Front control arms

[Ian65]

has anyone changed the ball joint in their front control arms.
Mazda sell the arm and balljoint complete as a new unit...



and charge plenty for it.

The balljoint is available on it\'s own though  for a tenner each.



 I\'m thinking that I might as well change mine while the suspension is stripped as they could theoretically be 25 years old.

I reckon that if I heat up the control arm, the balljoint will push out and I could  use the same method to install the new one.

Any thoughts anyone???


.

[syebba]

When i\'ve taken ball joints off in the past on dax cobra i used a balljoint splitter,approx £15,very easy to use.
To refit heat surrounding metal,bit of grease on balljoint,lump of wood & whack it in!
Out of interest whats mazda want for 1 arm & balljoint complete £125???
ta stu...

[kiwimazda]

I think the ball joint will come out like that.
Also I think the ball joint is the same on the 626 as I seem to recall getting one(I have it somewhere)

[Ian65]

It\'s getting the balljoint out of the control arm that\'s the tricky bit as it\'s been in there for ever and is rusted in.
I thought plenty of heat would expand the control arm and free the balljoint.
The balljoint is splined around its base so if I reheat I should be able to push the new one in and as the metal cools and contracts it should secure the balljoint into the arm.

or am I missing something?? Is it really that simple?

[kiwimazda]

You may need to use a press or jig up something in your vice.Its just a bit more controlable..unless you are pressing in new wheel studs and the big record vice snaps..yep but that another story that better left on the workshop floor where i ended up

[shaunwil]

I pressed mine out on a 20t press but it didn\'t need much. I had to wrap it in a wet towel and tack weld the joint back in to stop it falling out ! Over heated one and it didn\'t last long. Mate swapped it over at last MOT and didn\'t cost much !

Shaun

[Ian65]

Yeah, I should be able to rig something up, if I get the arm hot enough, it should go in a bit easier.
Here\'s a better pic of it...

[kiwimazda]

And you could use the old one that you took out in a footie sock as self defence...did I just say that out loud

[myatt1972]

It\'s getting the balljoint out of the control arm that\'s the tricky bit as it\'s been in there for ever and is rusted in.
I thought plenty of heat would expand the control arm and free the balljoint.
The balljoint is splined around its base so if I reheat I should be able to push the new one in and as the metal cools and contracts it should secure the balljoint into the arm.
 
or am I missing something?? Is it really that simple?

Ive got some portable oxygen & acetylene bottles if you want to borrow them, the secret is to heat the arm quickly before the heat transfers to the ball joint.

[mpk490p]

yes did mine, think i did them in the vice at home  simples!

[Ian65]

thanks for all the advice guys, I\'ll give it a go.

[syebba]

thanks for all the advice guys, I\'ll give it a go.

I knew you would.
ta stu

[David Nock (RIP)]

I\'d be a bit nervy of spoiling the new joint.
I think, if it were me I\'d belt out the old one (with blowtorch), then take the arm and the new ball joint to my local friendly machine shop who\'d use their shop press on it to fit the new one. A lot of machine shops made a good living from cylinder heads, bearing fitting and such like just a few years back. One still exists near me.

[drutin]

hello,
 
do not heat anything,
 
all you do is use a hydraulic press, press out and clean, then press in
 
do not heat as it will be unsafe, its not the type of arm you heat
 
later
glen

[Ian65]

I took a load of bits to a local engineering firm to be shotblasted as he\'s done bodyshells etc for me in the past and in the middle of his workshop was the biggest press I\'ve seen...
so as well as blast the arms clean, he\'s gonna press out the bushes for me ( and press the new ones in if I get them in time)