[Mk2] [Generic] Urgent help needed please- rear ball joint.

[gavin hague]

Hi everyone, this morning i removed my old rear ball joint and attempted to fit the new one.
Im having trouble getting the bottom end of the joint to fit into the socket. The lower arm is about an inch away from where i need it to be.
Does anyone know how to fix this? Thanks,Gavin.

[Ian Geary]

hi there

so you've got the right ball joints, and they fit firm and snug into the hub?

good

re-connecting up the suspension is a pita. I found the quickest way (for both removing the old ball joint and refitting) was to remove all 3 arms
(front facing, middle one into sub frame, and rear arm into back of subframe).

Connecting them up is always going to be hassle whatever way you approach it, but at least this way you have more movement, and more leaverage.

I start with the reat most one.

The middle one is a pain, as you have to twist the arm to be vertical. Some grease (moly or lithium) helps slide the arms into their holes.

the forward most one has to be pursuaded inlast. It's the longest, so has most flex. I use a rubber mallet to bash it in, but a piece of wood and hammer would work.

the under trays have to go, and even try losening the hand brake cable brackets.

A tough pry bar can also help get the hole aligned exactly when the arm is nearly in place, but I'd advise agaist striking the bolt or using it as leverage - threads are useful things, and putting them back onto metal is something you don't want to have to do if you can help it.


this is all done on my back lying under the car - perhaps it's much simpler for a pro using a ramp... but that's a bit under hand in my opinion - almost like it would be too easy

with the ball joint in, I'd say 30 minutes of work, plus at least 10 minutes of swearing, and 20 more to put the trays back and the wheel on.

hth


Ian

[gavin hague]

Thanks for the help ian,i got there in the end.
Once i figured it out the 2nd one was easy enough to do.
Thanks again Gavin.