Thrust arm bushings.

[upallnight]

If you are using it to remove the tension/thrush arm from ball joint label 15 in the diagram it will work. If you are using it to remove the ball joint on the wishbone labeled 10 in the diagram, then it will not work.

[Blowout]

Originally Posted by upallnight

If you are using it to remove the tension/thrush arm from ball joint label 15 in the diagram it will work. If you are using it to remove the ball joint on the wishbone labeled 10 in the diagram, then it will not work.

I'm removing #6 from #15.


I've sprayed some PB blaster at the top of the taper pins to hopefully soak in and make the job go easier.

The tool is suppose to come on Monday. Probably won't get to taking the thrust arms off until next weekend.


Thanks for all the replies on this!

[upallnight]

I have used that tool on my PORSCHE, Lotus, G35 and my daughter Honda Fit and the wife’s minivan with no problems. Perhaps the other user that used that tool bought a cheap tool or didn’t know how to use it. My tool was made by OTC.

[X5chemist]

Assuming you are not going to use the installed one, easy. Turn the wheel so you can get a good look it. Take the wheel off. Take a 2 lb hammer and whack it at the ball joint. After a few hard whacks it will pop off. If you won’t have a big enough hammer, take the weight off the suspension. Unbolt the ball joint. Next, loosen the big bolt side. With weight off, the arm will just hang there.

[andrewwynn]

I just did these exact joints and one popped off with a simple pry with crowbar. However in my haste ten days earlier when I put the new tension strut on, I hit with the impact without torque and I clearly over torqued onto the Morse taper pin and stretched the eye of the strut possibly cold welded because no amount of force was working to remove it.

I was replacing ball joint so it didn't matter how hard I banged on it so I got a pickle fork in there and pounded until it wouldn't go in more and it still didn't come loose.

Eventually I put floor jack under the knuckle and 40-50 more hits with 4# copper hammer and it eventually came free.

That was the first one.

To prepare for the second I bought a 3/4-16 grade 8 bolt and was going to use a plate from my bearing press and was going to push down from bottom of shock tower.

I can tell you from experience the little ball joint separator would have broken in half long before mine would have come loose.

I suspect similarly the joint which is only supposed to have 80 N·m applied was likely over torqued like I did: I did it to myself!

Persistence will pay off you'll get it off.

If you can. Find a position to apply a bolt from bottom of shock to the strut you can apply a lot of force to preload then hit from the side to "ring" the bar they usually pop right off with that method.

[X5chemist]

My ball joints were new. I installed them three weeks prior. With the X5 on ramps, the left one popped off with 2 hammer hits. The right ball joint side was on tighter. I removed the ball joint so I wouldn't have to take the wheel off. For installation, I took off both wheels. I turned the ball joint so could insert the cotter pin with wheels on. Once the the arm was in place (loosely), I put the wheels with full weight to snug them up. I then removed the ramps and drove it a few feet back and forth. With full weight and settling, I tightened them using my 1/2" ratchet.

[X5chemist]

Interesting, I'll have to put my iPhone on the wheels. The rear inner wear is not too noticeable. Even without rotation. The cheap tires have 10,000 plus miles. The previous owner had free rotations and balance but didn't do it according to records at Discount Tire. I can move rear suspension maintenance down the list if it's within specs. The shocks have to go though.

[andrewwynn]

Take a photo from far behind (to remove parallax), and post it. I can measure the angles with Photoshop far more reliable than iPhone level (though I used to check mine occasionally that way).

The inner tire wear from the worn joints will be much more extreme with wider tires. My 255s lasted 2 weeks once I noticed the fast image wear. My 235s lasted 4 months. (the preload on the joint pushed the opposite direction)

[Blowout]

The tool already came this morning. It's beefier than other ball joint separators I've used in the past.






From Amazon, made by Gearwrench - https://www.amazon.com/GEARWRENCH-39...4820720&sr=8-6

[andrewwynn]

I recommend using it to pretension and hit the arm with a hammer vs. just the tool. I broke the end of a steel prybar and broke the fork off my new picklefork in the process. You will prevail.