Ball joint or drop arm?

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marjon

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So I had to do it !!!
After much reading of threads on this, I was still unsure what I would end up doing. Having seen problems with getting arm off I decided to go (first) with the ball joint.
Recent visit back to Uk so ordered both arm and ball joint to bring back just Incase I had problem with the top cup which many seem to have a big problem with.
Drove it into the garage around 11am, sat back in the house with a cup of coffee 3:30pm. I don’t have any specialist tools to work on the car except the big hammer:).
So away we go nut off, circlip out, break taper. And all bits out by 12:30.
Now the top cup challenge, pic before clean up but I agree not much to get a hold of..

upload_2018-9-14_17-55-10.jpeg


After a slurp of coffee and some measuring I went about my tool box with my calipers and came up with this.

upload_2018-9-14_17-59-41.jpeg


Please ignore the slight self lubrication on the swivel, and the fact I have no steering stops:(.
I had cleaned internals with wire wheel and soaked with that oil in a can. While hunting for my special tools.
A few minutes later I had this on the floor.
upload_2018-9-14_18-6-31.jpeg


I guess I won’t be needing that arm I brought:).
Another good clean up and checking of parts, I was on to put it back together with nice new bits with grease.
Sorry forgot to get pics of re-assemble, but safe to say that little spring is pretty strong and the whimpy clamp I started with didn’t get it, so finally in and circlip in place,new boot and packed full of grease all the way.

upload_2018-9-14_18-15-3.jpeg


Reason for the slack in the joint in the first place? Apart from the spilt boot and lack of grease, I guess the lazy spring didn’t help.
upload_2018-9-14_18-17-44.jpeg


Hopefully we can now drive down the road in a straight line:).

Jon.
 
Yes I can see the bolts but surely they don’t stop against the hub like they do?

1st defender I have had, but come on sure LR didn’t use that face as a stop!!

Jon.
 
Me too!:D

Nice one, I'm going to be doing this soon as have play in the drop arm ball joint and the drag link/track rod ends. Tis a smidge vague lol
 
Thats how I do it, same idea to put the new one in :)
When putting the circlip on the bottom I use a jack with a small socket to push the cap up.

Its easier than removing the drop arm. :)
 
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What tool are we talking? To take out the top cup or put the the bottom plate back in?
The top cup I found no problem (maybe I was lucky with the sockets to hand), the spring compression was the the hardest bit.

Jon
 
Yes I can see the bolts but surely they don’t stop against the hub like they do?

1st defender I have had, but come on sure LR didn’t use that face as a stop!!

They did lol

And they carefully designed it so that as the vehicle ages you get a nicely worn notch in both the bolt and the swivel, this nicely coincides with tyre wear/tread reduction to give you even more steering lock without the tyres catching on the radius arms! Very clever of those chaps at land rover :D:D.


What tool are we talking? To take out the top cup or put the the bottom plate back in?
The top cup I found no problem (maybe I was lucky with the sockets to hand), the spring compression was the the hardest bit.

I would agree with you there. Having done mine a couple of times now the getting it out is the easy part. I have still not found a sensible method to compress everything enough to get the circlip back in place.
 
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