New tools

[Antm72]

Have needed to get the ball joints replaced on my zed ready for the spring.
Have been looking at replacing the complete arms and bushes but the bushes are in good condition and the outer joints are the ones with play.
Looking around i have seen just the ball joints for sale and thinking it was a garage only job never looked much further.
So after putting it off i looked some more and found that the tooling to do the job is available and at not much cost.
Replacing the arms for an oem set came in at a few hundred quid so my thinking was buy the tool and swap out the joints.
Managed to find the tool on Amazon at a great price £39 delivered so brought a couple of Lemforder ball joints and drop links and set about the task.
The tool....

Designed for all 3 series cars.
I thought it may be a right job and need heat etc but it turned out to work a dream.
I striped off as much as possible to allow room.
The tool fitted to the outer joint.

It was a simple as winding it up.
The joint pressed out

Totally removed.

Rejigged the adapters in the press and pressed back in

All back in

All replaced including the anti roll bar links for the price of one arm !!
Result!

 

[Antm72]

Heres the tool @Mnbrennan

 

[Sean d]

Awesome pal, you'll not be needing the tool now so I'll give you £20 for it

 

[Antm72]

Awesome pal, you'll not be needing the tool now so I'll give you £20 for it

My thought was it was cheaper to buy the tool and replace when needed. The outer joints take a hammering when the cars lowered so knowing i can pop them in and out is good

 

[andyglym]

Have needed to get the ball joints replaced on my zed ready for the spring.
Have been looking at replacing the complete arms and bushes but the bushes are in good condition and the outer joints are the ones with play.
Looking around i have seen just the ball joints for sale and thinking it was a garage only job never looked much further.
So after putting it off i looked some more and found that the tooling to do the job is available and at not much cost.
Replacing the arms for an oem set came in at a few hundred quid so my thinking was buy the tool and swap out the joints.
Managed to find the tool on Amazon at a great price £39 delivered so brought a couple of Lemforder ball joints and drop links and set about the task.
The tool....
View attachment 51050
Designed for all 3 series cars.
I thought it may be a right job and need heat etc but it turned out to work a dream.
I striped off as much as possible to allow room.
The tool fitted to the outer joint.
View attachment 51051
It was a simple as winding it up.
The joint pressed out
View attachment 51053

Totally removed.
View attachment 51054
Rejigged the adapters in the press and pressed back in
View attachment 51055
All back in
View attachment 51056
All replaced including the anti roll bar links for the price of one arm !!
Result!

Result!

 

[Antm72]

Awesome pal, you'll not be needing the tool now so I'll give you £20 for it

We could always ask the midlands redshed to lend a hand and i can bring the tooling and get yours swapped out as and when needed

 

[Antm72]

I thought so Andy

 

[Sean d]

We could always ask the midlands redshed to lend a hand and i can bring the tooling and get yours swapped out as and when needed

Now thats a great Idea mate and very generous of you and @t-tony

 

[t-tony]

Have needed to get the ball joints replaced on my zed ready for the spring.
Have been looking at replacing the complete arms and bushes but the bushes are in good condition and the outer joints are the ones with play.
Looking around i have seen just the ball joints for sale and thinking it was a garage only job never looked much further.
So after putting it off i looked some more and found that the tooling to do the job is available and at not much cost.
Replacing the arms for an oem set came in at a few hundred quid so my thinking was buy the tool and swap out the joints.
Managed to find the tool on Amazon at a great price £39 delivered so brought a couple of Lemforder ball joints and drop links and set about the task.
The tool....
View attachment 51050
Designed for all 3 series cars.
I thought it may be a right job and need heat etc but it turned out to work a dream.
I striped off as much as possible to allow room.
The tool fitted to the outer joint.
View attachment 51051
It was a simple as winding it up.
The joint pressed out
View attachment 51053

Totally removed.
View attachment 51054
Rejigged the adapters in the press and pressed back in
View attachment 51055
All back in
View attachment 51056
All replaced including the anti roll bar links for the price of one arm !!
Result!

I haven't done a lower 3 series BBJ for a while now. When I started at Tanvics they always used to change the full arm because they couldn't press the new joint into the arm. Took me all of 10 minutes to make a press cup, like in the photo, out of an old wheel bearing shell. I still have it in my tool box. Some people have no imagination, especially people who have worked at Halfords and such.

Tony.

 

[Antm72]

The tooling cost was just a no brainer Tony to be honest and its a simple job.

 

[t-tony]

There some very good tools out there now mate at realistic prices.

Tony.

 

[Mnbrennan]

That's brilliant. Will remember this

 

[Mint]

Good job Ant. The right tool for the job

 

[t-tony]

Can't beat it Dave.

Tony.

 

[Lee]

That looks like a good bit of kit.

 

[DavidM]

Have needed to get the ball joints replaced on my zed ready for the spring.
Have been looking at replacing the complete arms and bushes but the bushes are in good condition and the outer joints are the ones with play.
Looking around i have seen just the ball joints for sale and thinking it was a garage only job never looked much further.
So after putting it off i looked some more and found that the tooling to do the job is available and at not much cost.
Replacing the arms for an oem set came in at a few hundred quid so my thinking was buy the tool and swap out the joints.
Managed to find the tool on Amazon at a great price £39 delivered so brought a couple of Lemforder ball joints and drop links and set about the task.
The tool....
View attachment 51050
Designed for all 3 series cars.
I thought it may be a right job and need heat etc but it turned out to work a dream.
I striped off as much as possible to allow room.
The tool fitted to the outer joint.
View attachment 51051
It was a simple as winding it up.
The joint pressed out
View attachment 51053

Totally removed.
View attachment 51054
Rejigged the adapters in the press and pressed back in
View attachment 51055
All back in
View attachment 51056
All replaced including the anti roll bar links for the price of one arm !!
Result!

Great work @Antm72 !!

 

[Tracy Dee]

I had a left lower outer joint done as miniscule play took a mechanic 3 hours to do it without such a tool.
I bought a pair but as the other one had no play he declined to save labour costs.

 

[Antm72]

That looks like a good bit of kit.

Works well mate to be honest and with little effort at all was quite surprised