Ball Joint

alsehendo · Post by **alsehendo** » Wed May 19, 2004 10:01 pm

Never removed a steering knuckle / spindle before.

Can you remove tie rod end first by placing nut upside down on shank so threads are not showing and hammering it out or will this cause damage or do you guys use a fork to do this if so what size I dont have access to VW tool.

After tie rod and the stabilizer is out of the way why can't you just remove both arms together from the tortion bar tubes at the same time and take the whole shebang into the VW man to press in new ball joints and reasemble for you?

If not how hard dose the thread end of the ball come out of the steering knuckle, can it also be hammered out same as I described doing the tie rod end? Is their a bush in the nuckle that needs to also be replaced?

Mattt · Post by **Mattt** » Fri May 21, 2004 12:50 am

Dont hammer it. You risk damaging the ball joint itself, and the threads where the nut screws on.

Undo the ball joint nuts and smack the side of the spindle/knuckle where the ball joint is with a BFH. I use a 2lb sledge. This method also works for removing tie rod ends. Just smack the part the ball joint or tie rod end is in.

gus · Post by **gus** » Sun May 23, 2004 11:01 am

Mattts correct, I just got done replacing my front axle beam. If its really rusty, you can use an air hammer on the real stuborn ones

alsehendo · Post by **alsehendo** » Mon May 24, 2004 12:48 pm

Did you find a rebuilt Thing hub to hub beam somewhere? Actualy this is most economical way to fix up a front end and get adjusters and disk type spindles at the same time. This is why I have never changed ball joints myself in Bug or Ghia--just bought a whole beam.

Before these ball joints, was the good old kingpin, which would make a better frontend for the Thing and a litle off road duty. I wish I had the guts to change the pan front and bolt one on.

Ball Joint would be replaced so I'm wonder if it maters if it gets trashed or if it will hurt the steering knucle also if you bash it out with the inverted nut. The VW guy will press it out and the new one in the torssion bar.