Lower Ball Joints and CV's, PAIN IN THE BACKSIDE!

[crotchrocket]

So I'm due to go to France in 2 weeks off roading in some caves and the VX needs some new front outer CV joints and lower Ball joints (thanks everyone for your help in getting the correct 33 tooth outer CV's [TOM!] )

Went to fit them this weekend and had a REAL pain getting the lower ball joint off, eventually with a bit oh heat and a BF hammer it released itself, I then split the outer CV joint from the half shaft and fitted the new one, however like an idiot i greased it up before installation and theres an internal cerclip that needs pushing in carefully when putting the new cv joint on so i couldnt see anything i was doing and got covered in CV grease....NICE. Anyway i snapped that circlip and for some angry reason decided to put it on anyway as i cant see the half shaft can travel enough to pull out of the outer cv joint.

I mounted the new ball joint and proceeded to put things back together, and **** the lower ball joint was wrong. Turns out the 3.2 trooper has a different lower ball joint to the 3.5 trooper!!!!!! so i had to take the CV out again, take the new ball joint off that i cant take back as i installed the grease nipple etc and put the old one on. Then discovered that the BF hammer had an adverse effect on the castle nut thread took a fair amount of filing before getting the angle grinder out and cutting the stud so i could get the nut back on enough to move it out the way till next weekend.

All in all a fail in my part!!! AND the ABS light has come on meaning i probably knackered the sensor on that hub and i just checked the price of a new one and it made me cry

Have ordered the 3.5 (98-2006) trooper lower ball joints today and waiting for a replacement circlip for the cv joint which i'll have to pull apart next weekend.

And who knows maybe i'll get both sides done rather than just breaking one side


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[Ldub]

Dude...that sucks.

But look at all the useful new things you've learned......

Bet it goes better next time.

[tom4bren]

Dude, sorry to hear of your woes. But, the job may not be as difficult as you might think. Installing that clip ring in the CV outer race shouldn't mean disassembling the whole thing again. You should be able to move the boot out of the way & slip the opening of the clip ring around the shaft to get it in place.

I highly recommend that you get some anti-sieze to put on the shafts of any knuckles or ball joints that you take apart. It'll save you many headaches in the future. Basically Isuzu (or whoever they get them from) designed them with too shallow of a taper and when you tighten the castle nut, the shaft siezes in place (I know this first hand from a project I worked on at work years ago).

When you go to do the other side: Remove the castle nut, put the castle nut back on upside down to where it is flush with the surface you will be pressing on, then use the puller. The castle nut should protect the threads (as well as the hole for the cotter pin).

[crotchrocket]

Cheers guys, lets hope it goes better next time, and Tom thats definately the plan, just waiting for the new cerclip and the two wierd gaitor clips so i can open it all back up again!

Will try and rope in some help for next week, but hey on the plus side if it doesnt go to plan and i waste another weekend and the money for the trip i get to see Mr. Tom for dinner !

[tom4bren]

... but hey on the plus side if it doesnt go to plan and i waste another weekend and the money for the trip i get to see Mr. Tom for dinner !

I hope I don't get to see you Wheeling in caves sounds awsome & I wouldn't want you to miss it.

I think we're going to try & visit the Egyptology museum on 3 Jul (only open day on our itenerary). I'll hafta look at the tail end of the trip to see if there is any open time before departure but I don't think there is.

[RamAirZ]

I used some joints that said they were for 95'-02' Trooper and they worked for me. Sucks that you had such a pain in the arse but glad you figured it out!

[crotchrocket]

Well the new ball joints have arrived and look to be ok, fingers crossed! Just waiting for the new CV joint snap rings! (and some form of drug for the energy to do all this on Sat....busy week!)

[crotchrocket]

DONE and DONE

Im knackered and one of the CV's had to be cut out but its all up and working perfectly!! Just been 'wheelin' around my dads woods over some tricky hills with badger sets in and it got up and over everything! Especially with Marlin's trick of pulling the handbrake when loosing traction on the rear end!!!

Sun is out and my mouth is dry...im off to a well deservedm pint of stella at the pub!!!!

[Ldub]

DONE and DONE

Im knackered and one of the CV's had to be cut out but its all up and working perfectly!! Just been 'wheelin' around my dads woods over some tricky hills with badger sets in and it got up and over everything! Especially with Marlin's trick of pulling the handbrake when loosing traction on the rear end!!!

Sun is out and my mouth is dry...im off to a well deservedm pint of stella at the pub!!!!

.........