Technical Ball ache/joint!!

[martyc5674]

Put new front wishbones on my multi back in January.
To my great surprise a balljoint is already knack erde!!!!

I'd rather not change the whole wishbone yet again... Has anyone bothered to just replace the ball joint or has anyone separated one from the wishbone??
If so is it a ball ache??
Cheers
Marty.

 

[BikeDoc]

Is the rubber boot damaged, or has it just failed with no apparent cause?

If a garage fitted it, then I'd contact them and ask if they'll replace it under warranty.
If you did it yourself, I'd do the same thing with whoever you bought the part(s) from.
Either way, it's worth an e-mail/phone call.

Removing the old, and fitting a new joint will need a fly-press, with the correct tooling to do it without damaging the new joint or the wishbone.
You could try heating the end of the wishbone and knocking the joint out with a club-hammer, with suitable drifts, and bits of tube to support the wishbone.
It won't be easy, and getting the new one in without damaging it will be even worse.

I'd go round a few local garages (or Engineering firms) and see what they'd charge to do it, shouldn't be too much.
If you take the parts with you, you'll probably find someone to do it for a few quid, should only take five minutes with the right tooling.

Just one tip; go in your scruffy work clothes, with dirty hands.
Turn up in a nice suit, with a fresh manicure, and expect to be charged significantly more

 

[martyc5674]

I fitted it..and the cover looks good(hard to see really)
Was having a tyre changed when the fitter commented on play, i had a look and found play in the ball joint.
Its done about 7000 miles i reckon.
they were cheap wishones i got from ziggy a-z on ebay.
The bushings in fairness still seem sturdy and the left wishbone all looks good (replaced at same time)

Id say i was just unlucky.

The main reason i was looking at just replacing ball joint was to avoid removing the wishbone as refitting the drivers one last time was less than straight forward!!(i struggled to get the 4 bolts at the back to line up)

Anyway...theres another cheapy wishbone on its way from the motherland!!
Cheers,
Marty

 

[BikeDoc]

...refitting the drivers one last time was less than straight forward!!(i struggled to get the 4 bolts at the back to line up)...

Tricky, isn't it!
It's the fact that the mounts are set level with the arm that's the problem, as it's not easy to orient it like that when fitting it.

 

[martyc5674]

Yeh thingis the passenger side was simple.. But I thought the drivers side had me beat!!
This time ill jack it up another few inches so getting in under it wont be such a chore and ill move the bushes around on the wishbone so the wish bone hangs down ou of the way of the strut.

What the heck ill whip the subframe off while I'm at it!!
Get my new breaker bar in a sweat!!
Marty.

 

[martyc5674]

New wishbone arrived this morn and stuck it in this eve...
Took less than an hour start to finish.
The last wishbone I put in the bushings were distorted and it was nigh on impossible line up the holes with those on the subframe.

For future reference the back and front holes on the bushings should be 27cm centre to centre.
I measured these before I reassembled and it all fell into place quite simply.
( the last time it took me and my dad about 6 hours of levers and crowbars at all angles with me under the front subframe shining a torch up through trying to get type holes to line up!!!)



The ball joint cover had indeed been nicked which caused the early failure.

Marty.

 

[widemouthfrog]

Where did you get your wishbones from this time? I've got the ziggy a-z ones so I'm wondering how long mine will last . Most of the stuff from them hasn't lasted long (discs and pads, drop links etc). I won't be going back.

 

[martyc5674]

Got it this time from motorseamus.
Looks the same quality but it lined up like it should...one of the easiest jobs yet on the multipla... Last time it was one of the hardest!!
Item number 120998631621
The bushings were still good... Id say failure was due to the nicked rubber seal which I must be responsible for.

I got drums wish bones and I think drop links from ziggy... Hope they last.
Rytis in future but unfortunate shipping on the wishbones not so cheap.
Marty.