20 replies to this topic

[Steve Crisp]

Hi, I'm coming up to 40k miles, and I reckon that the wishbone ball-joints will need changing soon. I've got (almost) a full set of wishbones for the rear, but would prefer to keep them spare and just replace the joints on the existing arms. I missed winning an Ebay auction for a tool to do this job (picture attached), but I've decided to "turn-up" one of my own on the lathe instead. Surely, the joint is more than just an interference fit into the wishbone socket? There are two holes in the wishbone socket, are these fixings of some sort? Can someone who has done this job give me some pointers? Steve

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[Foxy]

Have you tried asking SELOC?

[Steve Crisp]

Hi Foxy, I've made some progress. I've found a guide for the Elise on tadts.com which I shall follow. I've also found someone who makes the extractor tool for £35, so I've ordered on of these too. I'll post a blow-by-blow account of changing them when I eventually get around to doing it. Steve

[john_s]

I've not had much of a look at the VX ball joints, but I've had them out on other cars, and from what I can remember, they are a ba$tard tight fit. You can buy tools to help separate them (think machine mart do them), but can't comment as to whether or not these suit VX balljoints.

[jaggeler]

Hi Foxy,

I've made some progress. I've found a guide for the Elise on tadts.com which I shall follow. I've also found someone who makes the extractor tool for £35, so I've ordered on of these too.

I'll post a blow-by-blow account of changing them when I eventually get around to doing it.


Steve

Hi Steve,

where can I buy this extractor tool? (I'm from Germany)

I tryed to remove the ball joints but the press fit seems to have big interference!

Udo

[Steve Crisp]

Hi Udo, His name is Mike, and his email is mikelucas@amotec.freeserve.co.uk. Steve

[Thorney]

Plans should know they do a lot of this. I'm sure graham would be happy to share a bit of advice

[Steve Crisp]

Thanks, Thorney. Who are "plans"? Mind you, with the guide off of tadts.com it should be pretty straight forward now... As I say, I'll post the VX version when I do the job Steve

[Steve Crisp]

Hi, I've just received my wishbone ball-joint extractor from Mike. It's a pretty neat bit of kit. The steel plates are made from 20mm flat steel! It's identical to the tool shown in the photo above. So, if you want one (and who wouldn't!), it's from Mike, at mikelucas@amotec.freeserve.co.uk. Steve

[the gits]

Plans = Plans Motorsport (www.plansmotorsport.com) - a vx220 specialist and if you do a search you'll see that we have a growing number of satisfied customers from vx220.org.uk.... As for pressing out balljoints the tool in the picture is usefull but actually quite a lot of hassle. Getting the correct alignment when refitting the balljoints is tricky and the interference fit is such that you have to use a lot of effort. We have stripped threads when trying to use the tool above at a circuit when no press is available. It's much simpler (if you want to do a DIY job) to remove the wishbones and take them to a local frendly garage / engineering shop to press out the old ones and press in the new ones. You'll need to re-do the geo after removing and refitting the wishbones. Don't forget in the front upper wishbones the correct number of castor shims will need to be re-fitted. Plans do suspension rebuilds very often - which involves removing all eight wishbones and two toe-links, sand blasting, crack testing, powder coating, refitting new balljoints and polyurethane bushes. Along with four new bearings, this is like having a new car again! Plans also can supply balljoints and uprated bush kits mail order.

Edited by the gits, 17 March 2005 - 04:34 AM.

[Pedro]

Plans do suspension rebuilds very often - which involves removing all eight wishbones and two toe-links, sand blasting, crack testing, powder coating, refitting new balljoints and polyurethane bushes. Along with four new bearings, this is like having a new car again!

Can you give me a ball park figure on doing this?

Just thinking that my car has done 40,000 plus miles, and it may be something worth considering for the future - presumably Vauxhall / Lotus expect them to do 100,000 miles????

[Thorney]

Plans do suspension rebuilds very often - which involves removing all eight wishbones and two toe-links, sand blasting, crack testing, powder coating, refitting new balljoints and polyurethane bushes. Along with four new bearings, this is like having a new car again!

I'm interested in this

[JimH]

Mr The Gits, how often do you reckon that a car used on the road need its bushes replaced?

[Foxy]

Plans do suspension rebuilds very often - which involves removing all eight wishbones and two toe-links, sand blasting, crack testing, powder coating, refitting new balljoints and polyurethane bushes.  Along with four new bearings, this is like having a new car again!

I'm interested in this

Me too

[Steve Crisp]

Me too. You see If I had known that you do this, then I would have been after a quote from you straight away! I'm happy that I've got a tool and a couple of joints to do a quick fix if needed -due to a failed MoT or something, but I would like a complete strip and rebuild and powder-coat at some stage in the near future too. Guide price please! Steve

[the gits]

The bottom line is to fit uprated polyurathene bushes will be £699 inclusive of parts, labour and VAT. To powder coat uprights, wishbones and toe links (black or any colour you like!) is an extra £379 with eight new balljoints. (This price is for Quinton Hazell balljoints. For Vauxhall OE balljoints add £163) Then add £117.50 if you want new toe links, and £841.30 for new bearings. All prices include parts, labour and VAT. Graham www.plansmotorsport.com

[Pedro]

Thanks for this Graham - quite a big bottom line there What's the recommended interval in getting this done? Is is worth doing on a car that's covered 40,000 plus, or is it more like 100,000 miles? What do Vauxhall recommend?

[the gits]

Vauxhall don't "life" bushes and ball joints unless they are worn and fail an MOT. However.... BUSHES The key thing is that the poly bushes are stiffer (without being too hard). A VX220 will flex the bushes on a track (especially with A048s) quite alarmingly. This leads to the rear toe moving from in to out - and when that happens the car moves to oversteer quite dramatically, So poly bushes make a good mod. BALLJOINTS Also, on a track, you will find the car eats lower balljoints. They were originally designed to go on the front of a 70bhp Vauxhall Chevette 1.2 with McPearson Stut front suspension and 155 1970's tyres. So you can imagine the difference when on the rear of a modified VXT with double wishbones and coil-overs, and 225 sticky tyres. WISHBONES Have you had a look under your car recently (especially after the winter)? If you, like me, are the type that removes the wheels to clean the car, and likes everything looking clean, then the wishbones corrode horridly and look really nasty. Answer: Powder coating. We usually do them black, have done grey and, on my own race car, gold! We can do any colour. I think the gold is nice as it echos the original plating when absolutly brand new - this plating on new cars lasts about a week! With powder coating it effectively lasts forever.

[plotloss]

£2K for a complete suspension overhaul using uprated parts seems pretty reasonable to me...

[Thorney]

I've already spoken to Graham about booking mine in for the bushes, the plan is to do a photo feature on it and put in on the new mods section of the site.