w211 lower ball joint removal

[astamir]

Hi guys
Strugling to separate the lower ball joint from the lower arm on my w211
Tried everything looks like seized very badly broke one ball joint separator today
Sprayed wd40 and left it for a night hope will work it tomorrow
If not is it ok to heat it up and try to separate it?
Thanks

 

[BlackC55]

Is it the joint to the hub you are struggling with? The joint that is pressed in?

We do at least two a day.the key is a decent splitter (blue point type) and do it up fast and hard. I've succeeded every time.

 

[astamir]

Yeah its that one that pressed in and the arm slide in top of it
It looks like the arm and the bolt seized together and dont want to split.
Biught the ball joint press to try to do it myself but the seized arm to the bolt holding me back bought a cheap machinemart separator for tenner didnt work, was too weak and broke in it
Thanks

 

[Dieselman]

We do at least two a day.the key is a decent splitter (blue point type) and do it up fast and hard. I've succeeded every time.

Is this a scissor type splitter.

I have never failed with one done up medium-tight, then give it a tap with a hammer.

A morse taper is designed to part.

 

[BlackC55]

It won't be seized. It just needs decent tools. They are very tight but do-able. When we have tight ones you really have to give it a hefty wack with a hammer when the separator is done up tight.

A £10 splitter won't do it. A decent one is at least £100 iirc.

Are you changing the pressed in ball joint?

 

[astamir]

It won't be seized. It just needs decent tools. They are very tight but do-able. When we have tight ones you really have to give it a hefty wack with a hammer when the separator is done up tight.

A £10 splitter won't do it. A decent one is at least £100 iirc.

Are you changing the pressed in ball joint?

Yeah I'm trying to do the pressed in ball joints

 

[Dieselman]

A few sideways taps should loosen off a pressed in joint.

 

[astamir]

A few sideways taps should loosen off a pressed in joint.

Thanks for the tip but need to split the lower arm from joint first
I tried the fork type separator and no luck so bad that the fork type separator started widening
Now its a challenge to me that i dont want to loose i will try tomorrow again will try to get better tools and have a go again
Is it ok to heat up ?
Thanks

 

[BlackC55]

NO. Never heat a ball joint up. It can kill you if it explodes.

How are you going to press the new joint in and out? They are a bugger in a press to do.

Getting it out is easy. Getting it in isn't. We have special press tools for this job so we can do them on the car.

Is it a genuine joint that you have bought? The best make is lemforder if you are going aftermarket. All the rest will wear in no time.

 

[astamir]

NO. Never heat a ball joint up. It can kill you if it explodes.

How are you going to press the new joint in and out? They are a bugger in a press to do.

Getting it out is easy. Getting it in isn't. We have special press tools for this job so we can do them on the car.

Is it a genuine joint that you have bought? The best make is lemforder if you are going aftermarket. All the rest will wear in no time.

Thanks for that I was going to heat up but had a feeling that it wouldnt be right
I bought the lemforder one from eurocarparts
Bought a press tool from ebay will see if it works
I will give the hardest whack i can to it tomorrow and hipefully that will do it

 

[Major774]

They should separate quite easily (I used the scissor type splitter). You need to use a impact gun on the splitter and it will pop. The hardest part is pressing the ball joint in and out owing to the limited space. I used a eBay press tool as well (+ impact gun), in addition I needed to grab the socket and add additional turning force to make the bugger move.

 

[astamir]

SORTED!!!!!!
Had to take the whole hub with lower arms out put that bad guy on a bench and whack it as hard as i could
Off for a socket for ball joint press push that in have to buy one lower arm tomorrow and put all back together
Thanks anyone for the help a big special one to Olly

 

[astamir]

ESP light is on HELP NEEDED
Here again guys done the wish bone ball joints and ect left the car front on axle stands overnight
now I have an "ESP defective visit workshop" warning on
Has anyone had this before?
Thanks

 

[t-dawg1]

The ESP sensor connects to the hub quite close to where you would have been fiddling around trying to do the lower ball joints so I suspect you have either knocked it by Accident or damaged it completely when trying to force the ball joints out. Have a look at it again and see if it connected properly