Date:         Fri, 2 Mar 2001 11:57:47 -0800
Reply-To:     Daniel Schmitz <djs@GENE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Daniel Schmitz <djs@GENE.COM>
Organization: Genentech, Inc.
Subject:      Ball joints on '81 Vanagon...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I'm in "digest" mode, but in case of Tom Young of Lafayette, CA's ball
joint problem, I can impart some information. I used to own an '82
Adventurewagen vanagon, and I replaced upper and lower balljoints and
control arm bushings. My comments are applicable to Vanagons up thru
October of 1984, after which a redesigned suspension with some different
components is used.

Upper ball joints are bolted to the control arms, not pressed (although
the balljoint fits tightly into a round hole in the control arm, it can
be tapped out with a hammer). The lower ball joint is pressed into an
adapter piece, which itself bolts to the control arm. It is easiest to
remove the adapter and have the balljoint pressed out, although tools
may exist for pressing out the balljoint in situ.

Both ball joints attach to the steering knuckle/spindle assembly via
standard tapered shafts on the ball joints, just like most vehicles that
use ball joints. WheelWorks, if they do front end repairs, should be
equipped with the separating tools for this. It's usually a fork or a
portable screw press. They merely needed to separate the lower ball
joint from the steering knuckle, unbolt the adapter, and do the pressing
required to change out the ball joint in the adapter.

The only reason I can see for WheelWorks to have underestimated the job
is that the lower ball joint adapter is a pretty small piece and may
need a special plate to safely support it during the pressing operation.
If they had a press, they may not have had the right support plate for
it. If they didn't have a press, (I don't know how they can do front end
work without one) a local machine shop would have been able to press the
balljoint out of/into the adapter.

In my case, I took the adapter with ball joint to a local machine shop
and they pressed it for me for almost no charge.

Hope this sheds some light on the topic.

dan