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HK lower ball joint change out
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Tonyl66 Offline
#1 Posted : Tuesday, 25 November 2014 5:33:22 AM(UTC)
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Is it necessary to remove the lower wishbone to change out the ball joint on a press or can the ball joint be changed out with the wishbone in place.

I have been told you can remove the ball joint with a lump hammer and freeze the new ball joint and press in with a bottle jack

any feedback appreciated
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gm5735 Offline
#2 Posted : Tuesday, 25 November 2014 8:53:47 AM(UTC)
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It's easy to change them in the car with the right tool, which looks like an oversize G clamp plus tubular adaptors. Without the right tools it isn't a very nice job at all. I've seen various methods, all of which give you the opportunity to damage the wishbone, the replacement ball joint, the rest of the suspension, the bodywork and yourself as you wield the lump hammer. Given the lower wishbone bushes are screw-in on HK I'd pull the wishbone off and do it in the press (or a big vice) every time. The replacement ball joints are usually oversize, which makes it even harder to install them in the car with a hammer. I've never had to freeze or heat anything when using the press to install them, but others may have different experiences. The main trick is getting the correct size piece of pipe to support the underside of the wishbone as you push the old ball joint out (about 56mm ID) and the top side of the wishbone (about 53mm ID) as you push the new one in. 2 or 3mm wall thickness and about 75mm long should do. Good luck, whichever way you go about it.
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HK1837 Offline
#3 Posted : Tuesday, 25 November 2014 7:10:44 PM(UTC)
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I'd pull them out and take them to a suspension place like Pedders. That way you can't hurt yourself. I used to go and get another set of control arms, clean them up, get the bushes and balljoints replaced and simply swap them over myself.
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Tonyl66 Offline
#4 Posted : Tuesday, 25 November 2014 7:12:32 PM(UTC)
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Thanks GM 5735 I'll take your advice and remove the bottom wishbones to replace with the backing tubes as you have described

Thanks again

Tony
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we wreck 81837s only Offline
#5 Posted : Wednesday, 26 November 2014 5:34:50 AM(UTC)
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i will give you a tip, a certain model car's brake caliper piston is the perfect size for a lower balljoint installation on a holden...most suspension places were using these to press joint in for years
its from a Ford, but the rest you will have to work out yourself :)
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Premier 350 Offline
#6 Posted : Thursday, 27 November 2014 5:48:17 AM(UTC)
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Used to use that method too. A long time ago, and no idea where the
piston came from.

Does it still work? I hear stories that the ball joints are over sized now. Truth or urban myth?
Attn camry drivers. The accelerator is the skinny pedal on the right.
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Tonyl66 Offline
#7 Posted : Thursday, 27 November 2014 9:42:00 AM(UTC)
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The workshop manual states that the replacement ball joint is .008 oversize so would assume that aftermarket replacements are the same.
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Premier 350 Offline
#8 Posted : Tuesday, 2 December 2014 1:58:13 AM(UTC)
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OK, my understanding was that the oversize ones were as fairly recent introduction.

Thanks for the clarification, don't tell my wife I was wrong!
Attn camry drivers. The accelerator is the skinny pedal on the right.
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gm5735 Offline
#9 Posted : Tuesday, 2 December 2014 9:06:42 AM(UTC)
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I assume the old caliper piston is used to push on the ball joint itself when installing it. I also like to support the wishbone itself with the tubes so it all stays square in the press, and doesn't apply any bending moment to the wishbone.
I don't have a big selection to check, but I reckon just about any older holden or ford caliper piston would be close to the right size.
The replacement ball joints have always been oversize, as the splines on the ball joint cut small slots into the sides of the wishbone hole. The replacement ball joint splines need to cut into new metal.
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HKBro Offline
#10 Posted : Wednesday, 3 December 2014 6:41:15 AM(UTC)
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I must confess, I paid a local mechanic to change them out for me as I don't have a press. Trying to do on the car sounds difficult.
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wbute Offline
#11 Posted : Tuesday, 9 December 2014 8:26:52 AM(UTC)
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How do you know if the ones you are replacing are not already oversize ones?
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gm5735 Offline
#12 Posted : Tuesday, 9 December 2014 11:03:46 AM(UTC)
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The standard size Holden balljoint has smooth sides on the diameter which is pressed through the wishbone.
See the picture below. Excuse the parallax error on the vernier - they are really around 50.9 mm, just a little over 2 inches.
The replacement Holden balljoints had splined sides on this diameter, and a groove machined on the larger diameter, which ends up on the outside of the wishbone after assembly. They measure around 51.1 - 51.2 on the ones I've seen. I don't have any here, so no pictures, sorry.
I can't speak for the aftermarket ones, as they may or may not follow this pattern. I know the Rare Spares ones, for example have the splines but, from memory, no groove.
TRW, for example, list a standard size, and an oversize with splines.
Hope that helps.

Edited by user Tuesday, 9 December 2014 11:05:33 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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