There Must Be A Way.......

[Guest percy]

of separating the lower wishbone ball joint without splitting the gaitor. I replaced the N/S driveshaft yesterday but in the process managed to split the gaitor with the ball joint splitter. This is the second time I have attempted a lowerwishbone removal and on both occasions, despite my best endeavours, split the damn thing. I need to do the O/S driveshaft at the weekend but can't see any way of splitting the ball joint without tearing it apart and at £120 a time it's a costly mistake - Help please.

 

P.S. Can you buy a gaitor repair kit?

[DaveK 0]

how do you mean split it? do you not just unbolt the lower hub bolt at the ball joint and knock the ball joint down (hitting the arm) and out along with the arm?

[Pugnut 9 1 Cars]

adding to davek's comments you're best to support the hub while hitting the arm downwards.use another jack or blocks of wood or whatever you have for that. you can use a long bar to give you a good swing with the hammer.

 

its also possible to wedge the joint open slightly . this is done by tapping in a chisel or big screwdriver into the slot but personally i prefer the first method . The locating hole has a tendancy of ovaling out through a combination of old age , hard cornering and overtightening the joint . Any extra wedging open can only help the hole become irregular.

 

 

Al

[mak 0]

A handy tip is to pry the ball joint locating 'ring' open a little by spreading it with a alrge spade scre driver or coal chisel etc, this will allow you to knock/lever the arm down with less effort required.

 

on a side note, surely you can just replace the gaitor with no need to replace the whole unit??

 

edit...beaten to it by mere seconds!

Edited June 6, 2006 by mak

[Guest percy]

Is there enough room to swing a hammer at it with enough force to release it? I have called Peugeot about a replacement gaitor but apparently it's not a spared item. Is a split gaitor an MOT failure?

Edited June 6, 2006 by percy

[DaveW 6]

i believe so it is an mot fail...., you can hit down with a hammer but it can be tricky. i also have spilt the gaitor when using a fork ball joint spillter.

[Pug_101 0]

Is there enough room to swing a hammer at it with enough force to release it? I have called Peugeot about a replacement gaitor but apparently it's not a spared item. Is a split gaitor an MOT failure?

 

 

You can buy universal gaitors for a couple of quid (there stepped and you cut them down to the right size). Try your local motorfactors.

I use a wedge type balljoint splitter,but use it on the wishbone and edge of the hub rather than over the balljoint itself and some hammering to get mine out.

Cheers.

[steve@cornwall 100]

i believe so it is an mot fail...., you can hit down with a hammer but it can be tricky. i also have spilt the gaitor when using a fork ball joint spillter.

 

I always put a bar between the wishbone and bottom of the hub and pry it apart, if it's very tight- hit down with a big hammer. you can use large open end spanners to pack it open if it needs to be done in stages. Haven't split a gaitor YET

 

PS IF you,ve split the gaitor, clean outside with meths and repair "artistically" with black panel sealant (Tiger seal etc) Should pass mot.

Edited June 6, 2006 by steve@cornwall

[Alastairh 47]

OR for Drive shaft swaps, use this nice little trick.

 

Top hub bolt for the strut, undo this, then get the 8mm sump plug key bolt, put this in the back of the clamp of the hub, and twist using one hand and a spanner, and the other hand lightly knock the hub down using a lump hammer.

 

One of the best tricks i've learnt whilst working on a 205.

 

Alastair

Edited June 6, 2006 by Alastairh

[mattmk1 0]

You cant replace the gaitor, you have to replace the entire arm, but i normally lever it apart with a length of scaffold pole, which causes no damage to the gaitor.

 

£120 seems very steep, is this a genuine peugeot item?

[Guest percy]

Yeah it's a genuine Pug item, not sure of the quality of other manufactured arms, are they as good - someone told me that they are not always made to the same dimensions which could lead to problems with castor angles, anybody recommend a good aftermarket replacement?

[mattmk1 0]

Yeah it's a genuine Pug item, not sure of the quality of other manufactured arms, are they as good - someone told me that they are not always made to the same dimensions which could lead to problems with castor angles, anybody recommend a good aftermarket replacement?

 

 

I replaced mine with a pattern item from GSF for £45 ish , i havent suffered any adverse tyre wear/castor angles etc. Every cars built witha a degree of tolerance and id have thought that pattern parts are within those tolerances. Doesnt seem worth paying nearly 3 times a much to me.

[fangio 1]

I can't believe you're all talking about hitting the arm with big hammers and wrenching with levers.

 

If, as has already been mentioned, you open up the clamp, all that is needed is to push on the bottom of the suspension leg, towards the gearbox, (releasing the pressure on the joint in the clamp) then with one arm ( no I'm not Arnold Schwarzanegger) it really is that easy, pull the w/b arm down. You can also loosen the w/b bush bolts to allow movement on the w/b arm.

 

Sorry. But simple as.

[Ahl 4]

Sorry. But simple as.

By wedging the clamp open your making it go out of shape and stop clamping sooner. Whacking the arm is more of a pain but won't damage anything and keeps the movement of the clamp to the minimum.

[mattmk1 0]

I can't believe you're all talking about hitting the arm with big hammers and wrenching with levers.

 

If, as has already been mentioned, you open up the clamp, all that is needed is to push on the bottom of the suspension leg, towards the gearbox, (releasing the pressure on the joint in the clamp) then with one arm ( no I'm not Arnold Schwarzanegger) it really is that easy, pull the w/b arm down. You can also loosen the w/b bush bolts to allow movement on the w/b arm.

 

Sorry. But simple as.

 

 

 

Not really as it depends what car your repairing and how badly worn the balljoint is. Mine was knackered and literally fell to pieces once i undid the bolt. However ive repaired many cars where ive had to lever the bottom arm to split the balljoint.

[fangio 1]

Yes. I appreciate that Ahl, I'm talking a gnats here, just to release the hold, not 'opening it right up'. Also a little mech oil helps.

 

If you look at the angle that the joint goes in, it is angled at the top towards the g/b. Therefore, if you push the leg in you make that angle vertical and pressure is then minimal inside the clamp. It's this force, more than any seizing normally, holding the joint in place.

 

I've done loads over the years on different cars and admittedly used the hammer and lever initially, until I discovered this 'angle'.

 

Don't want an argument - just want to advise, which isn't often. I know I'm no mechanic.

 

If something can be done without brute force, then surely that's a better option.

 

I've broken and bent enough parts and had the bruises to show for ignorant practices.