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LOWER BALL JOINT - Late R25 with ABS
This is probably going to be an unpopular thread as we are generally fans of or MG-R's but after spending far too much time this weekend doing some CV gaiters/ ball joints on my R25 this weekend I have to vent.
The lower ball joint is only really accessible with an open ended spanner 1/8th of a turn at a time, as it has the drive shaft above. So you struggle for ages to wind the tight locknut up and off, but before it comes off the thread it hits the ABS reductor ring. Continue to wind it and it starts to gouge the ABS teeth off. Okay, better pop the ball joint. Ball joint popped and then it just turns the ball joint in the socket (no Allen key lock for the ball joint). Jack underneath the ball joint to try to lock it, no joy. Plus Gas, no joy. Remove the anti-roll bar bolts, drop links, steering link, hub nut etc. and there is enough movement to remove the drive shaft. A night soaking in Plus Gas, improved access from the top with the drive shaft removed and jack underneath, allows eventual removal the next day. Why not a shorter thread or more compact castle nut (like they use to have)? Addition of the ABS reductor ring doesn't help! 😣
Please add you 'What idiot designed this?' annoyances...
This is probably going to be an unpopular thread as we are generally fans of or MG-R's but after spending far too much time this weekend doing some CV gaiters/ ball joints on my R25 this weekend I have to vent.
The lower ball joint is only really accessible with an open ended spanner 1/8th of a turn at a time, as it has the drive shaft above. So you struggle for ages to wind the tight locknut up and off, but before it comes off the thread it hits the ABS reductor ring. Continue to wind it and it starts to gouge the ABS teeth off. Okay, better pop the ball joint. Ball joint popped and then it just turns the ball joint in the socket (no Allen key lock for the ball joint). Jack underneath the ball joint to try to lock it, no joy. Plus Gas, no joy. Remove the anti-roll bar bolts, drop links, steering link, hub nut etc. and there is enough movement to remove the drive shaft. A night soaking in Plus Gas, improved access from the top with the drive shaft removed and jack underneath, allows eventual removal the next day. Why not a shorter thread or more compact castle nut (like they use to have)? Addition of the ABS reductor ring doesn't help! 😣
Please add you 'What idiot designed this?' annoyances...