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kubelmann Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2003 Posts: 3266
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:20 pm Post subject: Ball Joints Removed and Pressed in place |
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I am building an as new Thing front end and am curious what folks around the country pay to have old ball joints removed asn new ball joints installed? |
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63ziggy Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2005 Posts: 1100 Location: The Woodlands, Texas
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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i don't remember exactly and was a couple years back during the build.
I know I had 6 drums turned, old ball joints removed and new ones installed (labor only). I paid a little over $60 at my local NAPA parts/repair house |
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sixty9fasty Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2004 Posts: 1066 Location: crockett, ca
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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Pizza and a pitcher of beer, at least that's what it cost me |
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Billyd64 Samba Member
Joined: June 22, 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Atlanta, Ga
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 5:09 pm Post subject: Re: Ball Joints Removed and Pressed in place |
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kubelmann wrote: |
I am building an as new Thing front end and am curious what folks around the country pay to have old ball joints removed asn new ball joints installed? |
Since I didn't have a press I had it done 2 weeks ago at a local shop. I paid $180 total for the 2 upper and 2 lower ball joints themselves from the Thing Shop (not sure if that is a good price or not) and paid another $250 or so for labor. Since I usually do my own car repairs I was non-plussed at all the cost for some ball joints but since it is my girlfriends car and I want her safe I paid the price. May have been good price, may have been bad, I dunno. |
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kyle_pc_75 Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2008 Posts: 511 Location: Park City, UT, USA
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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I paid $120 a month ago for the labor at a VW shop for all four and they cleaned and painted the arms to boot. |
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Billyd64 Samba Member
Joined: June 22, 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Atlanta, Ga
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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kyle_pc_75 wrote: |
I paid $120 a month ago for the labor at a VW shop for all four and they cleaned and painted the arms to boot. |
I am guessing depends on where you are located, as usual for anything you pay for. I would suggest you ask KubelMann, he had some good info on another post. You can guy the press and peripherals at HarborFreight and other places for pretty minimal cost (about $100 total) and do it yourself. I was also told by someone else on here that you need to lube the ball joints with lube through a needle pretty regular. Good luck. |
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dirtkeeper Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2008 Posts: 3200 Location: Left of everywhere
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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Mine cost 120 bucks to remove the old ones and install the new ones. I was rather shocked but the guy said the ones that were in there were a real pain to get out and gave his 10,000 lb press a work out. Glad i didn't try the back yard method. |
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locky Samba Member
Joined: May 08, 2008 Posts: 573 Location: Nelson, British Columbia
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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I just paid 100 |
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vw1968 Samba Member
Joined: July 21, 2009 Posts: 84 Location: montebello
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:17 am Post subject: |
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just had it done on monday. 150.00 for all four plus he changed all the wheel cylinders and the front two brake ines
oops ............that was for labor only
Last edited by vw1968 on Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:19 am; edited 1 time in total |
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74 Thing Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2004 Posts: 7375
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:59 am Post subject: |
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I am sure the price varies if you remove the arms or drive the car in and let the mechanic do it all. |
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Chad1376 Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2005 Posts: 1435 Location: Henderson, Nevada
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:42 am Post subject: |
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Removed and installed myself for *free*...assuming you have the tools as follows:
1) Die grind backside of balljoint
2) Bust ball out of the backside with a press
3) Weld bead inside of race to shrink it
4) A tiny bit of persuasion with the air chisel
4) Viola
5) Pressed new joints in with $60 HF press (sorry, no photos) _________________ My never ending 1302 Autocross Project:
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=51&a...02b8f83f22 |
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kyle_pc_75 Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2008 Posts: 511 Location: Park City, UT, USA
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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Billyd64 wrote: |
kyle_pc_75 wrote: |
I paid $120 a month ago for the labor at a VW shop for all four and they cleaned and painted the arms to boot. |
I am guessing depends on where you are located, as usual for anything you pay for. I would suggest you ask KubelMann, he had some good info on another post. You can guy the press and peripherals at HarborFreight and other places for pretty minimal cost (about $100 total) and do it yourself. I was also told by someone else on here that you need to lube the ball joints with lube through a needle pretty regular. Good luck. |
I tried the HF press, no luck. It just got to the point where I couldn't turn the press without breaking breaker bars. It took me three nights of alternating heat and soaking in PB Blaster to get the eccentric off after I made a custom jig for that, so I imagine it was all pretty well stuck together.
I pulled the arms myself and took them to a reputable VW (engine) shop. He had to borrow the tooling from another guy, so I'm pretty sure he charged me enough to keep me from coming back with another set, lol. No worries, he's given me plenty of deals on engine related stuff, free tuning advice, etc. |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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Chad1376 wrote: |
Removed and installed myself for *free*...assuming you have the tools as follows:
1) Die grind backside of balljoint
2) Bust ball out of the backside with a press
3) Weld bead inside of race to shrink it
4) A tiny bit of persuasion with the air chisel
4) Viola
5) Pressed new joints in with $60 HF press (sorry, no photos) |
OK, I have got to ask, why all the work?
