- Posts
- 44,834
- Location
- East Dorset
Oh dear it's "knock Stanley" day today! For your info the OP never specified which type of ball joints he was trying to separate.
Disco 2 Landyzone online Garage course
- Thread starter Badger688
- Start date
This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Colthebrummie
Well-Known Member
- Posts
- 9,870
- Location
- Thatcham
Ive used hammers to loosen ball joints but I usually regret it after I've wacked the wheel arch a couple of times. I once had an arc welder with a carbon pencil torch attachment that was meant for brazing. It could produce phenomenal heat very quickly and very locally, nothing stayed stuck after a couple of seconds being blasted with that.
Col
Col
Rangie Disco Sportsman
Active Member
- Posts
- 114
- Location
- Somerset
The thing about lorry ball joints is they er don’t have them, they have king pins which present their own problems for removal.
- Posts
- 44,834
- Location
- East Dorset
Rangie Disco Sportsman
Active Member
- Posts
- 114
- Location
- Somerset
Yes, if you click through any of those ball joints listed they're all for Dodge or Chevy pickup trucks.
Sorry, from reading your posts on this thread. I think you're an experienced internet BS merchant and not an experienced mechanic and people should take any of your advice with a big pinch of salt.
Learn something every day , is that just hgv s that don’t have the ball joints or same with the 7.5 ton vehicles
Daft question if I may , so a ball joint is the same as a track rod end then plse
Many thks
Rangie Disco Sportsman
Active Member
- Posts
- 114
- Location
- Somerset
I'm not sure the OP has clarified but 'doing ball joints' would normally mean steering knuckle ball joints. This other guy is blathering on about steering ball joints but on a disco 2 if it's steering ball joints plural it will usually mean replacing either the entire drag link or tie rod because the balljoint it crimped on one end and they're dirt cheap just for the whole pair and getting them out isn't an issue as a smack with a hammer and bit of heat works fine and it doesn't matter if you wreck the rubber boot.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Discovery-2-Track-Rod-Steering-Arm-Drag-Link-98-04-TIQ10-QHG40/371353820773?fits=Model
iscovery|Plat_Gen:MK+II&hash=item5676699e65:g:VbUAAOSwv0tVgDgBThat's why I'd presume steering knuckle ball joints which are a different kettle of fish and much more problematic to remove you can see this guy doing it here
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Discovery-2-Track-Rod-Steering-Arm-Drag-Link-98-04-TIQ10-QHG40/371353820773?fits=Model
iscovery|Plat_Gen:MK+II&hash=item5676699e65:g:VbUAAOSwv0tVgDgBYour Disco 3 isn't such a problem with ball joints because they part of the suspension arms and they're just replaced as a whole unit so pressing the ball joints in and out isn't required.
No lorries, beyond perhaps a tiny number of one offs perhaps, really have steering knuckle ball joints they have king pins which go straight through
https://www.truckparts4u.co.uk/prod...fYQ4bwEKkvVJCLgsHzeHGEF5uhAdMWpgaAqduEALw_wcB
The reason they don't need knuckle ball joints is they are not four wheel drive like a Land Rover so they have no need for space to accommodate a driveshaft going through the middle of the steering knuckle.
Yes, trucks do have steering ball joints on tie rods and drag links, just larger, and in the case of eight legger tippers and mid-lift steers they'll have two sets interconnected but again like a Disco 2 you'd talk about drag links and tie rods and they're usually crimped one end. Again getting them out isn't that much of an issue and you're not usually bothered about the boot as it's rare to need to disconnect and reinstall them as unlike a Land Rover, there's no drive to the steered axles so hubs can be removed and you don't have to worry about drive shafts.
Certainly in 30 years of fixing trucks I've never undone a tie rod ball joint and driven it over a pothole to try and pop it out or known anyone who has - loosen wheel nuts and driven the truck, and braked heavily, to free a wheel corroded to the hub then yes, that's done all the time.
I'm not sure the OP has clarified but 'doing ball joints' would normally mean steering knuckle ball joints. This other guy is blathering on about steering ball joints but on a disco 2 if it's steering ball joints plural it will usually mean replacing either the entire drag link or tie rod because the balljoint it crimped on one end and they're dirt cheap just for the whole pair and getting them out isn't an issue as a smack with a hammer and bit of heat works fine and it doesn't matter if you wreck the rubber boot.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Discovery-2-Track-Rod-Steering-Arm-Drag-Link-98-04-TIQ10-QHG40/371353820773?fits=Model
That's why I'd presume steering knuckle ball joints which are a different kettle of fish and much more problematic to remove you can see this guy doing it here
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Discovery-2-Track-Rod-Steering-Arm-Drag-Link-98-04-TIQ10-QHG40/371353820773?fits=Model
Your Disco 3 isn't such a problem with ball joints because they part of the suspension arms and they're just replaced as a whole unit so pressing the ball joints in and out isn't required.
No lorries, beyond perhaps a tiny number of one offs perhaps, really have steering knuckle ball joints they have king pins which go straight through
https://www.truckparts4u.co.uk/prod...fYQ4bwEKkvVJCLgsHzeHGEF5uhAdMWpgaAqduEALw_wcB
The reason they don't need knuckle ball joints is they are not four wheel drive like a Land Rover so they have no need for space to accommodate a driveshaft going through the middle of the steering knuckle.
