Lower Ball Joints, 1983 280zx

[monza]

Chaps,

after 6 years of 'everytime i open my garage door i see my 280zx disappearing under more and more junk'...ive finally got enough time to get my porous power steering rack off

ready to be sent to kiley-clinton engineering for leak stopping repairs...

However, 'she' ( the car ! ) is making damn sure i know just how unloved she feels - the front brake hoses are perished, the track rod end boot covers have dissolved and the lower ball joint boot covers are also cheese like.

After looking in the workshop manual it says the lower ball joints need an industrial press to separate them from their top fitting which bolts to the bottom of the strut ( inorder to get new ball joint covers on )....and the same press to get the top fitting back on.

any words of wisdom from anyone who has done this before ? - it seems i might as well fit new ball joints at the same time....

anyone selling wrap around boot covers that save having to split the joint !?

cheers
richard.

 

[Mr.F]

Standard ball joint tools can be used to separate both ball joint and track rod end ball joint.
TRE gaiters available from stock.
280ZX ball joints a bit more difficult to obtain these days, but should be possible.
Front brake hoses available from stock.

 

[monza]

Mike,

thanks for the response,
my steering rack is now off
( following the useful tips from Replacing The Power Steering Rack In A 280ZX on using the mix of axel stands and bottle jack, etc)

When i get it back and bolted on, along with the front subframe, i will attack those lower ball joints and see if i can get them to pop apart using my ball joint splitter....

cheers
richard

 

[niroshann]

Ball joints are easy enough to take apart like MR. F has mentioned already. I have done these before and didn't need any machine. Just a ball joint splitter, some WD40 and a mallet.

 

[monza]

Chaps,

as an update,

steering rack back from KK, total price about 250 squids including 40 of them for 'proper' postage both ways - ie with good packaging and insurance high enough to cover a 'never seen it mate.....' shrug of the shoulders by the postman.

The rack is back on along with the front subframe, aligning the engine mounts could have caused a problem but luckily mine had only slightly moved and could be encouraged into place.

All the suspension is back together, ball joints replaced with some i found in my garage that, judging by the dust, i must of purchased new years ago. Brake hoses replaced ( thanks, mr f ). Calipers also stripped as one was binding.

Only comments are :
- yes you can split the lower ball joints with a pickle fork, but anyone who says 'mallet' as the weapon of choice is far stronger than me - i needed a sledge hammer.
- aligning the lower ball joint bolts with their holes is a bit of a shag, as you also have to align them with the 'i dont want to align' front stabilser arm. Jacking things up helped me.

at some point i will get the tracking checked and mot'd...

cheers
richard.