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MG MGF Technical - Upper ball joint

Does anyone know hat size socked I need to remove the front upper ball joint fomr the hub and any tips for getting it out (remove the hub or do it in situ etc).

Thanks all
Keith

It's BIG - about 44mm - but don't quote me on that.

I would say that it is probably easier to remove in situ, as there is less chance of things moving about - but that's from experience of working on Andy's car after one of the wishbones had fractured following an accident...
Rob Bell

1998 vvc changed rear and that is 44mm i would think they are the same size. came out easy good luck.
d l brown

Guys, Re the Upper Ball joint. My 96 vvc has just passed it's MOT but with an advisory for the front Upper Ball Joints. I understand the concept of what they are but on the MGF is it a big job to replace them ? and any idea of the cost of parts ?

Thanks

Stuart
Stuart

Stuart,

I replaced it at the weekend. You need a huge socket (1 and 13/16ths inch) or whatever that is in metric, to get it off. I resorted to taking the whole hub off, which was easier that I thought. Steps were:-
1, Bend lock tab from top ball joint and remove nut.
2, Remove bolt from lower joint and give it a squirt of releasing oil.
3, remove brake disk/caliper, steering arm and abs sensor.
4, Lower car on jack a little whilst something like a pry bay is wedged between ground and shock absorber mount, this lifts the top mount up, so that you can seperate the top ball joint from the suspension arm.
5, Tap out the top joint from the arm (I bought a seperating tool but didn't need it).
6, Tap the bottom of the hub to loosen the hub from the bottom joint and remove the hub.
7, I didn't have a vice so I bolted the hub to the spare wheel and stood on the wheel whilst undoing the top joint from the hub. (Had to heat it a little with a blow torch to free the thread seal holding the ball joint to hub thread). It came out fairly easilly using the large socket and 2 ft extension bar.
8, Refitting is just the reverse of the above, remembering to use tread locking gue on the top ball joint to hub and steering arm bolts.

It took me just under 3 hours from start to finish. I hope this is useful. The ball joint kit cost 8 pounds. The socket 10.
Keith

Keith, Thanks, it is helpful,,,,, I think I'll pay someone to do it !
Stuart

Last week I had all 4 top ball joints replaced by Brown & Gammons.
They quoted £200 but ended up slightly less than that.

Kevin
K Ferns

This thread was discussed between 16/06/2006 and 26/06/2006

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