How to replace a ball joint (Many photos)

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
It is recommended that the three hex bolts VN101 277 07)securing the ball joints are replaced as they are one use bolts.
Agreed, but... you're aware that many garages never do this... yes?

BTW: I have part number N101 277 06 for those...

Yuri
 

mittzlepick

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2001
Location
union maine
TDI
2004 jetta wagon (365k)2001 wagon tire burner 6spd 2003 wagon(417k)
most come with bolts and plate unless you buy oem for 3x the money.
 

nickwi

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Location
Plum City, Wisconsin
TDI
2001 GLS green
Thanks for a great forum! Just used your instructions and pics to do ball joints, tie rod ends, and front sway bar links. Took about 2.5 hrs. My '01 Jetta has about 182k on it and those joints looked original.
Nick in Wi
 

saidIIdias

Active member
Joined
May 29, 2013
Location
Germany
TDI
03 Golf Wagon 74 kW AXR 5-speed stock
Thanks for the awesome write up. I did a hybrid version of this last night in conjuction with a control arm replacement (seized screws, don't ask). Besides having to grind off the old joint with an angle grinder, everything went fine.

One question: how the heck do you fit a torque wrench on that top ball joint nut? My giant ratchet-style wrench definitely wouldn't get close. Is there another style wrench that would fit?

Edit: please excuse the repetitive question about the torque wrench problem that was answered before in the thread.
 
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Speedster

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2001
Location
Wichita, KS
TDI
2000 NB TDI 5M, 2002 Jetta TDI 5M & 2012 Jetta TDI 6M
Excellent original post. I just replaced my inner and outer tie rods, as well as the ball joints, all of which was easy. My only advice is as follows:

1. To remove the inner tie rods, crank the steering over all the way to move the inner tie rod into view. Makes it easy.

2. One of the outer tie rods would not come off because the rod taper would spin. Since the nut went down several threads before jamming, I was able to cut through the taper with my thin pneumatic cut-off disk. Easy to do.

3. On the ball joints, just follow the original instructions, but no need to use spring compressors. I simply pried down the lower control arm with the pickle fork enough to remove and replace the ball joints. To get the nuts off of the ball joints, I used the pickle fork and a 3 pound sledge hammer to wedge the fork against the taper enough to keep it from turning.

What a difference in steering all of this made. At 232K miles, you do not notice the gradual deterioration of the steering control over time. Doing the entire job for a first timer will take not more than 3 hours, and it is worth every dime and time that you spend.
 

RamMan4x4

Veteran Member
Joined
May 6, 2007
Location
Raleigh, NC
TDI
'03 Jetta TDI
Thanks for the great How-To! I had to replace the lower control arm bushings on my Jetta and decided to swap out the ball joints while I was doing it. Using the nut to push out the ball joint is genius! Some light tapping on the side of the steering knuckle with a hammer will also help it come loose.
 

dunerking

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Location
Saugus,Ca
TDI
04 Jetta TDI
Another great thread from TDIclub! Going to replace the ball joints might as well do the tie-rods ending as well.
 

need4speed

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2004
For anyone who can't get this to work, I found a great tool that pops the ball-joint right out.

It is a Pittman arm and Tie Rod Puller, 1 1/8" opening. It fits perfectly over the ball, joint housing, and you press it out by turning a bolt. This tool is available at any local auto parts store. (they rent them, and they also sell them - mine was about $14).

The axle has to be out of the wheel, but this pops it right out.

I couldn't get the axle-trick to work, and ended up stripping my nut. I took the axle out, (was taking it out anyway) and used the Pittman Arm and Tie Rod puller. Everything else I was trying was hours and hours of frustration, but this little doo-dad popped it out in a minute.
 

pyromancer

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Location
Seattle, WA
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI
So I just followed this procedure...

Warning to anyone else. BE VERY CAREFUL PULLING ON THE HUB WHEN DOING THIS JOB! I apparently separated my outer CV joint. I now have to replace a drive shaft because I just didn't know and had to fight with the hub a bit to get the ball joint realigned. I now wish I had just pulled the A arm.
 

JoeDaVex

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2000
Location
CT
TDI
99.5 Jetta TDI 5 Speed
Another thank you for the excellent instructions!
Just got done doing drivers side balljoint and it couldn't have gone any smoother. For torque I used the german standard of GutenTight.
 
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