Super beetle ball joint - what is a Mandrel press??
Alistair Duke
I'm replacing a ball joint on my 74 super beetle (1303 with positive
steering roll thingy)
The Haynes manual says that I need a Mandrel press to insert it. What is a
Mandrel press and can I get away without using one?
Alistair Duke
Jeffry Johnston
: I'm replacing a ball joint on my 74 super beetle...
Why just one?
: What is a Mandrel press... ...?
: Alistair Duke
Around here it looks kinda like a hammer and a large socket and a big
piece of railroad rail. ;)
Ah, ball joints... :)
If it ain't loser than say 1/8" then I just hammer down the "lid" after
removing the grease zerk and make 'em tight like when it was new and put
on some new boots. Ford pickup tie rod boots fit good enough. ;)
New ones are cool but old ones that are "reconditioned in place" have a
kind of cool all their own. ;)
That fix ain't in the Muir manual but I bet he -wanted- to add it, just
afraid to.
I just got done messing with some lower ball joints from the regular type
front end and they were soooooo loose that the ball could be popped in and
out like 1/4 inch on one and like 5/16 inch on the other! There wasn't
enough metal left that holds the ball in to concider it worth saving by
using the "hammer mechanic method" but I hammered them down anyway just
to see how they would turn out. First thing I noticed was they felt good
just like new, but then I noticed the position of the ball itself was now
in a new lower spot. See what I mean? They were no good to start with,
so it was no big deal, but I learned something.
Alvin Johnston <--Libertarian
D.K. Riggs
Alistair Duke wrote:
I just went through replacing the ball joints on my 74SB. It takes a press
with considerable pressure to remove and insert the ball joints. It also takes
the right size dies (mandrel). I found a auto/heavy truck frame and
suspension shop that did the work for $20 an arm.
Dave Riggs
Jeffry Johnston
: I just went through replacing the ball joints on my 74SB. It takes a
: press with considerable pressure to remove and insert the ball joints.
: It also takes the right size dies (mandrel). I found a auto/heavy truck
: frame and suspension shop that did the work for $20 an arm.
: Dave Riggs
Good idea. Are the super beetle ball joints all that much harder to
remove and re-insert than the torsion bar kind? Just curious.
Alvin Johnston <--Libertarian
Jeffry Johnston
Christopher Hammond <chri...@umr.edu> wrote:
: They are a pain in the but to remove and replace! They can be done
: without a press, but it take a *lot* of work, just did it to my 73 super
: beetle this weekend, good luck
: : : It takes a
: : : press with considerable pressure to remove and insert the ball joints.
Wow, CH, that was fast! What I want to know is... are they all that much
harder to remove and insert that most other pressed in ball joints?
The only one I've had any trouble with was a screw in type, the
replacements were a few thousands bigger than the original. :(
I haven't had any trouble hammering them out so far. Maybe that's a
brag but I mostly attribute that to my large collection of scrap iron! :)
Really. Old iron that's -real- big, other iron that's various shapes,
sizes and diameters. Oh ya, and a few big hammers too. ;)
My son Roger bought a 73 stupid beetle, don't know just how -stupid- it
is yet we haven't got to drive it to find out. ;)
Alvin Johnston <--Libertarian
GazMP
In article <6kt5n0$s...@nntp02.primenet.com>, Jeffry Johnston
<jef...@primenet.com> writes:
> Are the super beetle ball joints all that much harder to
>remove and re-insert than the torsion bar kind? Just curious.
Nope, they are just as bloody hard as the Tbar kind.
To: Alistair Duke
You will need a tube of steel with a 45mm ID to allow the bearing to be pushed
out of the arm and into fresh air, cos without anything to raise the arm off
the deck the press cannot push the bearing out. I hope that makes sense. If
not mail me directly and I send you a drawing.
Gaz