How to replace a ball joint (Many photos)

1. This is what you are replacing.



2. Paint bottom of ball joint (will tell you why later).



3. Lube ball joint nut (very important to help get the top nut off later).



4. I use modified strut spring compressors to help with the job. You can do the job without the spring compressors but it’s a lot easier with it (especially on the driver side). Compressors cost me $10.



5. I use this same technique to remove the struts. It’s a lot easier to compress the spring first to remove the strut. But for the ball joint removal the compressor takes the spring load off the ball joint.



6. Remove the sway bar bolt.



7. Move the sway bar arm out of the way.



8. Loosen the top ball joint nut.



9. Loosen the top nut until the nut hits the steel half shaft hub. I learned this technique from a Fred’s member and will give him credit when I remember who it was.



10. Keep unscrewing the nut, putting pressure on the hub with the nut until it forces the shaft out of the wheel bearing housing. It doesn’t take a lot of pressure to pop it out.



11. Remove the three bolts that hold the lower ball joint.



12. This is where the jack should be (under the brake rotor) with a little pressure to support the axle.



13. At this point the ball joint will be loose so turning the top nut will also turn the stud that the nut is on. What I did was remove the rubber that is around the ball joint so that I could hold the stud with pliers and remove the nut (this is why you should spray the top LOCK NUT with oil). The stud under the rubber is full of grease and vise grips pliers or special pliers (see photo later) my not be enough to hold the stud. You may have to cut the nut off so be prepared.



14. Another shot of the pliers holding the stud to remove the nut.



15. Slide out the old ball joint.



16. Looks easy!



17. See how I had to remove the rubber from the old ball to hold the stud?



18. Slide in the new ball joint.



19. By hand, install the top nut on the new ball joint.



20. THIS IS WHY YOU PAINTED THE BOTTOM OF THE BALL JOINT. Using the paint marks, put the new ball joint bolts back in the same position that the old ball joint were. Your wheel alignment will now be back to where you started.



21. See how the bolts are back in the same spot that they were before?



22. Remove spring compressors.



23. Lift the control arm to press the new ball joint stud into the wheel bearing housing. Put enough up pressure on the control arm so that when you tighten the ball joint top nut it doesn’t spin.



24. Tighten ball joint top nut.



25. Reinstall sway bar bolt.



26. You’re done!



27. Photo of the tools used. Remember that you might need (I didn’t) something to cut the top ball joint nut or stud.



I’ve done both sides and the passenger side is easier (because of haft shaft length). So I would recommend that you start with that passenger side first. The job took me an hour and a half on the first one and one hour on the second. Yes I should have used new hardware, yes I am using a jack and jack stand to hold up the car and yes I should have used Amsoil yellow paint.

Excellent.

Post this link in my 'How to thread'

I would like to thank Fred’s member Penclnck for the popping the ball joint out with the nut idea.


I could not edit my 1st post for some reason. But here is a PDF file thanks to DanG144

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/517/How_to_replace_a_ball_joint.pdf

Outstanding!

Very nice!
How did you know you needed to replace them? I'm at 127k miles so I guess I have to start being aware of these things.

Very nice!
How did you know you needed to replace them? .

Click to expand...

i'm curious as well

Correct me if I am wrong but standard proceedure for any car checking ball joints would be as follows:

1) Place car on Jack stands.

2) with wheel attached, grab wheel at 12 and 6 oclock and try to gyrate.

3) if any play is found, balls joints are to be replaced.

4) if you do the same at 9 and 3 oclock on the wheel and find any play, tie rods need replacement.

I check this on my car everytime it is up on jack stands.

Hope this helps.

Would hear a noise when I pulled into my driveway. When I passed over the rain curb at the start of my driveway I would hear a “clunk” from the front end. To test a ball joint, jack up the front wheel and push and pull the bottom of the tire (try with your feet). There should be no movement.

Halebopp, you beat me to it.

Would hear a noise when I pulled into my driveway. When I passed over the rain curb at the start of my driveway I would hear a “clunk” from the front end. To test a ball joint, jack up the front wheel and push and pull the bottom of the tire (try with your feet). There should be no movement.

Click to expand...

