Lower ball joint noise?

[Sp!ke]

So yesterday I had my winter tyres fitted on the 201 and on the way home I started getting a horrible noise coming from the front O/S.

It sounded like a rubbery graunchy sort of noise when turning the steering wheel. Initially I thought it was a tyre rubbing but concluded that it couldn't be because it made the noise at standstill.

On closer inspection I'm pretty sure its the lower ball joint making the noise. Not sure how changing a wheel could have encouraged it to fail all of a sudden but maybe jacking the car up on the wishbone or something has prompted its rapid demise.

Anyway, I'd better change the ball joint sharpish I guess and in the interest of keeping costs down I'm intending to only change the ball joint itself rather than the whole wishbone. So I need to add to my tool collection and purchase an appropriate tool to press the balljoint out of the wishbone.

So, does anyone know if this press below is suitable?

Ball Joint Service Removal Separator 4x4 Adaptors on eBay (end time 26-Nov-10 14:32:31 GMT)

 

[grober]

This guy had to modify his adapter slightly ?? PeachPartsWiki: How I Replaced the Ball Joints and Tie Rods

 

[BlackC55]

I have that tool and it is useless with a tight joint. I have the Klann tool for this job and from a safety point of view is the best one to use.

NEVER heat the ball joint. It can explode and kill you.

 

[Sp!ke]

Ouch.... looking at that I think I might just replace the wishbone and save myself the trouble.

 

[BlackC55]

Before you do make sure the bolts are free on the lower arm as they tend to seize in and they are a bugger to cut off. You will also need the castor/camber setting up afterwards too.

 

[Sp!ke]

I've spoken to my tame mechanic friend and he said ball joints are never a problem for him on 190's. No special tools required. He told me to just bring it over tomorrow and he'll have it out in a blink of an eye....

With that kind of offer who am I to refuse.

I don't know what his technique is but I suspect it'll be a brutal process.

At least I've confirmed it is the ball joint - I gave it a squirt of oil and the noise has gone for now at least.

 

[Will]

As above, sounds like a textbook lower ball joint fault by the sounds of it. The last W201 that I had to replace a joint on had his happen under the same circumstances - creaking/groaning sound coming from the driver's side (o/s) joint when steering, after fitting a new set of tires.

I did look into the options too - new wishbones can be more trouble than they're worth as the bolts often seize, (and you'll need the geometry doing afterwards as Olly says - the washers are eccentric adjusters). Replacing the joints DIY is difficult on the 201 unless you have a tool to press them out/into place.

The Klann tool that Olly mentions is supposedly excellent, but not cheap - otherwise I'd have probably bought one at the time.

So IMHO, it's probably easiest to let someone who has the proper tool do it for you - might be easier/cheaper than DIY in the long run

The parts are cheap (MB genuine joints around £15 a side IIRC), just a bit tricky to press out sometimes I understand.

I'd definately do both sides - if one's creaking the other side will almost certainly on it's last legs. They can snap without warning, causing the wheel/tyre to smash up into the wing - not pretty or safe, and probably likely to happen at the most inconvenient time.

Will

 

[Will]

I imagine your friend will do one of two things to get the joint out:

Drill through the joint a series of holes and the use a hacksaw or something to cut through the casing, and/or severe brute force whacking the joint with a club hammer etc whilst attempting to support the arm from underneath.

I imagine pressing the joint in again without damaging it would also be a bit tricky. Make sure the alignment dot on the casing is in the correct place when refitting.

Personally, I wouldn't use either of these methods - apparantly it's not hard to damage the joints when refitting if you don't use a suitable press, and removing them with too much force can damage the wishbone.

 

[kth286]

find the cost of lower arm first as you will get 3 new joints as part of the deal, and the recepit will be a selling point when car sold.

if a bolt/s are seized on the inner wishbone, your suspension will not be effective anyway as it will be hard. Not difficult to cut through bolt/s.

mark position of bolts before removal and no need to re-align.

 

[AdamG]

I used that very kit to do the ball joints on my w220.

I had to remove the steering knuckle off the car to gain access.

Olly is right this clamp is not really designed for these joints as they are very tight. I was determined to use it though so using a rod to counter hold it and a cheater bar on my breaker bar (about 5ft!) the ball joint finally went in.

Adam

 

[Sp!ke]

The balljoint was replaced yesterday in a little over an hour.

No special tools, just an assortment of old sockets to use as spacers and an axle stand and a big hammer.

It came out easier that I expected tbh.

Will do the other side next week as I ran out of time.

 

[jefrs]

An old dodge for removing a ball joint, or rather the conical shaft was to smite the casting either side smartly with a pair of large hammers, like "ringing" an anvil. The union would generally shoot out straight away.

Bashing the top of the bolt useless because it causes the shaft to expand.

 

[Sp!ke]

yeah but this isnt 'that sort' of ball joint.

These are big often stubborn jobbies

 

[Sp!ke]

NEVER heat the ball joint. It can explode and kill you.

Before heating the balljoint we removed the top seal and then cut open the back with an angle grinder so that this couldnt happen as it is the expansion of any trapped air inside with the heat that causes this.