Lower Ball Joints

[naossoan]

Hi all,

I just took my 2.8D Pajero to the shop to get safety inspected. I'm not living in BC. It's a 1996 SWB model.

He told me I need to get:

DOT Headlights (easy enough from Canadian Tire, standard round headlights)
Lower Ball Joints need to be replaced.

So I bought the ball joints off him, front left and right.


I've got one of the wheels off and I'm trying to figure out how to get the lower ball joint off. There is a large nut on the very bottom with one of those metal clip/fastener things on it and I have got that nut off, but now I don't understand how to get it off from where it attaches to the rest of the hub. The lower ball joint piece itself is fastened to the lower arm with 4 more nuts/bolts which are easily remove able from the bottom of the arm, but I don't think that will free it from the rest of the hub because where that large nut was fastened is going through a piece on the hub which doesn't appear like it will just slide out easy peasy....

Has anyone done this work before if so can you give me some pointers? I can't really afford $250+ for them to do it at the shop.

Thanks!

Here are some pictures with what I'm talking about. http://imgur.com/a/022qW

I was thinking....can I just use another jack and jack up that lower control arm to pop the ball joint out of where it attaches to the hub???

[Manitoba deli]

You need to remove the axle, to do this you will need to take apart the hub to remove a snap ring that holds it in place, and you will have to undo the top ball joint to tilt the spindle far enough to remove the axle from the hub. Then you use a tool called a pickle fork to separate the ball joint from the spindle.
Jason

[naossoan]

Could you be a bit more descriptive? How do I take the hub apart? Like do I have to take the brakes off, caliper, rotor, etc??

[Manitoba deli]

I see in your pictures you don't have locking hubs, so yours is a bit easier. you need to pry off the dust cap in the very center of your hub.(round part a bit bigger than a toonie) In here you will see the splined axle shaft. It has a snap ring that you will need to remove. Since you've never done this before, it will probably be a good idea to unbolt the caliper and tie it up out of the way, that way if you drop the spindle, it won't put excessive stress on the brake hose. With the snap ring off, and the upper ball joint undone, turn the steering all the way so that the tie rod is also helping push the spindle away. You should be able to tilt the spindle away from the vehicle enough to get the axle out of the way enough to pop the lower ball joint loose with a pickle fork. I hope this is descriptive enough for you. Good luck.
Jason

[naossoan]

Still not too sure what you mean Jason.

I took the cap off the wheel hub like you mentioned (this pic http://i.imgur.com/Zoqpmrwh.jpg) but I don't really understand how to undo something in there?

Also, I got the top ball joint undone by using a metal arm I had lying around, propping it up against the portion of the bolt that the nut screws onto and hitting the end of the rod with a hammer from below until it popped out, then I just undid the nut all the way.

I have the lower suspension arm propped up on a scissor jack from my other vehicle. So yeah the top ball joint is removed. I see what you mean now about the axle. There just isn't enough space between the lower ball joint and the axle to to be able to get the lower ball joint off I don't think. So I guess I have to remove the axle. What is the snap ring? Are you talking about the metal ring that seems to be attaching the rubber dust/boot cover over the axle? Or something else? So confused...

Here some more pics.
http://i.imgur.com/LYILNpv.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1Yryl9bh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/I4Hucmih.jpg

[Manitoba deli]

Sorry that I suck at describing things in print. I pm'ed you my phone number if you want to call. The snap ring is under the small dust cap you pryed off. It is around the splined shaft, where it comes through the flange plate. Basically follow the tiny grooves in the shaft that sticks out. The grooves stop at the snap ring. It is a springy retaining ring (that sounds like it makes no sense at all) You need to spread, or open this ring up and remove it from the shaft. This will allow the axle to separate from the hub.
Jason