Fitting lower arm ball joint covers

goltho · 28th November 2019, 16:08

As a stop-gap (because it was an MoT fail last week and my MoT ran out today), I've set about fitting a new cover on the lower arm ball joint pending changing the arms in the new year when the evenings are a little longer and it's less cruddy weather. Apart from breaking my right little finger this afternoon during the joint splitting procedure (it was otherwise successful), I'm now left with some dilemma.

I've removed most of the old rubber cover with the exception of the lower edge which appears to be tucked under an aluminium flange which sits on the top of the arm. I've given up due to darkness, but it seems to me there's little hope of clamping the bottom rim of the new cover onto the existing bottom of the joint with the small/thin cable ties which came with the covers. I've greased inside the cover and fitted it over the joint fine, but the bottom rim just slides up with very little to hold onto?

Any experienced ball-joint-cover-changer-overers help please? The re-test is tomorrow afternoon.

Dougie.

Coups · 28th November 2019, 16:53

Hi Dougie, I changed mine not long ago after catching both sides while changing the front struts. I don't recall having any problem getting the old ones off in their entirety. The new ones came with thin black cable ties to secure them at the top and bottom. I'm assuming this is the same as the ones you have. Once they were slid over the ball joint I pulled them snug before reporting the lower arm to the ball joint. When you refit the arm it compresses the cover holding it in place and preventing it sliding up. I then nipped up the cable ties to prevent any dirt getting under them. Can't say there's been any probs with them since. Best of luck.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Edited as a result of an errant spellchecker!

goltho · 28th November 2019, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coups

Hi Dougie, I changed mine not long ago after catching both sides while changing the front struts. I don't recall having any problem getting the old ones off in their entirety. The new ones came with thin black cable ties to secure them at the top and bottom. I'm assuming this is the same as the ones you have. Once they were slid over the ball joint I pulled them snug before reporting the lower arm to the ball joint. When you refit the arm it compresses the cover holding it in place and preventing it sliding up. I then nipped up the cable ties to prevent any dirt getting under them. Can't say there's been any probs with them since. Best of luck.

Thanks for that. It's true enough about their being compressed. I also may have packed too much grease inside so I'll remove most of that before reassembling onto the hub & zipping the ties up.

It's not been an enjoyable job. I tried several methods of splitting the joint from the hub including a jack under the disc, shimming the splitter with penny washers, some brute force resulting in breaking my finger, and finally breaking the splitter. As a final effort, I turned the steering to full left lock & used the hammer again from in front of the joint, and the fooking thing dropped out.

Apart from that and the cover fixing issue, it all went swimmingly.

Dougie.

SCP440 · 28th November 2019, 18:51

I use Lock wire when I fit new ball joint covers, if you have the correct pliers for tightening it makes the job a breeze.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gear-Grem...QAAOSwfDtc96Sa

roverbarmy · 28th November 2019, 19:41

Just cut the loose tops off and leave the fixed section on. It will give your tie/strap something to bite on. It still achieves a watertight and dustproof fit, so long as the lower rubber is not too perished.

Edit. Oops, thought that you meant trackrods and drop link covers!

marinabrian · 1st December 2019, 04:37

The large diameter part of the boot is secured with a spring clip wound around the groove of the boot, these are normally rusted to hell, and can be teased off with a small screwdriver

Even better if it's in good condition, it can be reused to secure the new boot, far better than attempting to use a cable tie

Look at the picture here, it's the blue bit

Remember to wash out the gunge from the ball joint, and pack it with grease......don't pack the boot with grease, as this needs to be fairly dry at the point you wish to fix it to the arm

Brian

Comfortably Numb · 1st December 2019, 20:31

My recent experience of trying to refit those larger, coiled (blue) spring clips with the same small screwdrivers I had removed them with, while checking for the existence of grease, - and nearly puncturing on e rubber and my hand with screwdriver, made me find a better way. I found a 6" length of suitable, wide copper pipe, slit it down its length, and squeezed one end to make it slightly tapered, small enough at one end to get the spring clip over, big enough at the other to get it over the rubber, then forced the clip over the outside of the pipe until it came off the wide end and clipped into place, shoe-horn style.