I have the same press and I just press out the BJ complete and then press in the new BJ. If I do not sandblast and paint the trailing arm, it takes about 10 minutes per arm to out a bad BJ and in a new BJ. No die grinding, no welding and no air hammering. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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citroen Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2010 Posts: 1578 Location: louisville ky
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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:27 pm Post subject: ball joints |
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i have to agree with joe cool why all the work i have a old heavy vice i have replace many ball joints on vw's i lay the arm on the vice and with a LARGE hammer a few hits sometime one good hit and the ball joint falls out i have never had one i had to press out, i do press the ball joints in with the press a little grease on the boot and press the ball joint in |
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whirligigman Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2011 Posts: 28 Location: Holley NY
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:33 am Post subject: How I removed my ball joints. |
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After much trial and error, not to mention some choice expletive deleteds, I managed to replace the original ball joints on my 74.
Used an air powered cut-off tool to remove the flange on the ball joints to get a press cup to fit on the arm. Tried using a "C" type ball joint press. No way.
Wound up taking them to a aquaintances shop and used his 12 ton press to get them out. The "C" type ball joint press worked fine to install the new ones. |
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vgajames Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2002 Posts: 805 Location: Texas
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:36 am Post subject: Re: ball joints |
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citroen wrote: |
i have to agree with joe cool why all the work i have a old heavy vice i have replace many ball joints on vw's i lay the arm on the vice and with a LARGE hammer a few hits sometime one good hit and the ball joint falls out i have never had one i had to press out, i do press the ball joints in with the press a little grease on the boot and press the ball joint in |
My press looks just like that one but is red and its a 20 ton.
I made my own press tools out of sections of pipe, big sockets etc.
I will try to get some pics. |
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GMByers Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2008 Posts: 642 Location: Retired in NW PA
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:14 am Post subject: Re: Ball Joints Removed and Pressed in place |
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Reviving an old thread.
Bought all four ball joints.
Took them and the arms to a local garage that works on both cars and big trucks to have the old ones pressed out and the new ones pressed in. Went back to the shop a week later and only the top ball joints were pressed in. The bottom still had the old joints. The guy said it took him too much time to press out and in the top ball joints and he was not going to touch the bottom ball joints. Fortunately, he did not charge me anything for his time or services.
I took the lower ball joints to a different shop that works on big trucks. Dropped the lower ball joints off. Returned the next day. The garage said they had to fight the ball joints the entire time. It took them three hours to get the old ball joints off and press the new ones in. He only charged me two hours labor, for a total of $100.
Since both shops with access to lots more tools and experience than me, had such a hard time pressing out the ball joints, I'm glad I did not try this at home. _________________ And then there were two...downsized to 83 Doka &
74 Thing. |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5680 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 7:10 am Post subject: Re: Ball Joints Removed and Pressed in place |
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All 4 of mine are likely original and in dire need of replacement.
While doing some tire swapping, I had the guys at the shop look at the ball joints on my Bus and asked if they thought they could swap them on the Thing, as it is a similar setup.
They said they could, with the arms in place. If that's true, I figure it is worth a few bucks to not have to mess with taking that all apart.
What do you all think? Can the shop do it? They could also do the alignment after. _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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mondshine Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2006 Posts: 2765 Location: The World's Motor Capital
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 1:21 pm Post subject: Re: Ball Joints Removed and Pressed in place |
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I replaced my Thing ball joints in 2014.
I used the $150 Harbor Freight 20 ton press and it worked fine.
At the time I did this, I wrote:
The ball joints I removed were original to the car, and they didn’t want to come a’loose.
The uppers came out with a good pop, but the lowers came out with the loudest bang since the big one.
Truly a “no guts-no glory” situation.
The new ball joints pressed in nice and straight, with a satisfying amount of effort; not too easy or too hard.
I made a tool from $4 worth of plumbing parts from Home Depot.
It's made from a 1" X 1 1/4" pipe reducer, and a 1" X 1/2" reducer. The internal threads on the big end were removed on a lathe to accommodate the rubber boot on the ball joint. It just slips over the rubber boot and rests on the steel lip.
Since then I have used the press a few times for other stuff, so I can't complain about having another tool for just about the same cost as the labor to have the ball joints swapped. Besides, you can't own too many tools.
Good luck, Mondshine |
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hylomatt Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2016 Posts: 378 Location: Florida
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 3:06 pm Post subject: Re: Ball Joints Removed and Pressed in place |
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what tools exactly are needed for this operation? |
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