But also consider the sway bar bushings. They will also cause a clunk when going over a bump or pot hole. And they are much easier to replace and more common to fail.

well I've got brand new strut bearings, strut bushings, and sway bar bushings. So it must be the ball joint or tie rod ends.

thanks for the great article

I just did both in a bit less than 2 hours total and its snowing slighly which might have made me work a bit harder/faster, but:

WOW, that was easier than I thought!

The top nut came off pretty easily, and that method of popping it off rules. Even after the joint was popped out, I could still loosen it without having to cut the boot. I did replace these before they went bad though, which made it easy I guess since they aren't fully loose yet like a worn one would be.

I didn't even need to compress the springs, the lower A arm could flex down enough to let the balljoint out!

Now, I have to see if I can do the tie rods myself.... (of course get it aligned at a shop afterwards).

Thank you, NTB wanted to charge me $300+ for this, I'm like yeaaaaa, I think I'll check the forum, suprisingly this doesn't come up in a search. I was about to rent a ball joint press and tie rod separator and who knows what else the guys at autozone would have convinced me I needed. thanks again

Bump, added to favorites.

Nice Documentation

I just did this task on a 1999.5 Jetta and all I have to add is...."Nice Documentaion" on the whole procedure.
"Well done" and a Bravo Zooloo to Moocar

Any chance you could make this into a pdf file for download? I would love to see the TDi club get to the point of making a CD available for purchase which would have all of the 'How to's' on it. I know Id buy one. Thanks for the most excellent step by step procedure with very clear pictures Moocar.

Brian lists the following parts for sale on his site:

1 x 1J0 407 365C - Ball joint, left
1 x 1J0 409 366C - Ball joint, right
2 x 1J0 407 175 - Ball Joint Lock Plate
6 x N 101 277 06 - Bolt for Ball Joint Lock Plate, M8 x 26 mm

Did anyone change this lock plate or know what it is referring to?

The bolts to the control arm are stretch and need to be replaced as well.
You could just run to the hardware and get 8mm stainless bolts and replace them one at a time. (so yo don't mess up the alignment.

Oh sorry Darryl.
The lock plate is on top of the control arm. It is a U-shaped stamping with all three of the nuts connected to it. It holds the nuts that the three bolts bolt into from below. It just makes things easier so that you don't have to try to get nuts and washers up there.

Thanks Moo Car for the great write up.

I replaced my ball joints yesterday and my only comment is to have some extra muscle handy for step #13. I found that I couldn't grip the channel locks with sufficient force to prevent the bolt from spinning while turning the nut.

Also, the OEM nut size on the ball joint was 18mm (which my tool kit didn't have ).

Thanks also to cage for the clarification on the lock plate.

Excellent Instructions!

The Bentley instructions could really get you in a bind!

TDIDarryl said:

Thanks Moo Car for the great write up.

I replaced my ball joints yesterday and my only comment is to have some extra muscle handy for step #13. I found that I couldn't grip the channel locks with sufficient force to prevent the bolt from spinning while turning the nut.

Also, the OEM nut size on the ball joint was 18mm (which my tool kit didn't have ).

Thanks also to cage for the clarification on the lock plate.

Click to expand...

The oem ball joints have a torx socket (T40 I think) so you don't have to use pliers. My after market one has a 6mm allen socket for the same purpose.

wrong thread... Tie rod not balljoint lol

Help Please

The Passenger Side Ball Joint Will Line Up With The Hole And The Stud Goes Through But I Can Not For The Life Of Me Get The Three Holes For The Plate Lined Up...i Have The Shock Installed Already Should I Be Compressing The Spring? Are The Control Arms Identical Or Different? Please Help As I Need The Car By This Afternoon!

Please Help Me!

got it thanks!

Just take the control arm off, you're already 80 percent of the way there.

-Unbolt both of the bushings and the Sway bar dogbone
-Bolt in the balljoint and reinstall as one unit.

Anyone have a suggestion if the ball joint won't "pop" out? I have nut turned all the way up against the axle hub and can't turn it any more. I removed the control arm all together since I am replacing all the bushings. Can I use a pickle fork or something to get that ball joint out?

pickle fork should work well. you can get a loaner at autozone.

I ended up getting a ball joint seperator from Autozone for 10 bucks. A couple of whacks with the hammer and it worked like a champ.