Rear Ball joint removal

[steveo1502]

I actually have two new ones to replace on mine now, went to part source for the press but was out,

[Siscub]

That sucks cause I really don't wanna have to take anything else off.

[steveo1502]

It's pretty easy, just a couple bolts for the shock, but u might want to take it to a shop, but it very easy, I just bought 2 rear ball joints, they not oem , just china crap but was only 100 shipped for 2 of em, just have to see how long they last but they don't look any different than oem, looks decent quality

[Siscub]

Well I'm doing a hicas delete so I have the AMS kit which comes with everything I need I just need those friggin ball joints out.

[gtrjon]

honestly just take the entire knuckle off and take them to a shop with a press and be done with it in 30 seconds. i just did mine a few weeks ago properly with the driftworks kit. the ebrake is a bit of a bitch but nothing impossible

[steveo1502]

Oh I see, I was also looking at that kit, maybe next year,lol. u will still need that ball joint press to get em out

[steveo1502]

Not sure what the drift work kit is, but u don't need to remove the knuckle,that's a lot of work, with that press only takes 30 seconds also

[ColinR33]

You shouldn't have to take the knuckle off. Borrow a ball joint press from crappy tire and use a propane torchto heat thejoint as you press it out. See how I did it:

http://forums.gtrcanada.com/gt-r-project-cars/40301-my-new-r33-gtr-so-begins-16.html

[gtrjon]

o yea i forgot aluminum LOVES heat....

[Siscub]

Ok, I'll have to unbolt my shock though for the press to work right? Otherwise it won't fit?

[steveo1502]

Part source said they had two presses, I had the big kit, but there's not much room to get it behind with the shock there,

[ColinR33]

Ok, I'll have to unbolt my shock though for the press to work right? Otherwise it won't fit?

Yes, best to get that out of the way.

[Siscub]

Alrighty.

[krarks]

The rear ball joints for the rear tie rods are THE EXACT SAME as the 300ZX with HICAS.

Anyways, the way I did it was to remove both rear struts. Then using a Pitman arm puller and an air grinder (with a cutoff wheel installed) but you could use an electric cut off wheel instead, I cut the outerlip of the old ball joint.. The whole point of cutting the outer lip so that puller's arms can have clearance and not come into contact with the lip. If the puller was touching the lip it obviously wouldn't be able to press out the joint. It's not a very easy process to describe without pictures and I wish I had done that when I did it. But if you're set on getting these out without taking the knuckle out, then with some perseverance and using your head, you should be able to get these out.

When I did it to my old GTR, they came right out without issue. I tried it again on my friend's and we had to heat the knuckle up as the ball joints were seized and the puller couldn't do it's job. (The torch made them come out much smoother and didn't cause ANY issues at all, for those worried about it being aluminum...) You'll want to push the ball joint out towards the rear of the vehicle too.

Pic of outside lip:



Link to the Pitman Arm puller that you'll need.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/AutoTools/PullerTools/PRDOVR~0256120P/Pitman+Arm+Puller.jsp?locale=en

I got this method from a guy in Regina who did his 300ZX the same way. It definitely does work and the hardest part is carefully cutting that lip away without doing too much damage to knuckle.

[Siscub]

So it's only that lip there is nothing to worry about on the other side of the ball joint?