Ball joint splitters from Machine Mart

[paul4be]

Read a few postes about lower ball joints and various splitters etc.

Just thought that I'd mention the ones I used today.
They are from Machine Mart:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... -separator

It took 2 of them, but they're cheap enough.
Thing is with these, the jaws are wider than a lot seem to be, so no need to open them out. Also, I bent one of the fork legs, but as they are not cast like a lot of the fork type, it didn't break. Just used the grinder to get it back to a usable shape.

Hope that helps somebody!!

[damrabbit]

cheers mate might be useful as mine are squeaking like a whores bed springs

[jmc]

I found some useful films on (usa)youtube about ball joints.There is one where he jacks the car up jams a spanner into the resulting gap in the joint and then lowers the jack.All the force of the car goes on the ball joint which has to split. An effortless 2 minutes!

[horses45]

these are the ones i got the other week from thier
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... tive-tools
but still to try them

[Drift]

[paul4be]

I tried hammering the splitter in with the suspension jacked up, then dropping it, it did nothing!

Solution was the second splitter hammered in from the other side, together with a 5lb lump hammer and 18 stone swinging it!!!!

[4x4 bobby]

[Big Dave]

[vaux_2]

I replaced both my upper bj's when i did my lift and the first one popped off after 3 hits with the fork, the other took 2 evenings of blood, sweat and cursing (now wishing i'd done the lower ones at the same time now but anyhoo...)
I bought some of the forged ones from machinemart, £5 each and didn't break one.

The fork managed to completly mangle the rubber boot and surrounding metal on the 2nd bj pretty bad. When i hammered the fork in it started to bend the metal lip on the stock upper arm and the arm started moving when i hit so didn't get a good shock from the hit. Tried allsorts to get it to work, heating, 2 forks, super BFOH etc. Answer was to jack up the lower arm so that when the fork was inserted on the upper bj it had good contact with the flat underside of the upperarm. Left the jack in position and hammered and it split after about a minute. If it hadn't seperated on that attempt i think i may very well have been driving around in a fronty with an allover hammerrite finish

You live and learn and that was my first experience of them, wasn't fun! Not looking forward to doing the lowers next time

[alex]

The jack and drop technique does work at least some times. Did 2 on Fudsters car pretty easily.