lower suspension arm

[tony dale]

yet again i find myself replacing another lower suspension arm ! why do they keep failing and making an awfull sqeaking. anyway this one does not want to come appart at the ball joint any ideas i have used plus gas heat joint splitter etc etc and it has only been on the car 9mnths so cant see how its seized. others that have been on longer come appart with force.

[zollaf]

what make did you use?

[muddy]

yet again i find myself replacing another lower suspension arm ! why do they keep failing and making an awfull sqeaking. anyway this one does not want to come appart at the ball joint any ideas i have used plus gas heat joint splitter etc etc and it has only been on the car 9mnths so cant see how its seized. others that have been on longer come appart with force.

Front or rear lower arm?
Is it the rubber bush breaking up or is it the balljoint end going slack and noisy?

Premature failure of rubber bushing will always happen if the 'through' bolt is tightened when the car is still jacked-up. Must be torqued up with car resting back on wheels and suspension at normal running height and wheels straight ahead.

Removing ball-joint end.
The standard torque is 100NM for these nuts, that is a healthy figure and if a previous owner has swung on the spanner regardless then the taper will really take some shifting.
I took an as-new front/lower/rear arm (genuine replacement VW arm, car with up-to-date full VW service history to 97K still in glovebox !) off a car in the breakers yesterday.
Undid the nut and screwed it to top so level with end of stud.
Was able to get a drift (OK .... a socket set bar ... about 12" long) virtually vertical over the nut/stud.

Two decent blows with a 2lb hammer and the taper freed.

If your joint is scrap then remove the nut completely before trying this method. If you leave it on and damage the thread as you release the overtightened taper, you will then find the nut and pin rotate merrily - locked together.

If you are saving a joint/arm then keep the nut on (unscrewed as above), use a brass drift or better still rest a small piece of copper or dural on the nut head and wack that. A direct in-line blow is 1000 times better with this particular joint.

Oh, and NEVER put lubricant on tapers such as these before assembly. They must be bone dry.