Lower ball joints and track rod ends, help me
Turbo Mini Forums

I need to repalce the lower ball joints and track rod ends on my mpi.

I have the haynes and the gear to do it but i'm not feeling to confident.

What i need or would like is someone who whilst not doing it for my would give me a hand to do it so i can learn myself.

I see it as why have all the theory and not know how to ACTUALLY do it.

Now i dont expect you to give your time for free. So i will be prepared to give the helpful person the some of the paper money as well as food and drink.

So anyone avaliable to help either on a weekend or week night?

Cheers

Dev

TurboDave said

"Fab's right of course.

Maybe you should take your styling ideas off the French instead! "

For a start, buy Genuine parts. alternatively for the ball joints you could just reshim, this depends if you have any spare shims from the last time you did some joints.

secondly, keep the old shims, they can come in handy for the above.

Better to take the whole hub off and do it in the vice. also do the uppers as well, they do come in a set for one side

Shim up the joints dry, torque them up. You should be able to move the pins with reasonable force. They should not be easy to move, but equaly they should not be hard to move.

If you have new track rod ends, check the 'tightness' of the pins on them as a gauge for the ball joints.

If the track rod ends are like for like, IE the same phisical length, back the lock nut off exactly one turn. Screw off the old end and screw on the new one to almost the same point, wind the lock nut up to the track rod end by one turn, if they do not meet, turn the track rod end till they do and tighten up. If the track rod is not pointing up turn it till it is.

There should be no real need to reset tracking. Its always better to get it checked to be sure, but all the times ive done it like this its been right. Thats if its right to start.

Realy sorry mate but im far too busy on the run up to christmas, otherwise it wouldnt be an issue.

Dont forgot use grinding paste, to smoothen out ball joint. but make sure you wipe it out when you putting it away for final time.

I don't really have the time to come over to Manchester, but if you bring the car over to Rotherham at some point I'll help you do it.

Cheers Tom, i can do that but when is best for you?

Not getting it back now till Sat as the dopey kid at the tyre place parked it in to a wall for me this morning and it needs fixing asap as bare metal is on show

let me know cheers

TurboDave said

"Fab's right of course.

Maybe you should take your styling ideas off the French instead! "

First clear weekend for me is 16th/17th December if that is any good??

I also have tracking gauges so can track it up properly afterwards.

That is tom yeah.

pm me your details to set it up.

how long do you think we will need to do it?

TurboDave said

"Fab's right of course.

Maybe you should take your styling ideas off the French instead! "

Just ball joints and TRE's? Allow 3 hours should be about right I'd say.

I will send you a PM

ok so morning of 16th?

TurboDave said

"Fab's right of course.

Maybe you should take your styling ideas off the French instead! "

Don't forget to take chocolate hobnobs...

chocolate hob nob's??

something you want to tell us dave?

TurboDave said

"Fab's right of course.

Maybe you should take your styling ideas off the French instead! "

So Dave, what is it?

Jimbo, can you confirm if all the Miglis guys really use these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=330265275087

holy shit vegard,
are you bored?
what would those extensions do to the geomemetry?

wow a two year update... nice

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!

vegard living up to his title again!

So does anyone know why the rubber on new track rod ends are as flexible as glass and crack up after a few months?

Old stock ?

they put in more synthetic rubber as they cant grow rubber plants fast enough?

I think that has something to do with it. TREs, CV boots and bumpstops don't last like they used to. I fear my life may decend into an abiss of cyclically changing rubber components on a bi-anual basis.

V you're getting a bit slow in your old age;

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=240040