Removing tapered balljoints without destroying dust cover

[DavidB]

Separating the ball joint - sometimes you can't use one of those screw in type ones, and have to resort to the fork type.
I've found this simply rips the dust cover to bits everytime and have to install new ones. A bit of a pain! I want to change my suspension after taking engine out (and detroying dust covers the first time), and doing this again means buying more!
Does anyone have any tips or correct tools for the job?

[omega]

slaken nut then use 2 hammers one either side

[welshpug]

depends on the car, but most I work on I just give the swift thumps on the side of whatever houses the tapered pin, be it steering arm or wishbone, you do need a decent swing and not too heavy a Hammer, so you can actually swing it, but not too light that it just bounces

One pet hate of mine, seeing claw hammers in a car toolkit, they're useless on cars!!! Ball-Pein or small sledge/long handled lump hammers FTMFW.

[bavarianretro]

Dec 26, 2013 17:13:42 GMT omega said:

slaken nut then use 2 hammers one either side

Never failed me in over thirty five years since I was first shown this technique. 

[DavidB]

I can't picture how this can work - and how there is room to do it?

[welshpug]

depends on the car!!!

[mat91]

As said above, I'm a mechanic and I can't remember the last time I used a splitter, I use a small shafted lump hammer and it very rarely fails and I work on every colour and Creed,
If it's on pinch bolt style you can use a chisel to open up the hub then hit the hub and it will go or slide a long strong bar between the body and the lower arm and then hit the bar while another guy pulls the bar down, these methods never fail and if they do your not hitting it hard enough
Hope that makes sense

[welshpug]

if its a pinch bolt type it should just slide out with the appropriate leverage downwards, you should NEVER prise open a pinch bolt clamp, perfect way to weaken them, I have seen rather too many ovalled clamps and several cracked balljoint clamps which is scary as there's nothing holding your wheel in the arch when that goes.

[bavarianretro]

Dec 26, 2013 18:41:03 GMT DavidB said:

I can't picture how this can work - and how there is room to do it?

To be fair, it's only the most obstinate that need the two hammer approach. Normally a good belt with a big hammer  aimed at the widest accessible part of the taper  is enough. 

[cobblers]

"Hit the bit that it goes through"


it's never failed me!
Like mat says, if it doesn't pop out you need to hit it harder. If it still doesn't pop out you need a bigger hammer. I rarely have to use two hammers - you can just hold one of them on the other side, you don't need to swing them both.

It just makes the hole go microscopically oval which releases the stiction and the taper pops out.

[bortaf]

The 1 or 2 hammer trick is 99% the answer BUT there is the odd joint that wont move at all but that will be an old rusty one not a recent fittment, trust me the hammer route can fail, i've even had balljoints that have snapped lever balljoint seperators and sheared forked ones and on those heat is the only answer but as i say recent joints wont need all the overkill of half of what i describe

[DavidB]

That's brilliant - I thought you meant use a claw hammer and prize out the threaded part.

[mat91]

Dec 27, 2013 11:43:09 GMT welshpug said:

if its a pinch bolt type it should just slide out with the appropriate leverage downwards, you should NEVER prise open a pinch bolt clamp, perfect way to weaken them, I have seen rather too many ovalled clamps and several cracked balljoint clamps which is scary as there's nothing holding your wheel in the arch when that goes.

SHOULD come apart but they rarely do, ive not talking masses here just enough, its perfectly safe its designed to move from being of the pinch type

[khimanimohiki]

2 hammer method has never worked for me, Recently snapped a Clarke splitter, any recommendations for a new one which doesn't mash up the threaded end as well?

[stealthstylz]

I've never needed 2 hammers, just jack the suspension up somewhere on the hub and hit the side of the female taper hard.

[hardtop]

^^^ agreed, 1 hammer, 1 length of 3/4 inch round steel bar, never had a problem spliting any ball joint this way