Ball joint replacement using HF kit and home made adapter
 

I needed to replace the ball joints on my 240 (as well as other suspension parts), and did not want to spend the big bucks required to purchase the special tool. I got a ball joint kit from Harbor Freight:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...n/100_1466.jpg
After removing the old joint and cleaning and painting the parts,
I had to make a special adapter for the press to work, as nothing provided in the kit would work.
I took a piece of 2" black pipe and cut off a slice 7/8" long. I cut out about 1/4" from the circumference, making the diameter smaller. I then welded a large washer on the top, and ground it all smooth (just for looks).

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...n/100_1461.jpg

The pieces needed to do the job:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...n/100_1460.jpg

I had to tighten the press as much as I could, and then hammer the clamp to force the ball joint in. The threads are too course to press this joint in by just turning the screw:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...n/100_1467.jpg

A little tightening, a little hammering, and repeating the process a couple times, and the joint is all the way in:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...n/100_1462.jpg

The finished product:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...n/100_1465.jpg

So no nicks or tears to the boot from the install? Very nice.

How did you get the old ball joint out? Were you able to hammer it out or do you have access to a press?

a user called samiam said he made a similar thing for a W124 - and it worked very nicely.

OK,
you cut a SLIT in the 2" pipe, then hammered it back round, and welded the slit closed, and welded the washer onto one end of the piece...
right?
I'd also like to know what you did to remove the old joint.

The W123 service manual calls for knocking old ball joints out with a hammer. No special tools or techniques required.

Works like a charm for some, others on this board say they've hammered till they couldn't feel their shoulder anymore and they couldn't get the thing to budge.

ahh. that is good enough for me. I've got SEVERAL that are very rust covered, I think with some cleaning, and Kroil added, I may get them out with hammering, but I also think I can rig a mount for the press to push them out.

To get that ball joint out a serious hammer (literally like Thor's Hammer) is required.

and another hammer made of brass with a 2 ft handle to act as a drift held by another person while the first person swings the 10 lb sledge like an axe. It would take one swing to knock it out, two for rusty ones.

You can use a 4 lb sledge with more time (shoulder wear out)

you now have me imagining Mjolnir slamming into the spindle with lightning flying...
John Henry's hammer makes more sense to me as an example...

I just did them on a W201 which I think is the same design as the W124. I got them out with a sledge hammer along with the aid of heat. Removed the wheel, disconnected the hub/brakes and tied them out of the way. Car was in the shop on a concrete floor. Set the arm down on a large block of wood (arm still attached to car) such that 80% of the bottom of the BJ was hanging over the edge. Hit it several times with a 3' - 4' swing of the sledge and no budge. Heated things up (not cherry hot as it appears the end of the arm is tempered) and it still took several more whacks before they popped out. One side drove the ball of the BJ through the ball joint before I knocked the rest of the BJ housing out. Those guys were in there really tight!

Be care full that the wood under the arm won't move as if it jarred out of the way the spring could become free and hurt something.

Made 2 little jigs from scrap pipe fittings for install. One fit the perimeter of the BJ on the bottom and the other was slightly larger than the hole for the top with enough length for the threaded part of the BJ to fit inside. 4 or 5 firm whacks with a 2 lb hammer set them in place...not too bad putting them back.

As you do alot of MB work, I could see where the specialty tool could be cost efffective for you.

attached
 

attached pictures for future need.

.

Yes that is correct, except I used adjustable pliers to squeeze it closed. I used a press to remove the old joints, but I may try the hammer method next time (may not have access to the press).

The ID of the tool I made fits snug around the ring that holds on the boot. It is just high enough to barely allow the end of the press to fit in the recess of the spindle without crushing the boot.

Rich that is thinking outside the box, good idea with the pipe. I have one of those Chicom BJ Presses.

Funola posted a thread Redneck lower Ball Joint removal. He dug a hole and buried the upper end of the knuckle in the ground to drive out the BJ with a Hammer. This does work, I did mine for the 85, and took about 7 - 10 whacks to drive it out.

I placed a piece of 1/4" 4x4 steel in the bottom of the hole so I wasn`t driving the thing deeper into the ground. I used the flat end of the Socket (27MM) against the BJ and a smaller one (11/16) inverted inside. both impact sockets.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/321615-red-neck-lower-ball-joint-removal.html

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...717_165251.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...717_165552.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...717_165720.jpg




Thanks to Funola for the pictures.



Charlie

Hi Rich, making the adapter is a lot of work. Do you think a similar size 1/2" drive socket would work also?

No, it can't be any taller than 7/8 because the press will not fit in the recess if it is any bigger.

I did my 240 front end rebuild today, and tried the hammer trick for removing the old BJ's. I just held the upper end with one hand, and whacked the joint with a hammer. About 15 blows, and it came right out.

Excellent pics!

I Also made one (I started off too long and kept cutting it back, never finished it and just installed the Joint without it) and found a thread where Dormison had Made one many years previous.

Several years a go there was some argued that the Steering Knuckle could not be fit on a Hydraulic Press so that the Ball Joint could be pressed out.
That idea has now been dis-proven!

Also you can get the C-Press from Autozone on a free Rental Basis.

For those who do not Weld or want to go through the trouble to make the Tool using LEMFÖRDER/Lemfoerder/Lemforder Ball Joints W123s if you are willing to remove the Boot from the Joint you can just use a Flat Washer with the Hole enlarged so it slide over the Joint Shaft and the C-Press.
In the Pic the Washer would go where the Red Arrows Point.
I manages to do it without the Washer but it clearly would have been better with a washer there as the Press wants to slide on the conical surface of the Ball Joint.