Yes, trucks do have steering ball joints on tie rods and drag links, just larger, and in the case of eight legger tippers and mid-lift steers they'll have two sets interconnected but again like a Disco 2 you'd talk about drag links and tie rods and they're usually crimped one end. Again getting them out isn't that much of an issue and you're not usually bothered about the boot as it's rare to need to disconnect and reinstall them as unlike a Land Rover, there's no drive to the steered axles so hubs can be removed and you don't have to worry about drive shafts.
Certainly in 30 years of fixing trucks I've never undone a tie rod ball joint and driven it over a pothole to try and pop it out or known anyone who has - loosen wheel nuts and driven the truck, and braked heavily, to free a wheel corroded to the hub then yes, that's done all the time.
Bless u for taking he time to write all that out, most appreciated
I’ll have a good read and check out the links
Thank u and Very grateful to u
@Rangie Disco Sportsman
See what u mean ref the front upper suspension on the D3 , know when I done my rear suspension I just bought the complete arms with all the bushes already fitted
Indeed if I had to do the front would just buy the complete arms
Thks as indeed always good to learn
See what u mean ref the front upper suspension on the D3 , know when I done my rear suspension I just bought the complete arms with all the bushes already fitted
Indeed if I had to do the front would just buy the complete arms
Thks as indeed always good to learn
neilly
Well-Known Member
- Posts
- 20,000
- Location
- Oxfordshireness
- Posts
- 44,834
- Location
- East Dorset
So one minute trucks don't have ball joints, the next they do have ball joints.
If you look at https://assets.publishing.service.g...nt_data/file/794800/hgv-inspection-manual.pdf
You'll see they have both. And as a lorry mechanic you know that, so your remark was completely off piste.
Remember I was not speaking from actual personal experience I was quoting from a much older mechanic than me who is now dead probably. I have never worked on a lorry so I bow to your superior knowledge if you are a lorry mechanic, but I have been working on cars and latterly 4x4s since 1972, if my math is is correct, 47 years. So that dates back to when even cars, like Morris Marinas and MGBs had trunnions and kingpins. So I do know the difference. Right now I don't give a monkeys if lorry mechanics before you or I were born, actually did have to drive down a potholed road to free off a difficult ball joint. They may have had to or it may have been bullsh1t on behalf of my old mechanic friend who at the time had worked on far more vehicles that I had had hot dinners. But it does not change the fact that all I was trying to do was help a poster with his ball joints. When I first posted at post #11 it wasn't clear whether the OP was on about steering ball joints or steering knuckles, if you read the other posters' remarks around there you'll see they were all saying much the same as me.
So your remarks are uncalled for and inaccurate. I am not a BS merchant, if I am sure of an answer I give it, if I am not sure, I give advice as to possible sources of information, or things a poster can try to narrow down the possibilities.
You obviously have a shed load of knowledge to share why not simply share it with less negative attitude?
Thks buddy , makes more sense now
U know me I always like to ask the daft questions, lol
Most appreciated as always , thank u kind sir
Did u ever see this video, was a right nightmare replacing the upper arms,to be honest was one of the hardest jobs I’ve had to do
Last edited:
Rangie Disco Sportsman
Active Member
- Posts
- 114
- Location
- Somerset
The tester's manual for HGVs will include anything over 3.5t so they will see quite a few Iveco and Mercedes panel vans which will have suspension ball joints, which will for all intents and purposes look like any 3.5t van but be plated at 5.5t, or something like that and have to go through the HGV testing regime, and they might see the odd 4x4 vehicle plated over 3.5t also. Lorries will have king pins on the steering knuckles, draglink and tie rod ends are ball joints.
If you'd linked to this, I might have let you off, but the link you gave was to knuckle ball joints for US 4 wheel drive pickup trucks
https://www.bisonparts.co.uk/product/steering-end-male-ball-joint-rht-20629
- Posts
- 44,834
- Location
- East Dorset
Yeah, I was piid off and in a hurry, my mistake. Please let me off teacher?!
neilly
Well-Known Member
- Posts
- 20,000
- Location
- Oxfordshireness
Nope, no knocking, I heard what felt like a break pad rubbing and when I jacked the front to check it did not feel loose, but could feel a slight roughness when it was turned. Top one was real nice.
Cheers
Funny enough when I put my suspension into access height could move my rear upper wishbone , normal height wouldn’t move
Then when I removed it fell apart
To all replies!
Thanks very much guys, ball joints sorted, took 4 days in all!
(Other things on going during the week! One day at hospital to have a new foot, work issues and other bits and pieces!!)
4 days to change ball joints! Brakes, wheel bearings,a few visits to shops (auto) all fixed and looking good!
Gave wheel a hand shake now need to sort out track rod hahahaha
Once again thanks for the advice.
Thanks very much guys, ball joints sorted, took 4 days in all!
(Other things on going during the week! One day at hospital to have a new foot
, work issues and other bits and pieces!!)4 days to change ball joints! Brakes, wheel bearings,a few visits to shops (auto) all fixed and looking good!
Gave wheel a hand shake
now need to sort out track rod hahahahaOnce again thanks for the advice.
