hoping the father law will have something bigger at his works (GE aviation). So how does everyone else do it?

[burgerman]

 Just keep pumping that handle of the press ( at arms length ) Something will go  :shock:

  May pay to leave it under pressure for a bit if possible

 At a engine shop i used to work we had a electricly operated 100 ton press, That would shift everything- but not always in the amount of parts you were hoping for  :lol:

[Saffy]

Just keep pumping that handle of the press ( at arms length ) Something will go  :shock:

  May pay to leave it under pressure for a bit if possible

 At a engine shop i used to work we had a electricly operated 100 ton press, That would shift everything- but not always in the amount of parts you were hoping for  :lol:

Have left it the press max'd out hoping the neighbourhood gets a rude awaken about 3am from the sound of it popping and not from sound of the top of press going thru shed roof.

[Mutz]

Good luck :shock:

[trickydicky]

i drilled mine out it took a wile and a few drill bits but it can be done in about an hour with the help of a cold chisel

[Saffy]

i drilled mine out it took a wile and a few drill bits but it can be done in about an hour with the help of a cold chisel

ok that's not a bad alternative idea, prefer that compared to heat anyway.

[V8MoneyPit]

We had one that took nearly 25 tonnes to shift it! I put the new one in with a 10 tonne press though.

[ChrisW70]

Gywn Lewis is offering a greasable/adjustable joint already in the housing at 65+vat, probably not much help right now tho!
http://www.gwynlewis4x4.co.uk/page82.html

Might consider this next time mine needs doing though...

[Saffy]

tell you what... don't heat it up without all due precaution as the ball exits the seat like a large bore bullet with enough force to powder bricks and enough percussion to stun the torch holder   :lol:  8-[ :shock: :-#

[Yoshi]

tell you what... don't heat it up without all due precaution as the ball exits the seat like a large bore bullet with enough force to powder bricks and enough percussion to stun the torch holder   :lol:  8-[ :shock: :-#

Is this from experience? lol

[Saffy]

tell you what... don't heat it up without all due precaution as the ball exits the seat like a large bore bullet with enough force to powder bricks and enough percussion to stun the torch holder   :lol:  8-[ :shock: :-#

Is this from experience? lol

[diesel_jim]

I've had them come out really easily sometimes, and others, i've seen 25~30 tonnes on the press guage before BANG it pops out... makes you bluddy jump though!  :shock:

I've beaten them out with a (large) hammer in the past as well, but a press is far easier.

When you press the new one in, it pays to use a couple of long bolts, screwed into the threaded bits and through the "ears" of the balljoint, to make sure that it goes in "in line", in the right place so the new bolts will hold it in OK.

[Axetamer]

cut the ears off with a hacksaw ie the bits where the bolts go through, turn it over and balance the balljoint minus ears on some box section, put an old large socket into the bit where the balljoint is, and one or two whacks with a sledgehammer and its out, clean up the hole with a wire brush and use a strong vice  to put the new one in. I've done a couple this way no probs

[Saffy]

Just a heads up for bargain  -  Sunday I  order a joint from xmod as a bit of gamble as I wasn't sure of brand and at the price was suspecting surely it be a britpart. I actually ordered this one  the ANR1799 but got sent the older superseded part number version (NTC9932) which is just the same except it has the addition of rubber boot retainer plate it seems...... anyway........ it arrived today (cost them more postage than I was charged) and joy of joys it came wrapped in grease paper within a genuine Landrover parts box (which are normally about 40 squids)   :) so happy days as budget is tight at mo.

Putting the ball joint into the bracket was a lot easier than extracting. I used a generous helping of anti-seize grease to hopefully help future removal. A big ol'socket over the taper joint and use of a no.5 record vice got the joint most of the way home and the rest was closed by alternate tightening the flange bolts (no excessive torque needed either...lucky?).  
With have a go at fitting it tomorrow.... need to first remove the a-frame and BOGE unit that this bracket is going to replace.

[Saffy]

My truck now light by one Boge self leveling unit. Took me a shocking 6 hours laying in muddy puddle in the rain to remove the existing a-frame, boge unit, ball joint and to fit polybushes and then refit with the replacement parts. All done now.

Surprising how big the BOGE SLU is once it's off.



Photo  below shows the difference in the brackets.

[diesel_jim]

Yeah, that boge strut is a big ol' lump of iron isn't it?

The old ball joint bracket... don't chuck it, cut it off across the bottom (where the "swan neck" bit goes off to the main strut) and with the aid of a 9" grinder, you can shape it to be like the yellow bracket in your pics, then later on, when you see a cheap new balljoint on eblag, buy it and fit it into the newly modified bracket, then stick it on your shelf.

Next time you need to change the bracket, it'll be a 10 minute job, and you can then overhaul the "old" one again in your own leisure time.



If you decide not to, and want to chuck the unit out... give me a shout... i'll take it off your hands (to do the above with, as a spare for my 110!)  :dance: