Note: At the factory, the ball joint is installed on the lever using rivets.
Therefore, if the ball joint is faulty, the lever is replaced as an assembly. It is possible to replace only the ball joint by drilling out the rivets. It is more convenient to perform replacement work on a removed front suspension arm.
To complete the work you will need a car stand, a jack, wheel chocks, a ball joint puller, a drill with a set of metal drill bits (if the ball joint has not been changed yet).
Removal
1. Prepare the car for work (see "Preparing the car for maintenance and repair"), we install stops under the rear wheel and hang up the front part of the car.
2. Remove the wheel (see "Wheel replacement").
3. Using a metal brush, clean the nut and threads of the ball joint pin from dirt and rust...
...and treat them with penetrating lubricant.
4. Using an 18 mm wrench, unscrew the ball joint pin mounting nut.
5. Using a mounting blade, press the lever down until the ball joint pin comes out of the steering knuckle eye.
Recommendation. If the ball joint pin does not come out of the hole in the steering knuckle, you can use a universal and inexpensive fork-type puller to disconnect it.
Recommendation. To do this, insert it between the steering knuckle and the ball joint boot, and with a sharp blow of a hammer on the end of the puller, press the pin out of the steering knuckle. It should be taken into account that the ball joint cover will most likely be damaged.
Note: If the ball joint has already been replaced, it is secured to the front suspension arm with three bolts and self-locking nuts. We carry out the replacement work without removing the lever from the car. To do this, unscrew the three nuts of the mounting bolts and disconnect the support from the lever.
6. To access the front suspension arm mounting bolt, use a 16 mm open-end wrench to loosen the front subframe longitudinal beam front mounting bolt.
7. Using a 13 mm open-end wrench, unscrew the nuts of the two bolts of the rear longitudinal beam mount, holding the bolts from turning with a 10 mm wrench.
8. Remove the bolts from the holes and use a rubber-headed hammer to move the rear part of the longitudinal beam inward.
9. Using an 18 mm socket wrench, unscrew the front arm mounting bolt.
10. To remove the lever assembly, use an 18 mm open-end wrench to unscrew the nut on the rear support bolt of the suspension arm, holding the bolt from turning with a socket wrench of the same size.
11. Remove the bolt and remove the lever from the car together with the ball joint.
Replacing the ball joint
1. Secure the lever in a vice and drill out the rivets that secure the ball joint to the lever.
2. Remove the rivets and remove the ball joint.
3. Install the new ball joint and secure it to the lever using the three bolts included in the ball joint kit.
Warning! Ball joint mounting bolts must be of high strength, and nuts must be self-locking; the use of conventional fasteners is not permitted.
Installation
1. Install the new lever in the reverse order without fully tightening the nuts on the mounting bolts.
2. Insert the ball joint pin into the steering knuckle and tighten its mounting nut to a torque of 62 Nm.
3. Install the wheel and lower the car onto the supporting surface.
4. Tighten the lever mounting bolts to a torque of 180 Nm.
Recommendation. After performing work related to disconnecting the ball joint, check the wheel alignment angles at a specialized service station.