Thanks for posting this. I thought I was going to have to remove the arms and buy a hydraulic press to do this. But I used your method on my 72 and the joints popped out without any drama. 🙂
Thank you. Excellent video. Some others remove the ball joints by taking the arm off then grinding, drilling, heating, sawing and pressing. 😀 Interesting how you methodically and calmly do it.
Thanks Borax! I recall looking at a few others doing this, and figured well if I am in for a buck (buying all the tools) why not do what a car shop would....if I could. Thanks so much for dropping by!
Hello sir! Thanks for the vid on the ball joints. I can see you used a lager puller and the vise grips. Can you share the specifics on that puller and the adapters that go over the ball joints? Thanks
I added the ball joint puller kit to the video description. As for the vice grips, i just got a set that were "C" clamp shaped. All of the vice grips shaped like that will work :) The ball joint remover kit was about 200 or so maybe 250 on amazon. I did put the link for the old one, they will give you matching alternatives. Enjoy your work!
Thank you SO MUCH. I've had a bus sidelined by my inability to change those ball joints. Using this method, I replaced one already, and am heading out to do the other three.
That is so great to hear! I was pretty intimidated when I approached this, I am so gratified that someone got some help out of this, and that another bus will soon be back on the road! Great job!
Hi you made it look easy, I’ve got to change the rubber seals on my ball joints so would love to purchase the same puller that you have, please could you send me some more details thanks Jon
Hi Jon! The vice grips made a HUGE difference, be sure to get those too. Here is the kit from the Jingle Website: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NRYLXHJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Now there are others like it too in case that one is out.
When I did mine, I took the arms off and the machine shop pressed them out for me. I like your way of doing them much better. Very good video. I know it will help anyone that does the ball joints. My steering was much improved after the ball joint replacement. The welding clamp is a good idea but I hope I don't have to do mine again.
Hails Richard! I hope I don't have to do mine again either...it was a bear indeed! I truly do hope others see this and get some good shortcut ideas and that ultimately its a help. Thanks for coming by man! Happy bussing!
I tried this "clamp" technique on my 75 bus but couldn't move the ball joint atall. I couldn't even get the ball joints separated from the spindle. So I had to take the control arms off the torsion bars & take the whole assembly to a machine shop. They said it took 10 tones of pressure to get those ball joints out of the control arms. Putting the control arms back on was a challenge, first ligning up the leaves of the torsion bar, which had separated - then I found that I had to remove the bump stop by cold chiselling the clip off, then using a trolly jack to lift the arms & hammering them back into position. All in all, a horrible job - how do you manage to stay so calm. PS. sorry about the rust holes in your van - California is the place to be!
Wow oh wow, man what an awful time! 10 Tones! Perhaps I was lucky, well I am glad you got yours done too! Hmm, manage to stay calm, its called editing out the swear words? hehe, its my mild Norwegian blood I think...not much phases me...check out my "on fire" upholstery video hahahaha. Thanks for stopping by!
Just came across this video. Wow you were lucky they came out so easy, I have heard that can be a nightmare to remove. Now I’m debating if I should do it that way or remove arms and get someone else to press out and in. 74 is a good year 👌
Well it wasnt easy thats fore sure, but to me, it was worth the 300$ in tools to do...I could have removed the arms and taken it to a shop and had them press them out and press the new ones in for like 100$. But doing it this way, at least shows the common guy, that it can be done with some sweat and effort =)
Loved the video. It gave me enough confidence to start this on my 1974 bus while I'm replacing the front disk brakes. Where can I get that clamp you used that fits in the notches for removing the ball joints?
So glad theyve given some inspiration! The clamp was a simple buy at Home Depot, look in the vice grip section they are there =) Maybe 20 bucks, funny they are just an ordinary vice grip with a C-Clamp styl nose, common...and just happen to have the right width on the nose to do these. magic!
Hmm, at 5:49 you see the clamp finally pull free from the ball joint, 5:59 i put a set of vice grips on the ball joint then use my large breaker bar to undo the nut. Might just be camera positioning?
@@bishopofrustyiron3101 hi. I meant the bit in the video where you've got the nut off, does the ball joint shaft just come out?. I've undone the nut but it's all still solid but in the video your next shot it's all apart.
@@porsche1959 Oh gotchya, ya the upper one slid right out because of the camber insert, as soon as I undid that upper nut, it just came off and slid out. The lower one was the tough one and needed that clamp. Once that lower nut was off it just slid off too. Are you trying to replace just one ball joint? or both?
@@bishopofrustyiron3101 hi, I'm just replacing the boots for both the ball joints. Nut undone but didn't know whether hammer time or it should just pop out
Hails Jay, ya thats a chunk of change and why I went and bought one for about 300$...but, you can rent these from ORileys or Autozone, you get it for a day or two and its free, they just put a hold/deposit on your card until you bring it back. Works good, ive 'rented' tools this way a few times, always cheaper.