Removing the bottom Ball Joint Boot Spring was not Hard on the Lemforders as the Boot is made of some heavy Plastic and not likely to be get poked through by the spring.
After the Joint was In the Knuckle just put some more grease in the Boot and put it back on.

yeah, I have generally removed the boot and used the press like in the above photo. Think I will try to make something like the adapter shown in the top pictures next time. Looks like a good tool. To remove the old ball joint, I generall use a 24 oz ball peen and then when it doesn't work a 48oz hand sledge. Trick I have found is to have the knuckle resting on something really solid. I have a solid piece of steel about 4in dia and 9 inches long-really heavy and doesn't get moved around easily by someone hammering on it. I of couse use lots of PB Blaster or the like. One time I was able to replace the ball joints on (I think) a 124 by setting the bottom of the joint (still in the arm) on a socket on the big piece of steel and pounding on arm. Joint popped out nicely. This was the one that failed as daughter backed the car into the driveway. Sometimes I just get lucky!

As I recall, the FSM has a pic of the knuckle clamped in a big vise for striking with a hammer. You did it by holding the knuckle and hammer in the air freehand? Were they small taps rather than big swings? Your BJ must not have rusted in the knuckle.

Yes, I figured I would try it. I only did one, and will try the other. If I had a way to video it, I would.....Rich

Rollguy, Thanks to you and funola for posting this information. A little over a year ago I payed Les Schwab a bunch of money to replace the lower B/Js in my TD and in just over a year the boots are shot. I got the HF tool and made the 7/8s adapter and one thing I noticed is that it fits the Lemfoerder B/J but not the two other brands I had, Meyle and some other, unmarked cheepie. Not that thats a problem with me as I intent to use only Lemfoerder. The adaptor was pretty easy to make thanks to your inventiveness and probably could be "adapted" to fit any B/J as long as its not too tall.

Yes, Lemfoerder for me as well. They are less than $20 from Pelican. That is what I made the adapter to fit, so it is nice to know that it will only work with Lemfoerder ( I won't be using any other brand anyway)....Rich

put that up as a rental kit.

Can't visualize how this could happen as the BJ is pressed in from the bottom side of the arm. Wouldn't you have to pound on the BJ to remove and then pound on the arm to drive in the new BJ?

Agreed. I believe the ball joint is under tension on a 124, and under compression on a 123. Someone please correct me if I am wrong...Rich

yes you are correct.

There are many excellently designed parts on a Mercedes Benz, but the 124 lower ball joint is NOT one of them IMO.
I can't figure out why there would be any advantage to placing a ball joint under tension. It seems like a recipe for disaster (yes I have seen a few 124 ball joint failure threads).

the W124 design is employed in millions of cars around the world, it only fails with extreme neglect or rust.

OTOH I really like the W210 etc setup - the joint is set on two tapers, to replace, jack the control arm - and take a regular two jaw puller or hammer to separate the part

getting the ball joint out isn't that difficult with a hammer, prop the thing up with sandbags. if you have access to a long barrel air hammer Holy crap its easy

... how many vehicles have a ball joint NOT under tension?

I would say most of them. I had a Cad ElDorado years ago, and (if I remember correctly) it was designed the same way. If the ball wore out, it would pull it out of it's socket because of the weight of the car. It is sort of like loading a trailer with all the weight in the rear. Never mind the fact that it will not tow correctly, the toungue will work it's way off the ball because it is designed for downward pressure, not upward. On most ball joints, the ball is resting in the socket and the weight of the car wants to force the ball into the socket, rather than trying to pull it out. A worn BJ under compression will not cause the same damage (premature tire wear, noise) as a worn BJ under tension ( major suspension/body damage).

Dumb question for ROLLGUY: If you started with a 2" pipe and cut out a 1/4" section to use for the install... what was the problem with the 1 3/4 ring that comes in the kit? Too tall?

I have only done tie rods and center links, never anything more complicated with the front end, so I may be missing something here :eek:.

I just found this kit here in Canada... now waiting for it to go on sale (up here it's $99 sticker) at Princess Auto, our (roughly) equivalent of HF.

Yes, too tall and too thin. I tried it (after modifying it), and ruined it (using a hammer to pound in the BJ). That is when I decided to make the custom adapter so the C press could be used.

Would the use of this newer kit:

Ball Joint Service Kit for 2WD and 4WD Vehicles

Change the need for a custom part?

Receiving tubes: (1) 2 in. OD x 1-3/4 in. ID x 1-3/4 in. L

Is that the same as what you ruined?

That looks like the same kit I have, and yes, a special part is needed to fit the MB ball joint.

Rollguy, what is the finished OD dimensions of the custom adapter which you've made ?

Greg

I am not sure, I am not able to get to the tool soon. However, I think I used a piece of black pipe (1 1/4?) about 1 1/2" long. It needs to fit the lip around the ball joint with the boot removed. I welded a thick washer on the top with a hole large enough for the threaded stem to fit through.

Since youre good at manufacturing and selling kits, how about make some of these??? I dont weld, so if you can duplicate the one you made, it would be worth the money for folks like me...

Now there's a thought! Actually, I need to rebuild the suspension on my 240, and have the parts on order. When I get my press out, I will look into making a few of the parts needed.....Rich

Count me in for one!