I made a tool to press in lower balljoints into the spindle, using a section of 2" sch.80 steel pipe. Seems to have worked well but I'm not 100% certain I have fully seated the ball joint. The flange on the joint that shoulders down onto the spindle looks almost flush with the spindle on the near side but is raised slightly on the farside recessed back in the inaccessible area. But, if I measure the bottom side where the joint protrudes through the spindle I get a uniform protrusion of about 0.050" all the way around which makes me think the joint is in straight and flat but perhaps the recess where the joint flange fits into on the top side is not of uniform depth and so it appears not uniformly seated when viewed from the top





What do you think, is it seated all the way?

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1985 300D 231K anthracite grey w/black int.

Hmmm.........., What concerns me, and might cause it to not seat any further, is the crease I see on the flange of the ball joint. (BTW, where's the pic of the homemade tool? We may want to "copy" if you aren't holding out for a patent. Many of us like to "engineer".)

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

I don't think the "crease" is holding anything up. Really that's just a dimple in the flange metal that I put in trying to hammer in that portion of the flange when it appeared to not be going in any further using my tool.

Here is a picture of the tool. Again, just a standard 2" x 18" sch.80 pipe nipple. The ID of the pipe fits over the joint boot and hits the flange perfectly. I cutout a chunk of the pipe to allow the upper control arm to nest inside so you can keep the pipe section nice and straight and plumb to the joint. Just trial and error on how much to cut away so the control arm can nest in and also so the lower portion of the spindle doesn't interfere with the pipe end fitting over the ball joint.

guess I'll try to see if I can smack that flange down a bit more.....unfortunately I already pressed out the balljoint from the other spindle so I have nothing to compare to.

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1985 300D 231K anthracite grey w/black int.

That looks right. It does not seat flatly on the top side.

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http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...aman/Fleet.jpg

Peach Parts W124.128 User Group.

80 280SL
85 300SD
87 300TD
92 300D 2.5 Turbo
92 300TE 4Matic

Looks normal to me. The top knuckle surface is not flat so the joint won't look flat either.

thanks forcedinduction and pwogaman, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear!

In that case I can recommend my homemade balljoint install tool. I ordered my pipe nipple from McMaster-Carr supply but any good plumbing supply should have sch.80 2"pipe. I be wary of sch.40 pipe.....even though it would fit the joint flange OK it is thinner wall and may not hold up to the hammer or pressing.

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1985 300D 231K anthracite grey w/black int.

did you use a shop press or just a BFH?

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1984 123.193 372,xxx miles, room for Seven.

1999 Dodge Durango Cummins 4BTAA 47RE 5k lb 4x4 getting 25+mpgs, room for Seven.

so it basically fits over it like a sleeve/collar and you bang the hell out of it with a large hammer? or do you use some sort of bottle jack press

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1981 300SD 512k OM603

I actually did start out using the BFH method. I have a big hydraulic bottle jack press at work, but someone misplaced the bottle jack part of it if you can believe that. The BFH method is feasible but after about 5min. of hammering one of the guys in the shop came around to help me out, found the missing bottle jack and we set it up in the press frame and used the press to finish the final 1/4" or so of seating the joint. Another 5min. and I could have had it home with the BFH method too.

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1985 300D 231K anthracite grey w/black int.

Write up - Ball Joints & Lower Control Arm Bushings & Tool Review (PICS!)

has a pic of new ball joint presssed in - yours looks fine

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~shell
As of 2/2010:
2001 CLK55 0o\=*=/o0
13.6 @ 106mph
10K mi
1984 300SD
260K mi and going and going...
97 S600
46K miles
1991 Sentra SE-R (extremely dorked with)
www.se-r.net

When I did my 300D's Ball Joints I ruined one using the BFH method and a homemade tool.......

I then located a shop that works on mostly VW, MB, Porsche, Audi, and Volvo.....the guy there had an old 3/4 drive socket, I never checked what size, that fit nicely over the joint, and has one of the edges ground down so that it will fit into the curve of the spindle......then used an Arbor press to push the Ball Joint home......

FWIW.......if you look at the geometry of the Ball Joint and Suspension / LCA......the weight of your car will be pushing the Ball Joint into the Spindle....so if it's only 99.9% home.....the forces caused by bumps and such should eventually push it the other 0.1% in......

SB

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Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG