large ball joint splitter
mcerd1 - 22/8/19 at 12:04 PM
can anyone recommend a larger than average ball joint splitter ?
my C-max front arms have quite big 21mm joints and most splitters seem to be made for 19mm max (as far as I can tell) - and bigger ones are either
really expensive or too chunky to get at these joints 
also I'd rather not use a fork type as I really need to reuse these joints/boots this time - they are only a year old.
obviously I've tried to usual ways to get it to break the taper, but no joy yet 
and a tool that fits nicely would make the whole job 100x
easier
[Edited on 22/8/2019 by mcerd1]
pewe - 22/8/19 at 12:10 PM
Google Ball Joint Splitter - you'll find various sizes offered - QED.
nick205 - 22/8/19 at 02:26 PM
Faced with a similar requirement a few fears back I modified a ball joint splitter I already had with an angle grinder. The result was a tool that
did the job and saved the expense of buying another tool. IIRC the tool I modified cost something like £10-15 so not a massive loss if it only did
the job in hand and ended up in the bin. As it turns out it did the job and has done several others since on other cars.
mcerd1 - 22/8/19 at 02:56 PM
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Faced with a similar requirement a few fears back I modified a ball joint splitter I already had with an angle grinder. The result was a tool that
did the job and saved the expense of buying another tool. IIRC the tool I modified cost something like £10-15 so not a massive loss if it only did
the job in hand and ended up in the bin. As it turns out it did the job and has done several others since on other cars.
I'm coming to the same conclusion - but I don't already have a handy cheap one to modify - I've already ground down my dads old one
as much as I dare and its still not got the reach or jaw opening I need
all the cheap ones I've found online before seem to be very similar regardless of brand - their must only be a handful of types being made in
some cheap factory in china
the likes of these ones look like they might have the reach I'd need:
linky or
linky2
but the best I can tell from the next to F'all sizing info available online they are probably too narrow a jaw and would need a lot of
grinding...
where as this type might be easier to modify, but could be too short a reach (which would be harder to sort)
link3
this type looks better (maybe a little short) but I'm not paying £180 for all I need it for 
linky4<
br />
[Edited on 22/8/2019 by mcerd1]
rusty nuts - 22/8/19 at 04:18 PM
Do you know any commercial vehicle fitters that may have a large splitter? I have a large one (splitter that is) that you could borrow if you were
closer.
daviep - 22/8/19 at 07:57 PM
I have a large Sykes splitter you can borrow. I'm over in Fife if you can arrange some way of collecting it.
https://www.sykes-pickavant.com/products/suspension-tools/ball-joint-removal/230n
mcerd1 - 22/8/19 at 09:27 PM
quote:
Originally posted by daviep
I have a large Sykes splitter you can borrow. I'm over in Fife if you can arrange some way of collecting it.
https://www.sykes-pickavant.com/products/suspension-tools/ball-joint-removal/230n
cheers for the offer, I'd seen that one and wasn't sure if it would be too big to get in at the joint (not much clearance to the CV joint) -
but I might give you a shout if I'm really stuck.
I've ordered a couple of cheap ones that might work (should be here in a day or so) - at least they are cheap enough to not care about
modifying, so I think I'll see how they go first
Mr Whippy - 23/8/19 at 07:45 PM
I don't use them. You hit the side of the part its bolted two and the shock makes them pop out, used this method on loads of different cars and
it was a landy mechanic who showed me.
Trick with the CMax (I had one) is to replace the whole suspension at the same time as it all fails one after the other. Don't try to replace the
rear front lower wishbone bush, you can't, without special tools, just replace the whole thing, I made that mistake....
[Edited on 23/8/19 by Mr Whippy]
Grimsdale - 28/8/19 at 09:45 AM
The method i've used on a focus when faced with the same issue is to jack up the hub a bit, wedge a chisel between the upright and control arm,
and drop it down again. Gentle tap if needs be.
mcerd1 - 28/8/19 at 01:23 PM
Update
Well they are off 
as it tuned out I ordered a couple of different cheap splitters (cheap enough to not care about grinding) and one of them was a pretty promising
looking thing....
....but by the time I got down to try it on the car my brother had knocked them off for me with a curved wedge I didn't even know he had
(he'd also tried about 6 other tools and jacking it first though)
at least I've got a couple new tools to try next time 
mcerd1 - 28/8/19 at 01:36 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Trick with the CMax (I had one) is to replace the whole suspension at the same time as it all fails one after the other. Don't try to replace the
rear front lower wishbone bush, you can't, without special tools, just replace the whole thing, I made that mistake....
I actually did that 18 months back - the were a total PITA to get off last time too, but the difference was I didn't care if I damaged the old
ones as I had a shiny new pair of arms to go on
I did actually remember your old posts on the subject of C-max arms - so I was prepared for that
As it turned out it was both the ball joints and 1 bushing on each arm that were totally shot then (the second bushing on each was ok-ish) - so new
arms was actually cheaper anyway.
but this time its not the suspension thats the issue - I may have slightly run out of clutch 
nick205 - 28/8/19 at 02:20 PM
This is the type I modified with the angle grinder...
mcerd1 - 28/8/19 at 04:30 PM
^^^ they wouldn't fit due to how close the CV joints are (ball joint is in the arm and points up at the CV)
this type seemed to be the most promising
but even that would need a little work to fit nicely - in the end the curved wedge worked fine though
[Edited on 28/8/2019 by mcerd1]