How to replace front suspension and ball joints - pictures

<span>REMOVING THE ARM: Unbolt and remove the engine’s undertray to gain access to the lower arm’s rear bolt and nut.</span>

<span>This is the nut with eccentric cam, and bolt for the lower arm’s rear mounting, which is wire-brushed clean.</span>

<span>A mark is placed on to record their orientation for refitting later (item above is the air suspension reservoir).</span>

<span>All the underside bolts and nuts are now eased, starting with this ball joint nut beneath the hub knuckle.</span>

<span>Suspension arm and damper bolts and nuts need a 21 and 24 mm socket respectively. Deep socket clears the protruding bolt thread on the arm.</span>

To release the ball joint from the hub knuckle, we needed a pry bar on each side, assisted by vibration from a pneumatic hammer.

<span>The arm’s front bolt withdrew easily. The rusted rear needed a breaker bar turning the head, while being driven out with the pneumatic hammer.</span>

<span>The bolt holding the damper to the suspension arm came out easily, leaving just the ball joint to be detached, before removing the arm.</span>

<span>With the hub on left lock, and tipping the suspension arm, the ball joint is lifted out of the hub knuckle to free the arm.</span>

<span>RELEASING AXEL HALFSHAFT: Steve releases the axle stake nut using a breaker bar and socket, while I press the footbrake down to prevent the axle rotating.</span>

<span>The nut is removed from the axle and is discarded. A new stake nut should be fitted during reassembly.</span>

<span>Steve releases the axle stake nut using a breaker bar and socket, while I press the footbrake to prevent the axle rotating.</span>

<span>The nut is removed from the axle and is discarded. A new stake nut should be fitted during reassembly.</span>

<span>REPAIR OPTIONS: Here is the arm removed from the Range Rover, with the worn ball joint in the foreground, and the two chassis mounting bushes at the rear.</span>

<span>The front bush was good, but the rear bush had split, and it leaked fluid when we levered it with a toggle bar (seen here).</span>

<span>After removing this circlip from the top side of the ball joint, the joint can be pushed out of the arm using a hydraulic press.</span>

<span>A U-press is available to remove the ball joint without detaching the arm from the car, but it’s rarely worth doing this, as we’ll see.</span>

<span>For around £125 you can buy an OEM new arm complete with ball joint and both chassis bushes already installed, so that’s what we’ll fit.</span>

<span>And because certain bolts will be wasted away and threads damaged with corrosion, we also used a new bolt, nut and washer pack.</span>

<span>REASSEMBLING THE SUSPENSION: The reference marks on the original cam bolts are transferred accurately to the new bolts, using the cams’ serrations as a guide.</span>

<span>To refit the new arm, the hub is pulled outward, the arm’s ball joint passed through the hub knuckle and the nut fitted loosely to it.</span>

<span>Now the inboard end of the suspension arm is lifted up into the chassis mountings, aligning the bolt holes with a toggle bar if needed.</span>

<span>Rear bolt is fitted through the arm and chassis. It’s important that all cams sit inside the chassis plates’ raised lugs – not over them.</span>

<span>Here, the front bolt has been inserted from behind, and the loose cam washer and the plain washer (for the nut) is fitted.</span>

<span>Cams are seated between the raised lugs here, aligned with chassis marks, and the nuts just nipped. Now the ball joint nut is fully tightened.</span>

<span>Using a jack under the ball joint nut, the hub is raised until the axle centre is 462 mm (check spec for other models) from the wheel arch.</span>

<span>With the suspension now at normal height, the arm to chassis bolts are tightened to torque, ensuring the marks stay aligned.</span>

<span>Now the damper/spring strut is aligned to the holes in the suspension arm, the bolt fitted and the nut fully torqued up.</span>

<span>Finally, I sprayed the nuts and bolts with liquid grease to deter rust, then the rear suspension bolts seen here (and the chassis).</span>