How Do You Remove The Wishbone From The Hub?

[welshpug 1,655]

push the hub inwards as you move the arm down, when it goes back together ensure all corrosion is gone and use plenty of anti-seize compound, next time round youll only need the spanners

[Fox 3]

it will just drop straight out with gentle leverage using a balljoint fork.

 

I've got one of these forks, it seems to just split the balljoint rubbers though?

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

I've got one of these forks, it seems to just split the balljoint rubbers though?

They can damage the balljoint rubbers but usually only if you use a hammer with them & not just hand pressure.

 

If you still have the balljoint protectors fitted though it shuld be fine.

 

g

[shonkers 6]

yep youve got the right idea big bar fat mate to jump on it another tip which ive sometimes used is hammering a chisel into the slot that holds the ball joint to widen the hole a tad so the ball joint can pop out more easily then get on the big bar

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

yep youve got the right idea big bar fat mate to jump on it another tip which ive sometimes used is hammering a chisel into the slot that holds the ball joint to widen the hole a tad so the ball joint can pop out more easily then get on the big bar

 

Seriously dont lever it with a bar you will oval the hub in no time!

 

I have ovalled a couple of hubs by levering them with a bar

Edited December 19, 2011 by Paul_13

[lagonda 42]

Can't understand how some are saying no need for a long bar/lever. Perhaps they're thinking GTi, not base model. Basically, the main suspension spring is pushing the wishbone down, & the ARB wants to stay just where it is. I always slap Coppereze on the ball joint pin, but it still takes a lot of leverage to part the two. It's not difficult or hard work provided you lever at a point giving good leverage between the subframe & ARB, & the lever is pretty long. Yes it would help if you have retainers on the coil spring, or jack under the hub...don't like doing that as too much scope for things to go wrong. As previous post stated, driving a chisel/thick screwdriver in the pin clamp joint can help, especially if the bolt/nut have been overtightened....but remember it only needs spreading SLIGHTLY.

Regarding the spring ring retaining the boot in place; instal boot, slip ring over boot. Hold the ring where it sits, using the other hand to feed the lower tail of the ring into it's recess in the boot. Once you can't feed any more in, carefully insert a thin screwdriver between the ring & the boot...importantly, make sure the tip of the blade is below the edge of the boot, ie against the metal body of the joint. Then, keeping the screwdriver vertical, just push it around the joint, levering slightly outwards, & the ring will then feed into place.

[Alastairh 47]

Seriously dont lever it with a bar you will oval the hub in no time!

 

I have ovalled a couple of hubs by levering them with a bar

 

Hold on, in post 16, you agree to using a bar/pole.

[welshpug 1,655]

 

this is what most dealers have, no need to use boot damaging forks etc.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

A big bar to lever it out! I'm lcuky and borrow a friends tool for it when I'm doing it, one of these bad boys

 

http://www.toptoolsh...22_3455974.aspx

 

 

 

this is what most dealers have, no need to use boot damaging forks etc.

 

 

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

As previous post stated, driving a chisel/thick screwdriver in the pin clamp joint can help, especially if the bolt/nut have been overtightened....but remember it only needs spreading SLIGHTLY.

This is the easiest way to run a perfectly good hub, you should never need to spread the hub joint to get the balljoint out.

 

A GTI wishbone should come out of the hub quite easily as mentioned because it has nothing holding it in place other than the pin to hub interference & the inner wishbone bushes having been clamped properly with the weight of the car oin its wheels but the base model is as alrteady stated held by the arb which doesn't make it easy.

 

With only one wheel off the ground this makes it even worse imo because you have induced twist into the arb already but with the front end fully off the ground on axle stands both front shocks are at full extension & it doesn't need as mucvh force to get them out but I always found clampoing the springs the easiest way.

 

I used an old handbrake cable inner & M8 bolt drilled through to do this many times without an issue.

 

g

[kyepan 291]

The other thing about jacking it up is it brings the pin into a more vertical position.