Hehe, ya I felt that way too as I started this....spent the 300$ in tools, and it was doable, first time, and really was under about 4 hours of work from first turn to driving again...I know guys who have taken the assembly to a shop, paid the money, and had them punched out and installed. I wanted to see if I could do this, never having done it before. I could, did, and would do it again instead of having a shop do it. Probably hehe.
@@bishopofrustyiron3101 Thanks I will give this a go. Out of all the other videos here yours is the best as you don't cut it and bash it. BEST METHOD. Im doing a massive full rebuild and restoration on my 74 kombi.
@@captiand387 That project sounds awesome! best of luck, yup all the effort i went through was in the video, minus the occasional swearing lol. I am confident you can do this!
I could have, but well i figured I would use it a few times so i bought it, the set was about 100 bucks for the clamp and various bits that came with it. Since, i've used it a couple more times, nice to have my own.
@@bishopofrustyiron3101 Its funny how some folks get bothered by the music. I had the same response from a "how to" video I posted. You do a great job of showing us how you do stuff and I really appreciate ya.
@@rayaguirre4237 thanks man appreciate that! It is odd at times, I probably use less music now and have learned over the last two years a bit more on editing...i think ive got a nice blend now. Some people really like to hear the clicks, bangs, all the sounds of the work effort and I do get that....ASMR or something akin to that.
Thanks for posting this. I thought I was going to have to remove the arms and buy a hydraulic press to do this. But I used your method on my 72 and the joints popped out without any drama. 🙂
I was faced with that too, and spent some time researching and trying things, and am SO happy this worked out and worked for you too!
Thank you. Excellent video. Some others remove the ball joints by taking the arm off then grinding, drilling, heating, sawing and pressing. 😀 Interesting how you methodically and calmly do it.
Thanks Borax! I recall looking at a few others doing this, and figured well if I am in for a buck (buying all the tools) why not do what a car shop would....if I could.
Thanks so much for dropping by!
Hello sir! Thanks for the vid on the ball joints.
I can see you used a lager puller and the vise grips.
Can you share the specifics on that puller and the adapters that go over the ball joints? Thanks
I added the ball joint puller kit to the video description. As for the vice grips, i just got a set that were "C" clamp shaped. All of the vice grips shaped like that will work :)
The ball joint remover kit was about 200 or so maybe 250 on amazon. I did put the link for the old one, they will give you matching alternatives.
Enjoy your work!
Thank you SO MUCH. I've had a bus sidelined by my inability to change those ball joints. Using this method, I replaced one already, and am heading out to do the other three.
That is so great to hear! I was pretty intimidated when I approached this, I am so gratified that someone got some help out of this, and that another bus will soon be back on the road!
Great job!
Hi you made it look easy, I’ve got to change the rubber seals on my ball joints so would love to purchase the same puller that you have, please could you send me some more details thanks Jon
Hi Jon! The vice grips made a HUGE difference, be sure to get those too. Here is the kit from the Jingle Website:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NRYLXHJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Now there are others like it too in case that one is out.
Way to go!!
When I did mine, I took the arms off and the machine shop pressed them out for me. I like your way of doing them much better. Very good video. I know it will help anyone that does the ball joints. My steering was much improved after the ball joint replacement. The welding clamp is a good idea but I hope I don't have to do mine again.
Hails Richard! I hope I don't have to do mine again either...it was a bear indeed!
I truly do hope others see this and get some good shortcut ideas and that ultimately its a help.
Thanks for coming by man! Happy bussing!
13:35 It's the camber adjusters that slip onto the ball joint. The toe is adjusted via tie rod length.
Ah HA! Thanks ratspam! I'm learning still for sure, cheers!
I tried this "clamp" technique on my 75 bus but couldn't move the ball joint atall. I couldn't even get the ball joints separated from the spindle. So I had to take the control arms off the torsion bars & take the whole assembly to a machine shop. They said it took 10 tones of pressure to get those ball joints out of the control arms.
Putting the control arms back on was a challenge, first ligning up the leaves of the torsion bar, which had separated - then I found that I had to remove the bump stop by cold chiselling the clip off, then using a trolly jack to lift the arms & hammering them back into position.
All in all, a horrible job - how do you manage to stay so calm.
PS. sorry about the rust holes in your van - California is the place to be!
Wow oh wow, man what an awful time! 10 Tones! Perhaps I was lucky, well I am glad you got yours done too!
Hmm, manage to stay calm, its called editing out the swear words? hehe, its my mild Norwegian blood I think...not much phases me...check out my "on fire" upholstery video hahahaha.
Thanks for stopping by!
Thank You!
