E30 Control Arm - How the hell...

[ipwnyou 0]

I cant for the life of me get the ball joint off in the picture attached - I have the ball joint seperater fork, hammers, mallots, and i've spent about 2 hours on this. Any tips or something i'm missing?

Thanks

[antony 0]

i suffered the same problem with mine.

eventually what worked was when i screwed the nut back onto the bolt. make sure the top of the nut is flush with the top of the bolt. and then hit if with your mallet. you've got to be careful not to strip the nut or bolt though.

[ipwnyou 0]

i suffered the same problem with mine.

eventually what worked was when i screwed the nut back onto the bolt. make sure the top of the nut is flush with the top of the bolt. and then hit if with your mallet. you've got to be careful not to strip the nut or bolt though.

Ah so you mean hit the nut and bolt, using the nut as a sort of head?

I've tried just about everything else, and i've got 3 more to do, so i'm about ready to try anything!

Will try now.

Thanks!

Edited December 17, 2006 by ipwnyou

[ipwnyou 0]

Just spent the last 15 mins on this...no ammount of hammering is making this thing move. I'm about ready to drive a honda into it.

[Gus 5]

i dearly hope you havent done the above...you will ruin the control arm unless you lucky

whack the side of the part of the strut that the thread inserts into...might take a bit but the shock will whack it loose eventually

else use a pickle fork ($30 from repco or something) or a proper balljoint separator ($$) but the first method works fine

[TronSpec 0]

Yeah do what gus said.... just keep hitting it there circled in yellow

and see if you can get pusher on it. (looks like a balljoint remover but has a bolt with a arm coming off it and you just wind the balljoint out)

Edited December 17, 2006 by MrHamWallet

[TronSpec 0]

i suffered the same problem with mine.

eventually what worked was when i screwed the nut back onto the bolt. make sure the top of the nut is flush with the top of the bolt. and then hit if with your mallet. you've got to be careful not to strip the nut or bolt though.

Bro doing it that way will only f**k your control arm, bushes and inner balljoint

[will 169]

Gareth, sounds like you are about to pwn yourself again... do NOT hit the balljoint nut with a hammer!!! But I suppose it is too late now.. Hit the strut mounting point on the side where the ball joint goes through like Gus says. If you can get someone to put downward pressure on the lower control arm at the same time with a long lever it will help free it. Give me a call if you want me to explain it to you.

Will

PS Methinks you need a name change to Ipwnme...

[ipwnyou 0]

I got it - the smacking the sides with the hammer, and soaking it in CRC job did the trick - just poped right out no hassles. This is from my old E30, and the ball joint was already totally screwed - it makes a cracking noise and there was no boot on it to start with, so I wasnt too worried about breaking it. And hey, only way to learn is to play

Now to go break something else

Thanks for the help guys

PS: New set of joints + kit to put it in on order from BMW

Edited December 17, 2006 by ipwnyou

[BM WORLD 1284]

yes thats how i have been getting all the ones that i pull apart .

just hit the side with a big hammer and they pop out .

learnt that from a panel beater one day