Steering 'wobble'
- Thread starter toml
- Start date
hahhahahahahaha
supras do have the longest service intervals 12 months or 5000km (thats what the sticker said!!!)
supras do have the longest service intervals 12 months or 5000km (thats what the sticker said!!!)
OK I'm confused.
The TSRM says to remove the balljoints I have to:
1. Remove steering knuckle
2. Remove upper control arm
3. Remove ball joint
It doesn't give instructions on how to remove the steering knuckle, but it does give instructions on removing the upper control arm, and the first part of that is to disconnect the control arm from the steering knuckle. How can I do that if I just removed the steering knuckle in step 1?!?
Can someone tell me what I have to remove to get these damn balljoints out? My guess would be: wheels, unbolt the steering knuckle from the upper control arm, unbolt the lower balljoint from the lower control arm, smack the thing with my new 'ball joint separator' and it should come out?
Do I have to remove the whole upper control arm from the body to get the balljoints out?
The TSRM says to remove the balljoints I have to:
1. Remove steering knuckle
2. Remove upper control arm
3. Remove ball joint
It doesn't give instructions on how to remove the steering knuckle, but it does give instructions on removing the upper control arm, and the first part of that is to disconnect the control arm from the steering knuckle. How can I do that if I just removed the steering knuckle in step 1?!?
Can someone tell me what I have to remove to get these damn balljoints out? My guess would be: wheels, unbolt the steering knuckle from the upper control arm, unbolt the lower balljoint from the lower control arm, smack the thing with my new 'ball joint separator' and it should come out?
Do I have to remove the whole upper control arm from the body to get the balljoints out?
Doh, just found more in the TSRM - it says I need to remove the calipers, rotors, tie rod ends and whole steering knuckle. Is that all really neccessary to get the balljoints out?
Didn't really answer my question though 
So can I just unbolt them and pull them out without removing any other parts?
So can I just unbolt them and pull them out without removing any other parts?
If you're replacing the Uppers you have to buy new arms!
Very rare for our cars to kill the uppers as there's minimal load on them compared to lowers Tom!
Very rare for our cars to kill the uppers as there's minimal load on them compared to lowers Tom!
I have new lowers sitting here waiting to go in, I wasn't planning on replacing the uppers. (how do you know if they need replacing? I can get a very slight movement out of them when I try to move them...)
I'm giving up for now. I don't even have the right size socket/tool to get my wheels off, let alone able to get any sort of wrench onto the nut on top of the balljoint. I might just take it to a suspension shop and pay a professional to do it.
I'm giving up for now. I don't even have the right size socket/tool to get my wheels off, let alone able to get any sort of wrench onto the nut on top of the balljoint. I might just take it to a suspension shop and pay a professional to do it.
I agree in theory, Allan.. but I'm not loving the Supra at the moment. Harsh words, I know, but every time I drive it I find myself getting angrier and angrier at it.
I'll pick up a larger (20mm?) socket+wrench tomorrow and see if I can get the wheels and balljoints off tomorrow. If I don't have any success tomorrow it's going to a pro.
I'll pick up a larger (20mm?) socket+wrench tomorrow and see if I can get the wheels and balljoints off tomorrow. If I don't have any success tomorrow it's going to a pro.
Ok, here's how it's done. Remove the wheels, remove the cotter pin and nut holding the ball joint to the spindle.Whack the side of the spindle or use a picklefork to break the ball joint loose from the spindle. Remove the lower strut bolt and move the strut out of the way allowing you access to the bolt under the strut. Remove 3 bolts holding ball joint into the lower a-arm. Lift the spindle upwards approx' 8" then slide the ball joint out of the a-arm. Reverse procedure to install. Always torque fasteners to the torque reccommended by TSRM . Always use jackstands . Never drink alcohol until the job is done unless you smash your finger and need some pain relief. Good luck and may the force be with you.
I can't break the taper on the lower balljoints
Got the wheels off, took the nuts off the top of the balljoint, but I can't get it out of the steering knuckle.
I picked up a picklefork but i can't seem to get it in there properly. I've been smacking the end of the picklefork with a hammer but it doesn't seem to do anything.
Got the wheels off, took the nuts off the top of the balljoint, but I can't get it out of the steering knuckle.
I picked up a picklefork but i can't seem to get it in there properly. I've been smacking the end of the picklefork with a hammer but it doesn't seem to do anything.
OK, I went down the shop and bought a different picklefork, which worked well..
But now I need to disconnect the strut from the lower control arm before I can get the last of the balljoint bolts out... what a stupid design! Gosh I hope I can get that strut back in there!
But now I need to disconnect the strut from the lower control arm before I can get the last of the balljoint bolts out... what a stupid design! Gosh I hope I can get that strut back in there!
Car drives MUCH better with new lower balljoints, but it's still not perfect. I have some new upper+lower poly bushings ordered and ready to pick up, so I'll try and install them this weekend and see how well this car can handle!
ps. When I removed the old balljoints I used the picklefork and it tore the side of the balljoint rubber. Was this just the way I was doing it, or the 17yr old balljoint, or is this prone to happen? I need to know how to get my new balljoints out of the steering knuckle again without breaking them. I know... I should've done the balljoints + bushings at the same time....
ps. When I removed the old balljoints I used the picklefork and it tore the side of the balljoint rubber. Was this just the way I was doing it, or the 17yr old balljoint, or is this prone to happen? I need to know how to get my new balljoints out of the steering knuckle again without breaking them.
I know... I should've done the balljoints + bushings at the same time....