I've got the same bus. looking forward to more videos so I can learn from you.subscribed thanks from uk.
Sounds great my friend! I've got the entire heater replacement/install coming up soon!
13:50 Is exactly why I'm here. thank you
Whoots!! Yay glad that helped!
great trick with the welding clamp!!
Thanks! It was fun fixing this rig!
That ruled!!!!!
Just a few mins left!
Never seen such a cack- handed way of working !!!
Just came across this video. Wow you were lucky they came out so easy, I have heard that can be a nightmare to remove. Now I’m debating if I should do it that way or remove arms and get someone else to press out and in. 74 is a good year 👌
Well it wasnt easy thats fore sure, but to me, it was worth the 300$ in tools to do...I could have removed the arms and taken it to a shop and had them press them out and press the new ones in for like 100$.
But doing it this way, at least shows the common guy, that it can be done with some sweat and effort =)
I want a bumper sticker for my 75 transporter that says “Honk if you love PB Blaster.”
Hhahahaha that is awesome!
thank you
You are welcome!
I'll get the parts numbers posted here in a little bit.
Updated in the details of the description above =)
Loved the video. It gave me enough confidence to start this on my 1974 bus while I'm replacing the front disk brakes. Where can I get that clamp you used that fits in the notches for removing the ball joints?
So glad theyve given some inspiration! The clamp was a simple buy at Home Depot, look in the vice grip section they are there =) Maybe 20 bucks, funny they are just an ordinary vice grip with a C-Clamp styl nose, common...and just happen to have the right width on the nose to do these. magic!
Hi, it jumps about 5:30/5:44 from undoing nut to its out, how did you do that? If just want to replace the boot ?
Hmm, at 5:49 you see the clamp finally pull free from the ball joint, 5:59 i put a set of vice grips on the ball joint then use my large breaker bar to undo the nut. Might just be camera positioning?
@@bishopofrustyiron3101 hi. I meant the bit in the video where you've got the nut off, does the ball joint shaft just come out?. I've undone the nut but it's all still solid but in the video your next shot it's all apart.
@@porsche1959 Oh gotchya, ya the upper one slid right out because of the camber insert, as soon as I undid that upper nut, it just came off and slid out. The lower one was the tough one and needed that clamp. Once that lower nut was off it just slid off too. Are you trying to replace just one ball joint? or both?
@@bishopofrustyiron3101 hi, I'm just replacing the boots for both the ball joints. Nut undone but didn't know whether hammer time or it should just pop out
@@porsche1959 Ah, wow that is going to be a tough job to just replace the boot, best of luck!
Hey! Where can you rent the ball joint press from? The shop I got to said they would do it for like 450! That just seems like a lot of money.
Hails Jay, ya thats a chunk of change and why I went and bought one for about 300$...but, you can rent these from ORileys or Autozone, you get it for a day or two and its free, they just put a hold/deposit on your card until you bring it back.
Works good, ive 'rented' tools this way a few times, always cheaper.
@@bishopofrustyiron3101 I tried it your way but they don’t want to come off. It’s bending the grips that I got like yours.
@@jaytodd878 Wow bending the grips? Holy smokes that is stuuu uh uk. Perhaps a good soak in PB Blaster every day for a week and try again?
I really want to do it your way but everyone I talk to and even the VW books say I need a 20 tone press.
Hehe, ya I felt that way too as I started this....spent the 300$ in tools, and it was doable, first time, and really was under about 4 hours of work from first turn to driving again...I know guys who have taken the assembly to a shop, paid the money, and had them punched out and installed.
I wanted to see if I could do this, never having done it before. I could, did, and would do it again instead of having a shop do it.
Probably hehe.
@@bishopofrustyiron3101 Thanks I will give this a go. Out of all the other videos here yours is the best as you don't cut it and bash it. BEST METHOD. Im doing a massive full rebuild and restoration on my 74 kombi.
@@captiand387 That project sounds awesome! best of luck, yup all the effort i went through was in the video, minus the occasional swearing lol. I am confident you can do this!
Did you rent the clamp?
I could have, but well i figured I would use it a few times so i bought it, the set was about 100 bucks for the clamp and various bits that came with it. Since, i've used it a couple more times, nice to have my own.
Nice
Thanks!
Could do without the music . Just want to see work get done.
I can respect that =)
@@bishopofrustyiron3101 Its funny how some folks get bothered by the music. I had the same response from a "how to" video I posted. You do a great job of showing us how you do stuff and I really appreciate ya.
@@rayaguirre4237 thanks man appreciate that! It is odd at times, I probably use less music now and have learned over the last two years a bit more on editing...i think ive got a nice blend now.
Some people really like to hear the clicks, bangs, all the sounds of the work effort and I do get that....ASMR or something akin to that.
Thank you
Very welcome!