ball joint mot failure, how to fix

[james walker]

hi guys as the title really, falied mot on cv boot(which ive replaced myself), looked at the ball joint also but struggled like hell, also ran outta light!

what im after is some tips on how to replace the lower suspension arm balljoint, ive had a go but to no avail.

basically i popped the drive shaft out( needed to do cv gaitor anyway), released the wishbone bolts and extracted the full arm....

couldnt for the hell of it release the ball joint, i see it has an allen key setup, but any way to change this easier fellas, sure someone has done this......

thanks in advance

 

[Markyboyt]

hi guys as the title really, falied mot on cv boot(which ive replaced myself), looked at the ball joint also but struggled like hell, also ran outta light!

what im after is some tips on how to replace the lower suspension arm balljoint, ive had a go but to no avail.

basically i popped the drive shaft out( needed to do cv gaitor anyway), released the wishbone bolts and extracted the full arm....

couldnt for the hell of it release the ball joint, i see it has an allen key setup, but any way to change this easier fellas, sure someone has done this......

thanks in advance

does the suspension arm have 3 bolts holding it onto the ball joint then the joint have a threaded connection through the stub axle?

If so you need to release the bolts at the bottom, the bolt on the threaded bit holding it to the stub axle, remove the driveshaft and get a ball joint tool to force it out, you may be able to do it without taking the driveshaft out but iv'e never done it on a Seat so am not sure lol.

 

[DPJ]

Once the balljoint plate is out of the bottom arm, you undo the balljoint retaining bolt, then release the balljoint from the hub asembly using a universal balljoint separator.

 

[1.9...stefan]

what marky said... is this drivers or passenger side. im presuming that if you have managed to get the driveshaft out then you have already undone the 3 13mm bolts ?? if so it shold be a case ball joint splitter a good few wacks and off

 

[james walker]

i have a ball joint splitter, looks like a giant two pronged fork....
theres an allen key connection on the top of the ball joint bolt, like on a suspension strut, need to spanner round the bolt and hold the allen key to undo? how do i do this as the whole things attatched to the wheel bearing housing and the disc etc, not a lot of room.

its the passenger side by the way

 

[DPJ]

i have a ball joint splitter, looks like a giant two pronged fork....
theres an allen key connection on the top of the ball joint bolt, like on a suspension strut, need to spanner round the bolt and hold the allen key to undo? how do i do this as the whole things attatched to the wheel bearing housing and the disc etc, not a lot of room.

its the passenger side by the way

I think the 'recommended' method is to remove the hub assembly from the car......... but it is possible to do it on.

 

[james walker]

yeah i reaslised that but didnt really fancy it tbh, can get to the joint, but rather than remoce, caliper, disc, wheel bearing housing i didnt.

surely it can be done without.

so if i hold the allen key in, and crack the nut it should come off?

 

[DPJ]

yeah i reaslised that but didnt really fancy it tbh, can get to the joint, but rather than remoce, caliper, disc, wheel bearing housing i didnt.

surely it can be done without.

so if i hold the allen key in, and crack the nut it should come off?

You may find the nut will turn without a key in the top, although you'll probably need a key in to tighten the new joint.

 

[CupraMVR]

Yea thats how you would do it pal. just undo the larger 19mm (?) nut then knock it out should only take about 20 mins. maybe easier with the arm on with the 3 nuts so its forcing the ball joint up and holding it, then remove the 3 nuts lever down the arm and pop the old 1 out

 

[james walker]

the nut does turn but just spins round mate.
well it seems simple enough, just need some time and light.

dave while your on, did you retrofit your porsche brakes yourself?

im okay fitting the calipers etc, just the bleeding part ive never done.

 

[Markyboyt]

the nut does turn but just spins round mate.
well it seems simple enough, just need some time and light.

dave while your on, did you retrofit your porsche brakes yourself?

im okay fitting the calipers etc, just the bleeding part ive never done.

there should be an allen key or torx fitting in the top, I usually put a socket in that, on a knuckle bar or something then use a ring spanner on the nut. You then hold the centre still while turning the nut

 

[james walker]

yeah i was doing that but was bloody hard to crack the nut...

so i was doing it right really, just not strong enough.

 

[DPJ]

.........
dave while your on, did you retrofit your porsche brakes yourself?

im okay fitting the calipers etc, just the bleeding part ive never done.

Pressure bled using an ezibleed. The trick is to not let air up the brakelines on the body - if you avoid that, you only need to bleed the calipers.

 

[james walker]

how do you do that then.. clamp the hoses or something, bearing in mind im replacing calipers, lines etc etc

i wanna do a full system bleed anywaY, replace with decent fluid etc, any different?

 

[DPJ]

how do you do that then.. clamp the hoses or something, bearing in mind im replacing calipers, lines etc etc

i wanna do a full system bleed anywaY, replace with decent fluid etc, any different?

Seal under the reservoir cap with polythene. I put the finger ends from rubber gloves over the open connectors immediately and held them on with rubber bands. Bleeding/replacing fluid is always easier if there's little air in the system.

 

[james walker]

so is tehre a step by step guide on eezibleed anywhere?

do i need to bleed rear brakes also, how do i bleed the whole system to replace the fluid to a better one?

 

[Markyboyt]

yeah i was doing that but was bloody hard to crack the nut...

so i was doing it right really, just not strong enough.

I normally do it on a ramp so its at shoulder height and easier lol

I would advice getting a second person to hold the centre firm then if you get the ring end of the spanner on the nut, then hook the ring end of another spanner into the open end of the one your using you'll get more leverage, just make sure no body parts are in the way and your knuckles arent on course for anything as that can be quite sore to say the least lol

 

[Markyboyt]

so is tehre a step by step guide on eezibleed anywhere?

do i need to bleed rear brakes also, how do i bleed the whole system to replace the fluid to a better one?

I'm not sure what eezibleed is so cant comment on that but to replace all the fluid just bleed it for longer, a good thing to do first though is to remove the brake fluid from the reservoir and fill with new, no point pumping the old stuff through first

 

[DPJ]

so is tehre a step by step guide on eezibleed anywhere?

do i need to bleed rear brakes also, how do i bleed the whole system to replace the fluid to a better one?

There's a guide somewhere on the order of bleeding..........

 

[james walker]

yep sore, got a few of those today as it is, cv boot.......

is that whilst holding the allen key in, bloody hell how many hands do you have!!!!!!!!!!