Ball joint tool size?

[Sobek]

Hey guys,

So I've got a huge order coming from rock auto that should be here in a week or so. I've ordered all my uni joints, ball joints, control arm bushings (should have just got full arms but $$$$$) some new shock absorbers, driveshaft pinion seals, engine & trans mounts, man you name it and it's in the box. I have just about every tool under the sun but what I don't have is a ball joint removal tool to suit these pressed in types in the knuckles and such, so I'm going to have to buy one. They're not cheap, and I see you can get 21 piece kits or smaller kits... I was looking at this one from my local Sydney Tools;

https://sydneytools.com.au/product/d...rvice-tool-set

Or I could just ebay it cheaper like this one;

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/143645493006

Does anyone know if the cups and adapters in either kit will fit our XJ's ball joints? If not, can anyone recommend a kit that WILL work? Ideally, I really need it to stay under $100. The other kits I see like the 21 piece kits are nearly $200 and that just ain't happening right now. Or if there are alternatives to suggest, hey I'm all ears and happy to ghetto

Thanks heaps

[alexbrown64]

I’ve got that cheap Ebay kit. I’ve used it to install the bushes on my Dana 30. Worked really well with a small battery rattle gun. I think there are some YouTube vids of the same kit being used on bushes and ball joints. I’m working away so can’t check for a few weeks.

This video is pretty good and their using the same basic $50 kit I have to install the ball joints. I will be doing this job myself down the track.

Great that you got a big Rockauto order coming. You can do so much work yourself very cheaply.

Have fun....

You Tube

Cheers,

[Scorechild]

I bought a cheap one like your ebay link, and it's been absotely fine. Only used it 3x per side over the last few years, as has only for home/personal use.
Mine didn't come with any angled cups, but I seem to remember sneaking a thick washer in-between knuckle & cup and all was fine and straight forward... I was pleasantly surprised. I find it a very satisfying home-mechanic job.

[Sobek]

Really appreciate the input guys! I ordered that ebay kit The more I looked around online, the more I saw people using it, which is great. Just like yourself Scorechild, I'll probably use it for this one job and never again haha, but at least I will have done it, learned it, and be ready for it again in the future. I'm all about that knowledge

Looks like everything should arrive more or less around the same time so I'll have a fun bit of knuckle bashing ahead of me! Thank you for that video too Alex, I looked at a whole bunch of XJ balljoint videos online but somehow totally missed that one!! Excellent video and really highlights just how simple and fun these vee-hickles are to work on. Thankfully despite an early life spent up the beach and 20 years living outside, really nothing on my XJ is rusty, seized or rotted. Just a bit oily

Cheers

[Sobek]

Well damn, Rockauto really buggered up my order this time... never had an issue with them before but this takes the cake.

First order was for 2 front shock absorbers, 2 pairs of upper and 2 pairs of lower control arm bushings, 2 front upper and 2 front lower ball joints, and some door check pins.

I got...

2 Shock absorbers, in totally different boxes (although they APPEAR to both be the same shock despite this), I got 2 pairs of front lower bushings and no front uppers, and I got ONE upper and ONE lower ball joint, despite ordering 2 of each. But! There is a second upper ball joint carton in the box, only it's... empty...

What on earth. Before I damage my calm, is this a thing that ever happens? I do have a second order coming in a few days, do they ever just split your orders up and mix the boxes if it better suits them or something? Because damn, don't know how they could have got it THIS bad! Customs cleared it, nothing removed, no issues.

[Classic Boy]

Originally Posted by Sobek

Well damn, Rockauto really buggered up my order this time... never had an issue with them before but this takes the cake.

First order was for 2 front shock absorbers, 2 pairs of upper and 2 pairs of lower control arm bushings, 2 front upper and 2 front lower ball joints, and some door check pins.

I got...

2 Shock absorbers, in totally different boxes (although they APPEAR to both be the same shock despite this), I got 2 pairs of front lower bushings and no front uppers, and I got ONE upper and ONE lower ball joint, despite ordering 2 of each. But! There is a second upper ball joint carton in the box, only it's... empty...

What on earth. Before I damage my calm, is this a thing that ever happens? I do have a second order coming in a few days, do they ever just split your orders up and mix the boxes if it better suits them or something? Because damn, don't know how they could have got it THIS bad! Customs cleared it, nothing removed, no issues.

In my experience they do sometimes split items into multiple cartons for no obvious reason. Might come from different locations.

[Sobek]

That's good to know, I was sure one of these big companies split posted items from time to time... Couldn't remember if it was FCP or Rock Auto or what. I guess I'll wait a few days and see what comes in box number 2, although the empty ball joint box in my first order doesn't fill me with hope haha

Still a couple of days at least until the ball joint removal tool arrives anyway so no great urgency just yet