28th November 2019, 16:08	#1
goltho Can't help myself Rover 75 CDTi 2005 Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Lincoln Posts: 871 Thanks: 469 Thanked 150 Times in 113 Posts	Fitting lower arm ball joint covers As a stop-gap (because it was an MoT fail last week and my MoT ran out today), I've set about fitting a new cover on the lower arm ball joint pending changing the arms in the new year when the evenings are a little longer and it's less cruddy weather. Apart from breaking my right little finger this afternoon during the joint splitting procedure (it was otherwise successful), I'm now left with some dilemma. I've removed most of the old rubber cover with the exception of the lower edge which appears to be tucked under an aluminium flange which sits on the top of the arm. I've given up due to darkness, but it seems to me there's little hope of clamping the bottom rim of the new cover onto the existing bottom of the joint with the small/thin cable ties which came with the covers. I've greased inside the cover and fitted it over the joint fine, but the bottom rim just slides up with very little to hold onto? Any experienced ball-joint-cover-changer-overers help please? The re-test is tomorrow afternoon. Dougie. __________________ R75 C2 RJBLH Connoisseur CDTi Auto Saloon • Built 08/02/2005 @14:57 hrs: Registered 26/08/2005 • 122nd of 141 built that day • British Racing Green Pearlescent (HFF) • Sandstone leather with black piping (SPJ) • 137,000 miles

28th November 2019, 19:41	#5
roverbarmy This is my second home Roverless + 1.7D Sportage Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: East Norfolk Posts: 7,050 Thanks: 729 Thanked 2,021 Times in 1,449 Posts	Just cut the loose tops off and leave the fixed section on. It will give your tie/strap something to bite on. It still achieves a watertight and dustproof fit, so long as the lower rubber is not too perished. Edit. Oops, thought that you meant trackrods and drop link covers! __________________ Oil in my veins!

28th November 2019, 16:53	#2
Coups Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Contemporary SE Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Dundee Posts: 1,941 Thanks: 545 Thanked 520 Times in 402 Posts	Hi Dougie, I changed mine not long ago after catching both sides while changing the front struts. I don't recall having any problem getting the old ones off in their entirety. The new ones came with thin black cable ties to secure them at the top and bottom. I'm assuming this is the same as the ones you have. Once they were slid over the ball joint I pulled them snug before reporting the lower arm to the ball joint. When you refit the arm it compresses the cover holding it in place and preventing it sliding up. I then nipped up the cable ties to prevent any dirt getting under them. Can't say there's been any probs with them since. Best of luck. Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk Edited as a result of an errant spellchecker!

28th November 2019, 18:51	#4
SCP440 I really should get out more....... MG ZT-T 260 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Witney Posts: 2,504 Thanks: 6 Thanked 910 Times in 571 Posts	I use Lock wire when I fit new ball joint covers, if you have the correct pliers for tightening it makes the job a breeze. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gear-Grem...QAAOSwfDtc96Sa

1st December 2019, 04:37	#6
marinabrian MG ZT Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne Posts: 20,151 Thanks: 3,565 Thanked 10,837 Times in 5,718 Posts	The large diameter part of the boot is secured with a spring clip wound around the groove of the boot, these are normally rusted to hell, and can be teased off with a small screwdriver Even better if it's in good condition, it can be reused to secure the new boot, far better than attempting to use a cable tie Look at the picture here, it's the blue bit Remember to wash out the gunge from the ball joint, and pack it with grease......don't pack the boot with grease, as this needs to be fairly dry at the point you wish to fix it to the arm Brian

1st December 2019, 20:31	#7
Comfortably Numb Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Penrith Posts: 1,336 Thanks: 165 Thanked 303 Times in 241 Posts	My recent experience of trying to refit those larger, coiled (blue) spring clips with the same small screwdrivers I had removed them with, while checking for the existence of grease, - and nearly puncturing on e rubber and my hand with screwdriver, made me find a better way. I found a 6" length of suitable, wide copper pipe, slit it down its length, and squeezed one end to make it slightly tapered, small enough at one end to get the spring clip over, big enough at the other to get it over the rubber, then forced the clip over the outside of the pipe until it came off the wide end and clipped into place, shoe-horn style.