HELP?! Rear Wheel Carrier Ball Joints in, can't line everything back up
 

I've been a long time user of the site but this is my first post. I have scoured the archives for a specific answer to this, and can't find it.

My wife's 2001 3.0i developed the typical rear end squeak, first one side, then the other. My indy wanted like $1,000 to replace the wishbone arms and ball joints, which he was quite sure was causing the squeak. Hard to justify $1k for a noise, so we dealt with it for over a year. I decided after much research to attempt the DIY.

I ordered the Febi parts and rented the ball joint removal tool from faxman14. Well, now I'm about 6 hours in and the new ball joint and wishbone arm is installed on one side but cannot figure how to get the long eccentric bolt back in.

It is supposed to go right through the swing arm, then through the ball joint, then through the integral link, then out through the other end of the integral link.

HOWEVER....the wheel carrier ball joint ended up a good 2" below the swing arm, and I cannot figure how to maneuver everything so that it all lines up. Up top, the wheel carrier is tensioned by the spring right against the drive shaft. I have tried a crow bar to move it around (being careful not to pry against the drive shaft!) but cannot get the wheel carrier lifted up much at all.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Sincerely,
Lee

Use the jack to jack it up.

I thought about that. Have you done this and is the angle right? I was afraid of aligning the holes at the bottom but messing up the top if I put too much pressure on the bottom.

I will try that tomorrow. I also wondered if I should use a spring compressor. Seems easy enough and it would take most of that pressure off.

Thanks!
Lee

:iagree: My words exactly!

Okay...I'm still really stuck here. I have tried jacking the wheel carrier back up but it moves out from the car. Seems like pressure from the spring, acting on the front of the wheel carrier, keeps it firmly pressed to the drive shaft and swing arm assembly. I have tried to pry the wheel carrier away from the swing arm (inboard) while jacking the wheel carrier up but can't get the angles right.

I attached two pics, one of the showing the new ball joint and swing arm where they are hanging normally, and one showing where they end up after jacking the wheel carrier up.

Am I missing something? Should I remove the tension arm or dogbone, or compress the spring a little?

If I just need to keep fiddling with it, please tell me. Any advice is welcome!

Thanks

From the lower pic it seems like you could just push the wheel carrier toward the car and be done, but it ain't budging; the pressures are immense between the jack pushing the wheel carrier up on the outboard end, and the spring pushing it down on the inboard end. Help!

I am guessing you do not have the Bentley manual....did you let the air out of the air suspension? If not then once you deflate the air bags you should have no problem lining it back up.

Remove the spare tire and you will see the air suspension components and there is a blue and red line. Slowly disconnect the air fittings. Then you will be on your way to reassembling everything.

Jacking it up may end up bending one of the upper arms. You will only know after you get an alignment.

Thanks, Wally. I don't believe I have the air suspension; my 3.0 is pretty basic...nothing under the spare but the battery and red cables.

Should I go ahead and invest in the Bentley manual?

Sounds like you're in a pickle. I've never done that particular job, but done many like it. I think you have a few options. Pull it into position with something, a C-clamp or long wood clamp pictured (I've used these for tons of stuff, Home Depot), or a tie down strap with ratchet (around it and maybe the brake disc too). This in combination with the jack. Regardless be careful, safety glasses! Think outside the box. Removing the brake caliper and dust shield may help too.

Ok if you do not have air suspension then you are right you need to compress the spring. That is what you are fighting. When I did mine I had air suspension and did not let the air out and I fought it. Once I let the air out it was a simple job. DUH!! After that I bought the manual. It makes all the difference in the world.

Are you sure you do not have air suspension? I am reading the manual and I think all X5's come with EHC "electronic height control"