whats a good ball joint splitter?

The bottom?wishbone ball joint will drift out with enough lube (oooeerrrrrr)

 

To all those struggling with the screw-type ones slipping off; try leaving the nut on a couple of turns, so the jacking bolt has something to locate into...basic engineers` solution...

I tried a fork-type one, once. Literally, once! First smack of the hammer it split in two. Sh*te!

 

My never-fail technique is to take my three-foot breaker, and wedge it suitably under the front subframe mounting point, then a give it a good stamp/bounce, and out it pops (may require liberal application of WD40 beforehand, if some bodger has fitted it with out anti-seize compound!)

Never bent a wishbone yet...

 

So, I am a 'basic engineer' am I?

http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=221960

Post #1

1600 hrs.

Put the ball joint remover up to the ball joint. Would it fit? Would it hell as like! The steering arm is fabricated and about 50mm wide. My diddy little remover won't go near it. I checked the price of a large joint breaker. 90 and a 10 miles round trip on the m-trax. No thank you. As I would never consider using other than elegant means of doing a job, i wondered what to use. My small two arm bearing puller is reversable and fitted nicely. I put a nut onto the bottom of the ball joint thread,(I always do this, it stops the remover from slipping off the end of the thread) and fitted and tightened the puller as much as I dare. It is not big enough to do the job on its own. So, I protected the ball joint rubber boot, with a piece of aluminum, cut to fit around it, and warmed up the arm with the brazing torch. A couple of taps, with a dead blow hammer, on the end of the puller screw, and the joint was loose.

 

You and me, both...

 

For sure! For sure!

 

One thing that makes getting the bottom ball joints out and in again, is to jack up both sides of the vehicle so you are not trying to lever against the anti rollbar.