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[Jamieo]

Is it possible to replace the front wishbone balljoint without removing it from the car?

I was thinking about removing the heads of the rivets with an angle grinder and knocking them out using a hammer and a drift.

Has anybody else done this?

Thanks in advance.

[unlucky mark mv6]

Need to do this myself soon,so more info would be a great help to both of us.

[Agemo]

Hmmm, although it does sounds do-able, but remember the bushes will be the same age. It would be a shame to struggle doing the ball joint, then having to take the wishbones off weeks later.

[Lazydocker]

Hmmm, although it does sounds do-able, but remember the bushes will be the same age. It would be a shame to struggle doing the ball joint, then having to take the wishbones off weeks later.

Exactly... Not worth the effort IMO unless the bushes have been replaced with poly's I suppose

[Turk]

Hmmm, although it does sounds do-able, but remember the bushes will be the same age. It would be a shame to struggle doing the ball joint, then having to take the wishbones off weeks later.

Exactly... Not worth the effort IMO unless the bushes have been replaced with poly's I suppose

Powerflex are well on the way to re-starting production after the fire that gutted their premises. 

[feeutfo]

just to agree with the others, not worth it. May as well work on replacing the wish bones now (in pairs) than mess about grinding the rivetts, only to have do wishbones later anyway.

If the ball joint has failed then the bushes will be worse unless you have had other bushes pressed in...?

[Bionic]

It is possible to do and you are right that the tool to use is an angle grinder.
However, I did this to try to save money on my first Mig but regretted it soon afterwards when the thing failed its mot on the wishbone bushes themselves. At the end of the day they have done just as much work  as the ball joint so are probably on their way out too.
The cost of the wishbones is not excessive, the ones I got from the eBay vauxhallpartswarehouse came in the same bag as the one I had bought from VX themselves and were far, far cheaper! Just another VX ripoff! Remember that the mounting bolts for the wishbones are recommended to be changed too. There is an excellent guide in the Maitainence section.
GudLuk

[Jamieo]

I replaced both of my wishbones a couple of months ago and one of the balljoints has play in it. They were bought on ebay, the bushes are ok and I thought rather than complaining to the seller and possibly being messed about I would just replace the balljoint with one from my local motor factors.

[feeutfo]

I replaced both of my wishbones a couple of months ago and one of the balljoints has play in it. They were bought on ebay, the bushes are ok and I thought rather than complaining to the seller and possibly being messed about I would just replace the balljoint with one from my local motor factors.

its a gamble on weather the bushes will fail as well, but its doable. Seen Audi tt ball joint ground off and replaced using bolts and nylock nuts. But i would use lock tight as well. Will need set up as the camber will be off...which to me makes it sensable to use lemforder bones, set up once, and be done with it.

[Jamieo]

Out of interest I have just phoned my local VX parts department (Bristol Street Motors, Newcastle upon tyne) and asked them for a price for a pair of wishbones. They quoted me £224 each PLUS Vat 

[jditood]

If you ring ZF trading Ltd, (there on the web) they supply the original wishbones for VX. If you give them your postcode they can give you you nearest motorfactors  that sell the items. With the VAT both sides £120 and you get OE equipment but without the VX sticker(better than £260 a side from VX). In the ZF trading lists you will find the wishbones under the manufactured name of Lemfoder.  Hope this helps.

[Richard A]

Fitted new wishbones in July 2009, cost £51 for the pair including delivery to my house, these replaced a pair fitted in April 2007, again £55 per pair.
Two years and 44,000 miles between replacement.

Made sense to me
regards
Richard A

[Lazydocker]

Fitted new wishbones in July 2009, cost £51 for the pair including delivery to my house, these replaced a pair fitted in April 2007, again £55 per pair.
Two years and 44,000 miles between replacement.

Made sense to me
regards
Richard A

I've done the same... Fitted cheap ones from the bay 20 months ago... Think there may be a little play started but can't be sure it's not the road surface (or lack of ) in this weather

[feeutfo]

Fitted new wishbones in July 2009, cost £51 for the pair including delivery to my house, these replaced a pair fitted in April 2007, again £55 per pair.
Two years and 44,000 miles between replacement.

Made sense to me
regards
Richard A

I've done the same... Fitted cheap ones from the bay 20 months ago... Think there may be a little play started but can't be sure it's not the road surface (or lack of ) in this weather

would be handy to know the makers name for some folk i guess? i know there have been several failures with buypartsbuy and first line items.

I often wondered about buying cheapo ones and pressing heavy duty bushes into them straight off...? but buy the time you have bushes, wishbones, and pressed them in your up to lemforder prices anyway.

Suggest keeping old wishbones and get them pressed later on

[davethediver]

How long should a new pair of lemforder wishbones last  :question torqued up correctly of course

Don't know wether to replace mine or put polybushes in the wishbones on car at present :-?