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Front suspension ball joint boots.


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At its MOT the bottom ball joints were ok, but the boots had split. Is it possible to replace the boots without removing the lower suspension link?

So far I've disconnected the steering arm and split the taper on the ball joint pin. It's a matter of how do I get the pin right out of the hub carrier so I can renew the boot.

All advice welcome
Al

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Hi Al,

I have an eight foot steel bar that I use to push the lower arm out of the joint and away so I could change the boots if required.

Otherwise undo the bolt at the body side might make it a little easier.

Cheers Ian

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I usually find getting my boot in there and pushing down with my foot on the bottom arm whilst pulling the strut tube works but then I have got lowered springs. As Ian rightly says, a pry bar, crow bar or steel tube with a well placed block of wood usually does the trick. You do need to be a little more gentle when you put it back together though if you don't want to damage your new boot and I find that a trolley jack gently lifting the hub helps locate it back on more gently, dont apply too much pressure or it will simply roll off the jack.

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Just thinking on, you could undo the two anti-roll bar clamps at the front which will allow the roll bar to drop and take the "Spring" out of the bottom arm.

 

My "Long Bar" method allows me (with a towel placed over my newly painted bottom arms) to precisely push down and then to pull away the suspension strut.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

Edited by TR8IAN
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Thanks for the good advice.

I put the car up on axle stands on both sides to reduce the torsion on the anti roll bar.After splitting the taper there was no problem in pushing the lower link down with a meaty bit of wood to release the taper pin from the link.
The ball joint splitter I used has bent the thin metal washer under the top of the rubber boot on each side. Are replacement washers available? I've straightened it up to a fashion, but I'm half inclined to simply leave it out.
I presume you clean out the dirty grease and fill it all up with new grease.
Best wishes
Al
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The pin on the ball joint should be really tough to move. If its wobbly or you can move it easily with one finger, I would replace the whole ball joint while you are there. They are cheap enough, buy the ball joint, remove the bottom arm from the subframe by simply un-doing the single nut and bolt and take it to your local garage. They should have a press and can swap the ball joints over for you, my local MG specialist charges me £10 for this.

 

If you're not replacing the ball joint, clean out as much grease as possible, pack it full of fresh shiny Castrol LM or equivalent and maneovre the joint to get it all in then fiddle about and swear a lot with the rubber boot and its retaining circlip. Make sure it fits the lip all the way around! I've never had the washer on top of mine either so I'd be happy to leave it out. Top tip, before you put it all back together, slide a flat electrical screwdriver carefully down the top of the boot and give it a good squeeze to remove any trapped air as otherwise if packed with grease this can split the boot as you torque up the nut. Always use a new nyloc nut as well. Hope that all helps!

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If I remember rightly it is 1/2" UNF for the nyloc version (yep not metric! - so will have a creamy white nylon insert not a blue one). Double check that though as its from memory as I don't have one to hand.

 

There is a part number for the castellated one (LN2211) with split pin if you have that but they aren't commonly used anymore.

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All done. Pins were pretty stiff so happy to leave the joints as is. The boots are from www.balljointboots.co.uk - good reports from other parts of register forum. They provide cable ties. Not difficult to seat the boot in its groove on the ball joint and then put on the cable tie, even when it is all greased up. The top of the boot is stretched quite a bit, and would stretch quite a bit more when it is pushed down the taper as you tighten the nut on the pin, so I left off the upper cable tie. I think some boots don't have anything at the top.

 

UNF nyloc nuts from Charnwood Fasteners - prompt delivery.

 

Just had to put a bit of upward pressure on one of the joints with the jack to stop the pin going round as I tightened it. All pretty straightforward. Many thanks to all on the forum for advice and top tips.

 

Al

Edited by acaie
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  • 4 weeks later...

is that basically Boot 3 on the first page:

 

"Approximate hole sizes

35 mm and 12.5 mm,

Height 27-30 mm."

any idea about the TCA boots?

Ta

Manny

Yes that's the ones, if you click the 'more info' button it lists all the vehicles they fit. I can't find TCA boots on there for a TR7.

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Yes that's the ones, if you click the 'more info' button it lists all the vehicles they fit. I can't find TCA boots on there for a TR7.

If you mean track rod end boots, there is the choice of size 1 and size 2. I used size 3 for the ball joint at the connection of he bottom supspension arm with the bottom of the suspension strut.

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