Well I'm trying to take the ball joints off both sides of my mini. I started on the right side and split the joint using one of those scissor type tools. I then started to unbolt the bolt but then the when I turned the bolt the nut (or pin I think they call it) turned with it.

I thought I did it wrong so I went to the left hand side and unbolted the bolt but the same thing happened before i even used the ball joint splitting tool.

Does this happen to other minis? How did you fix it?

Cheers.

Generally, remove the nut while the joint is fimly together. If you can't, clamp the pin back up into the seat. this taper will provide resistance, and you can remove the nut.

If using the sciccor type splitter, put the nut back on two turns, then use a thick washer spaer. This protects the threads on the ball joint if you are re-using it.

Cheers

Matt

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68 Deluxe.... it's shiny..... I like shiny!!

As a bit of a trick (everyone has their own and this is mine), when I come up against this problem I get the hydraulic jack and put it under the suspension lower arm. I pump it up enough to apply load to the ball joint tapers and lock them in place. I then remove the nuts and then lower the jack again.

Just be careful not to lift the car off the stands in doing so. Only enough lifting force to give to apply some pressure to the ball joints.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Thanks fo that. I'll try tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

Not just yours, been doing that myself for years Works a treat.

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Yep same here works all the time

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

The tight arse no fancy splitters way to do it is to loosen of the nuts & hit the each side of the control arm with 2 big hammers at the same time, the end result the ball joint is shocked out of the taper, works every time.


Doogie

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I won Hay once, here's the pic to prove it..


Hay, it's not about the car, it's not about the venue, it's about the people that come here. Peter Dwyer, Mayor of Hay NSW.

Before the Modern Convenience of ball joint splitters (I bought my first one on the weekend, would you believe!?) I used to lift the car up with the engine crane enough to get a steel bar wedged underneath the top suspension arm, then lowered the car's weight onto it... followed by the BFH technique. The tension applied by the lower suspension arms was usually enough to pop the ball joint out.

Not that I'd recommend this technique to anyone -- on more than one occasion I had the steel bar slip out, which scares the crap out of you when the car's weight is caught by the crane. $30 for a scissor-type ball joint splitter is much, much, much safer, quicker, and easier

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges