Need help to fit ball joints in Perth

[Dave]

Well my ball joints are finally fitted and I will feel much safer driving the old girl around now so I owe many thanks to this site and all the advice offered by the replies to this and some earlier strings.

For those of you who are also non-mechanics and who are wishing to attempt this I have some advice

Firstly I would strongly recommend you try JW Classic car parts to purchase your ball joints.
You couldn’t meet a nicer guy than Jim, thanks to Worzel and Hotrod for letting me know about him, even with post he was cheaper than anyone else I found.  $60 each upper and lower.
I didn’t know what sort I wanted after reading the post about them changing in 76 and not being able to tell without taking them out so Jim sent me both sorts so I could choose.  (Now I just got to send the wrong ones back)  Jim only credited my credit card with one set until I returned the other set.
Contact him on
   Jim Withers - J W Classic Car Parts.
   He does them (did them?) for $60 when he has them and will post.
   03 9762 6025 home or 0411 088 342 or JWClassicParts@aol.com

I got a tad concerned when I opened the yellowed sticky tape on the first original 70's Bedford packaging and saw a ball joint that looked like this one a sit looks like someone put the wrong one in the box back in the 70's.

Jim sent a new one within days, no charge for postage.

The correct lower ball joints look like this ( the earlier version is first and I have no photo of the upper ones)



Fitting the ball joints
The main issue I had was my confidence, knocking the old ones out with a hammer concerned me especially when I had bent them all up and they still hadn't come out, they were really tight, but after having done it once I would feel a bit more confident.

1) we jacked the front of the van up with a trolley jack and then put the front of the van on axle stands under the cross member
2) took off the wheels
3) put the trolley jack under the spring and took up the tension without jacking it up
4) undid the bolts on both ball joints
5) tied the drum to the body with a bit of rope so when it was removed it didn't hang off the brake line and damage it
6) took off the drum
7) put a large 3/4 drive socket over the old ball joint and belted the ball joint till it came out.  First with a small claw hammer them with a bigger one when it wouldn't come out
8 ) sat the new ball joint in the hole the old one came out, put the socket over the new one and belted it back in with the hammer.  I thought they were not going to go, it took a fair bit of hammering to get it in but eventually they went, (meybe it wasn't sitting straight)
9) refitted drum tyre etc.

My upper wishbone was buggered so a mechanic rougher than me had welded the old ball joint in and as I was a few hundred k's out of Perth and had no way home we had t weld in the new one as I never had a spare wishbone, I guess there will always be something different on any repair job on an old van.  We had to remove the tie rod and the wishbone to get it in and out.

If I was to do it again I think I would remove the upper wishbone for sure, and remove and fit the balljoint in a vice or press.  This is what DanVanman recommended and I reckon he was right. The wishbone is easy to remove or at least easier than the ball joint.  I think I would leave the lower one in but that's only because I don’t know how hard they are to remove.  I think I followed Worzels method.

For Perth Bedford owners I wouldn't worry about ringing Pedders or WA suspension.  WA suspension wanted $150 per ball joint, didn’t ring back despite saying they would on three occasions, then when they finally did give me a quote they wanted $550 just to fit without the $150 per ball joint.  Pedders just didn't return any of my calls, so I asked the mechanics at work.
maybe when this financial crisis hits a bit harder these guys might give more service.
Apparently the hardest part is getting the ball joint and it is easy enough for most corner garages so if I wasnt going to do it myself I would get the balljoint from someone like JW Classics and take it to the corner servo for a quote.

hope this is of use to someone
cheers
Dave

[ben]

cool thanks for all that dave.. brilliant.

shane can this go in the how to section?

ben

[stuuuz]

I just did my driver side ball joints but used a ball joint press ($74 including shipping from ebay), means you don't need to remove the wishbone arms from the vehicle or hammer the hell out of them. You do need to jack up a bit higher to do the lower ball joint so you have clearance for the press. Also you will need some deep sockets or something as the cups in the press kit are too big to press the ball joints in.

The ball joints were from ebay too, less than $25 each if you buy a set of 4. For comparison, Bursons had them listed at $191 each. The ebay seller's name is Car-Egg. Just specify what ones you need, I asked for 2 x BJ24 (upper) and 2 x BJ148 (lower), but they have the earlier model too (BJ268). I wasn't sure what to expect for that price but they seem fine, made by Transteering. Just be aware you might have to remove the upper ball joint boot before trying to press it on or you may break it (like me!) as it is slightly bigger than the mounting hole.

I also added some extra grease to both of them before install, you can add grease to the sealed type if you slip a grease needle between the boot and the stud. Those needles are also handy to grease sealed ball joints on the vehicle, you can pierce the boot from behind (where water doesn't enter) and then add a bit of silicone to seal up the hole again.

I am having problems adding photos but you can see them at the link below next to some OEM ones.

https://goo.gl/photos/AtCqZMBA6c6kiSuE9

Here is the link to the ball joints:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/131575117473?ul_noapp=true

and press kit:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/182384055810

[stuuuz]

They also have tie-rods (TE476R) available, $60 for the pair or you can buy a kit (2 x lower ball joints and 2 x tie rods) for $89.68 inc shipping:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4-x-Lower-Ball-Joints-Outer-Tie-Rod-End-Bedford-BEDFORD-CF-VAN-1969-1987-/151774401751?hash=item23567594d7:g:d9kAAOSwLnBXVoDf