Upper balljoint bolts....

[corsetts]

After a couple of hours of struggling and swearing, i've managed to get the old balljoint off.

However, the bolts appear to be fixed to the old balljoint and don't appear to be conventional bolts in that they seem to have a round end rather than hexagonal.

Can I assume that these aren't removeable? if not is there any type of bolt I need to replace them with when I go to B&Q ie high tensile, soft steel or anything?

Cheers

Chris

[stormforce]

the bolts on the ball joint are splined but you will need to give them a good hard clout with a hammer to get them out.You will be better off getting new H.T bolts to go back in

[davemaxx]

edited-- sorry stormforce..we must have both replyed at the same time...

they might be on splines like a stud, so if you put the nuts back on so you dont knacker the threads then knock them out with a hammer,

does this mean that your new ball-joint doesn't have the new bolts with it?

the ones i bought came just the same as the ones i took out, with the bolts already fixed in.

i can understand what you mean about the sweating and swearing over getting the upper ball joint out though. thoes bolt shafts make it more dificult.

if i remember right, i got a 4 foot long steel bar and sloted it into a hole in the chassis just below the upper wishbone and then sandwiched a piece of wood between it and the wishbone and then jacked the other end of the bar up, like a leaver.

[Albannach]

the ones i bought came just the same as the ones i took out, with the bolts already fixed in.

I know I miss some things sometimes, but if the new ones look exactly like the old ones, why do you think something's wrong?

[davemaxx]

I know I miss some things sometimes, but if the new ones look exactly like the old ones, why do you think something's wrong?

'urm yes i think you must do'

and no i don't,

the ball joints wear out, not the bolts and nuts

[corsetts]

Thanks fellas, much appreciated.

Richard, I understand what you were getting at in my last post now about damaging them.

I gave them a good clump with a hammer but they wouldn't shift so I thought they were welded in. New nuts and bolts tomorrow then, I reckon the other side will take less than 30 minutes (famous last words!!)

Cheers

Chris

[davemaxx]

you could do a local yellow page .com search for a fastners and fixings supplier (someone who you can talk to
no disrespect to B&Q, if they've got them they've got them,
but i think its quite important you get the right thing, and nothing made of toffee, the results could be nasty...

[TonyN]

I've never had a B/J that didn't come with new bolts, but then I've only got them from Roughtrax or local factors if needed same day.

Others may not.

[corsetts]

I got them from Milners, they were a lot cheaper than the roughtrax ones but I think in future I'll buy from Roughtrax.

No disrespect to Milners, they're the cheapest by far and the service is excellent but for a novice spannerman such as myself, I think I could save a lot of agro by paying a bit more in the first place.

There is this fixtures and fittings specialist fairly local to where I work so I'll go down there lunchtime and see what they have to offer, so thanks for the idea Davemaxx.

cheers

Chris