A couple questions about tension-strut replacement.

[garrett.fell]

Yesterday my new Meyle tension-struts and ball-joints showed up, so this little project should be starting within the next week hopefully. I opted to buy the entire strut rather than messing with just replacing the bushings.

Last night I did a bit of reading on the forum on the topic and dug through the TIS to no avail

I wasn't able to find a good DIY so I have a few questions. What's the best way to approach this?

1. Unbolt big-end
2. Remove the two screws holding the ball joint in place.
3. Leave the single nut in place
4. Lever the joint out of its home by pulling on the big-end?

I started soaking everything in PB blaster last night. I'll hit it a couple more times over the next few days.

Some of the reading I was doing suggested that the ball joints are difficult to remove and you needed to hit-it from above but there is very little room.

Anyone have any tips? I do have an air hammer/chisel




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[4.8isX5]

This...

3/4" Forged Ball Joint Separator


The thrust arm on mine where it slips over the balljoint by the knuckle, would just not slide off with anything... others say theirs popped off easy, just depends on your luck.

Thats what got mine to slip off using an impact gun on that tool... without it wouldnt have happened.

[garrett.fell]

You're talking about separating the ball joint from the the tension-arm? (The single nut)

Then you need to remove the joint from the larger assembly separately?



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[upallnight]

I find that if you have a BFH no matter how tight the ball joint is you can always get it loose.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by upallnight

I find that if you a BFH no matter how tight the ball joint is you can always get it loose.

x2. If its not coming off you need a bigger hammer. My 4 lb mini sledge gets basically anything off.

[garrett.fell]

Still not exactly clear on this.

I have a BFH - where do you apply the use of the BFH?

I have not taken this apart yet, so I am not 100% familiar with the anatomy.

I assume the single stud coming off the ball-joint and is secured to the tension-strut with a single-nut will come apart with a pickle-fork or a separator tool fairly easily

The ball joint assembly is then installed into a socket and is held in-place with two big screws from the bottom. . You'd need to use the BFH from above to push the BJ assembly out and down? But there is no room to hammer from above? You cannot hammer on it from below because it's installed from the bottom - if that makes sense.


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[Ricky Bobby]

Take the top nut off the BJ, and whack the shit out of the "fat portion" of the thrust arm to separate them. Then beat the shit out of the end of the ball joint (upwards) to pop it out of the spindle (you'll have to undo the E14 bolts on the spindle first as well)

Make sense?

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

Take the top nut off the BJ, and whack the shit out of the "fat portion" of the thrust arm to separate them. Then beat the shit out of the end of the ball joint (upwards) to pop it out of the spindle (you'll have to undo the E14 bolts on the spindle first as well)

Make sense?

If a picture is worth a thousand words what is a video worth? Priceless



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDsci-izhhc

[RFaber]

BFH works good, so does the 3/4 ball joint separator, also a pickle fork is nice. i undid the front of the tension rod, then used the ball joint separator to pop if off the ball joint. then the assembly slips out and you can slide in the new one and youre good to go! just tighten the bolt when there is proper tension on the tension arm. (ie truck is level on the lift or ground. (yes you have to put the wheel back on and lower it) i also added a couple 45lb plates to the front seat to "simulate" a drivers weight, ok maybe more than a "couple"! lol)

[garrett.fell]

Ah!!! I gotcha. For some reason I was thinking about this a little backwards!! Thanks!


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