406 Bottom Ball joints and drop links.

[Peter86]

Looking to change mine this weekend, havent had chance to have a look yet. Is it straight forward? Nuts and bolts for drop links?

Does the bottom ball joint need to be pressed out of the bottom arm?

Car - 406 2.2 HDI estate. 2001

[mjb]

The drop links will hopefully involve a spanner and allen key to remove (after a long soak in WD40!), but they may well be corroded to hell and require the use of an angle grinder or Dremel with carbide cutter to remove the nuts

I've never done a bottom ball joint because I don't have the right tools. IIRC it's a "special" tool required for the job, although I believe a big enough pipe wrench should do the trick

[Peter86]

Balls thats what i feared on the ball joint!

Worth taking the whole bottom arm off to attack it? or try and butcher it on the car? Sounds like one of them nightmare jobs when you end up damaging more than what you started to do!

[gumby6371]

I'm pretty sure Halfords stock ball joint sockets for pugs but you'll need a fairly hefty breaker bar to shift the buggers. I would imagine taking the bottom arm off would make it harder as you still need to clamp it in something very sturdy.

If you're thinking of changing them due to knocking noises then chances are it's just the drop links and I changed mine last time with;
Trolley jack, axle stands, WD40, a good pair of mole grips and a spanner/deep socket.
Shouldn't be more than 20 minutes a side plus 5 minutes applying plasters to knuckles (optional).

If you use an angle grinder it's quicker and you get to make sparks which is always fun!!

If you still have issues after changing them then I'd look at the ball joints.

[Peter86]

thats a good shout, i will change them first and see if the noise goes away, cheers guys - thanks for advice

[Doggy]

+1 my bro's had an advisory for a perished rubber gaiter on the 'bottom ball joint' - turned out to be the lower end of one of the drop links.

[hammerman]

The bottom ball joint needs a toothed socket to unscrew it,along with about 6ft of scaffold tube.You can get the sockets on ebay for about £6-10.Do a you tube search for 406 ball joint replacement.There is a good video showing how its done.Its a straightforward job but you need the toothed socket.

[hammerman]

Ball joint socket something like this.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SX027-SEALEY- ... 5d3eb47da9

[hammerman]

You tube link.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrSCbMZLgKA

[rwb]

That's an excellent video. Is that guy on here?

[Peter86]

Managed to change mine on the weekend without using the ball joint socket. I used a hammer and a punch to tap them out. One came out ok, the other required the used of a blow torch! Drop links replaced whilst i was there - new car now!

[hammerman]

Doing my ball joints this weekend.I brought a socket off ebay for £7.