# Replacing the lower balljoint on B14 (flowchart)



## Travis (Nov 18, 2004)

For sometime I was convinced my balljoint was loose - there was that deep clicking sound when starting up and un increasing tendency to the steer left. Anyway, as I went for an inspection I was told the lower right balljoint have to be replaced for a sticker, and the estimate was $215. So I decided to give it a shot.

Replacing the lower balljoint on B14

Time: 2.30 - 3 h

Tools: 
-Balljoint press. I loaned this one from Autozone. Without it you'll have to replace the whole control arm, $116 at Napa
-Balljoint fork. $10 at Autozone, but you can loan it also.
-2x 22mm long wrenches
-19mm wrench (preferrably with tube extension arm)
-Pliers

1)Raise the car and take the wheel off.
2)Spray the the control arm 22 bolt and the balljoint with WD-40
2.1)Put the extension on the 19 and loosen the 2 nuts on the back of the control arm. Mine were 10yr old and gave way at about....50-60 ft-lb. Take the 2 nuts off. The 3-rd nut (outer one) seem to be there for no reason (?)...it can stay or you can take that one also.
3)Loosen the bolt and nut. Prop the front (bolt head) wrench onto a piece of wood on the floor. Prop your foot into the control arm, wrap the wrench with a towel and PULL. It took at least 100 lb-ft to loosen this one. Take the nut off
4)Break the cottor pin. It's so rusty it won't ever get off. So by wiggling just break both ends.
5)With 22 loosen the balljoint nut ALL THE WAY UP! Do not disassemble the joit as then the shaft will start rotating WITH the nut and you'll have hard time taking the nut off. The nut will eventually hit the CV housing - that's as far as you can go probably. The more the better.
6)Insert the fork between the balljoint and the knuckle and try to just slightly disengage the balljoint, utill you take the nut off. Once it's completely off, disegage the balljoit completely.
7)Take the control arm off.
8)Put it into a vise
9)Take the old security ring (zeger-ring...is there an english name for that) off, shold be easy.
10)With the balljoint press, depress the old balljoint. I used the smallest ring, and it was just a bit narrow, but worked OK. Balljoint press is a beefy C-braket, and that's on purpose. It takes one hell of a force to take those off 3/8" thick steel. You might have to hammer the balljoint off the press ring afterwards.
11)Press the new balljoint with the press. ALIGN THE COTTER PIN HOLE PERPENDICULAR TO THE CONTROL ARM! Otherwise, later you'll have to insert that pin from a weird angle (as I did). Take a couple fo turns, check the alignment, do it again. To press the new one was generally easier than to depress the old one... try not to overtighten as you might damage the new balljoint.
12)Put the new security ring
13)Mount the control arm. First, align and put the balljoint shaft into the the knuckle. Than put the bolt and nut, and the 2 mounting nuts on the back. Don't tighten anything. Put the nut on on the balljoint.
14)Raise the balljoint with the jack untill the control arm is parallel with the car. The car will probably rest on the jack.
15)Hammer the knuckle few times just in case there's any slack left.
16)Tighten the balljoint nut. Put the cotter pin. You might have to cut some of the pin if it's tail is too long
17)Tighten all the screws. Tighten the bolt and nut as hard as you can
18)Put the wheel back and lower the car
19)Drive for 2-3 days and recheck all the screws. You might be able to do that even without raising the car.

GOOD LUCK!


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