Top Balljoint Nightmare

[blues3]

I have a somewhat irrational theory when it comes to doing work on the car, if there's three bolts to do up the last one will always cause bother.... if there's 4 brake pads to fit the last one will refuse to go in as well as the others and if there's two new upper balljoints to fit the second one will give alot of grief; and sure enough.
The first one undid no problems, a nice deep socket,a long wrench and a sharp belt with a brass dolly and out she popped. Second one, couldn't get the socket on for love nor money. Obviously couldn't see up the verticle link so off with the track rod end and (newly fitted) lower BJ and out with the link.
To find this...


After about half an hour of hacksawing and banging I undid the pinch bolt and knocked out the top housing..

Drilled the damn thing out and a couple of raps with a large gentleman's persuader and it was out.
B*gger! :-(

[Barkychoc]

Next time if you can't see something like that see if you can get a digital camera up there - turn the flash on to fire regardless.

[blues3]

Now that the upper and lower balljoints have been replaced I was suprised just how difficult it was to shift the vertical links left and right. The top BJ camber clamp was set to around the middle of the slide but its a real burger to move. Just how free should they be with new BJ's?