Ball joints

[FrenchStag]

Afternoon. Does anyone know an easy method of pressing in ball joints that doesn’t involve terror of losing a limb, eye, family jewels etc from exploding press bits? I’ve done one but really dont fancy doing the second. Thank you!

[Stagnant spark]

Ha! Love it. I did same with mine last year. Tried all sorts to get the old ones out but no success. In end went to local back street garage with a press and he got old ones out and new ones in - £30
No worries 😉

[APS]

I put my new ball joints in the freezer overnight before pressing them in, with the idea of making the metal contract. Ideally I would have heated up the control arm to expand it as well but I did not want to damage the new powder coating. They were still a very tight fit to press in, but I do not recall any major drama. Just be careful that you press them in on the outer edge of the ball joint or you may damage the inners.
Looks like you have not painted yours, so perhaps heating up the area may make it a bit easier.

Taking the old ones out were extremely difficult. Combination of angle grinder, club hammer and use of an old caliper piston eventually got the desired result.

[richardthestag]

First set I did I used a big hammer, clean faces and it wasn't too much of an issue. Now I have the luxury of a press it is a 3 minute job

Be Aware though!!!

Should you use a press or a big hammer, insert an impact socket roughly the size of the foot of the new ball joint. If you percuss the middle of the new joint it will dent and make the joint too tight

[wilf]

You need a very big "f**k off" bench vice!!

Best tool I ever bought. Kind of dominates the work bench, and I am not sure I could actually lift it any more, but hey ho.

[ramjam2005]

I got mine out using suitably sized impact sockets, a vice and a hefty hammer, squirted Plus-Gas around it first, left overnight. I cut the threaded stud down to size so a socket sat firmly and even on the casing of the ball joint. Warmed up the ring of the control arm with a little plumbers blow torch and they eventually popped out.

To get the new ones in I was lucky enough to have access to a press where I worked at the time. I found a 32mm impact socket sat nicely on the solid outer edge on base of the ball joint ( as our colleagues stated above, to avoid damaging the thinner base cup). I found a weird thick, solid steel box spanner thingy in my dear old Dads collection of mechanics tools (circa 1940's) to act as a mandril that had an opening exact size of the control arm collar allowing the top end of the ball joint to pass cleanly through it. Alternative would be correct sized socket but a 1" drive or a Deep socket to allow the tapered stud to clear as it will foul on a 1/2" drive.

Completed refurbed articles after full clean up and painted in POR15 in final photo. Circlips eventually fitted once I sourced a decent pair of circlip pliers.

Screenshot 2025-03-08 at 23.33.15.jpg Screenshot 2025-03-08 at 23.34.59.jpg IMG_9065 copy.jpg

[FrenchStag]

Thank you for the tips.