Not as familiar as some of you with the suspension...

Got an advisory on these front bushes (red arrow)

So a few questions if I may:

1. Done a quick search, am I right in concluding it's easier to replace the arm(s)?

2. Has that arm has a ball joint on the wheel end?

3. If so I guess replacing the arm gets you a new bush and new ball joint.

4. Big job?
.

It is not that difficult, just need to remember to torque the bolts up with the car at normal ride height with weight on the front wheels.

The difficult part on that assembly is getting the ball joint out of the hub, but if you can split the arm from the ball joint without damaging the rubber then changing the arm is easy.

The ball joint is in the hub and can be left and not changed if not needed.

If you damage the rubber on the ball joint end then you will have to change that out which is a bit of a PITA. It will be rusted in position and require hammers, heat and cutting!

So don’t damage the rubber.

Personally I would doubt those rubbers in the end of the arm are shot. They are meant to have a large amount of movement in them to allow for axle articulation. Did the tester know what he was looking at? There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

I only replaced the bushes - sort of. They didn't look cracked but there was a 3-5mm gap between the bump-stop at the arm end and the centre flat when new bushes don't have a gap. Sure enough the old bushes were found to be very cracked and floating when removed.

I drove out 1 side ball-joint as I couldn't release the taper then used a press to remove the bush. The other side ball-joint wouldn't readily budge so that bush was changed in-situ using a bush change kit. However the ball-joint thread had sustained damage when it slipped off a jack whilst trying to release the taper then the thread snapped off when tightening the nut so a new ball joint had to be fitted anyway.

Do those ball joints take a good amount of wear?

If the ball joint is ok then maybe as Graeme did (attempted) I should just drop that end and press out the the bush.
Sounds like the ball joint end might be the tricky end anyway (so leaving that end better?)

Or if the ball joint will need doing at some point maybe I'm better to replace the arm with ball joint.
.
. Cheers, Greg
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

Last edited by GGDR on 14th Jan 2019 12:17pm. Edited 1 time in total

Changing the control arm is not difficult, I did the front passenger side in summer and learnt alot.

Its not so much the arm than it is the ball joint that wear away. So you are best replacing both control arms and the lower ball joint in the hub.

You just need to have the right tools to do the job. I didnt when I started but research and tips on the forum helped me which means when I do the drivers side, it will be a doddle.

You need:

1- proper ball joint splitter (ordinary ones will not do)
2- heat blow torch
3- chisel (i used and sds hammer drill with chisel head)
4- a proper hammer
5- patience and commitment

The ball joint is not easy, the two nuts that hold the ball joint may not come out and then the ball joint will have been badly rusted in. Have a wee search on my posts as Ive got some pictures of when I did it.

Dont just replace the control arm, you will have do it all again as the ball joint will have been worn out too.

Hope this helps.. if you need any help give us a shout. Current:
- L560 Velar HSE R-Dynamic D180
- Peugeot 508 2011 - 2.2 HDi GT

Past:
- FFRR V 2010 - 3.6 TDV8
- Citroen C4 1.6i Petrol
- Mitsubishi Shogun 3.2 DID
- Peugeot 607 2.2 HDi
- Nissan Primera 1.8 SVE
- Honda Civic 1.6 VTEC

I think Stan wikified my attempt....

Ah no, I didn't detail that bit as it was basically smash it, and heat it, and chisel it and bang it, and drill it, and hate it, and smash it some more........ There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

I’ve got to do the ballpoint on mine at the weekend so will try and do a decent write up when I do it for future reference.

Thanks guys.

Am thinking at the moment the rear bush and the ball joint are separate jobs.

So I might do the bush(es) leaving the ball joints in.

Then tackle the ball joint(s) when I start hearing "the clunk"

. Cheers, Greg
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

You need to get the bush aligned properly and will need a tool to wind it out and back in again if you are just swapping the bush. TbH if you can break the taper on the ball joint end without bu**ering the rubber then it’s a damn site easier to swap the whole arm, they aren’t that dear.

You will also need to jack up the hub/strut so that when you torque up the new bush/arm it is in its loaded position so measure from the arch to the centre of the hub before you jack up to start the job and jack up the hub knuckle to the same position before you torque it up. If you don’t do this you risk knackering the bush in short order👍🏻 There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

Ok thanks Mark, I'm still getting my head around it....

If an arm comes with a ball joint then hmm maybe replace the whole arm. The blowtorching puts me off. Mainly because I don't have one!

So removing the ball joint end is two rusty bolts?

Or two rusty bolts and a taper?

 Cheers, Greg
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

The next one of these I do I will def release driveshaft gaiter and roll it back out of the way cover with wet towel and heat the out of it replacement of gaiter a lot easier than fitting new one .Good luck

apparently, these are the handy for getting the ball joint bolts out.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bolt-Grip-Nut-R...ctupt=true

Ball joint bolts are the easy bit just don
don't try to force them a bit at a time is the answer

dexion7@yahoo.com wrote:

apparently, these are the handy for getting the ball joint bolts out.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bolt-Grip-Nut-R...ctupt=true

In my experience, absolutely worth their weight in gold

Over the years, these Irwin's have shifted many a (very) rusty bolt on our RR's. Expensive for what they are but they don't wear out and very often the only thing that will work.