hub ball joint f**Ked!!

[mr angry]

I have just realised the upper joint is on the other part of the swivel hub assembly so it would just be the abs sensor to refit

 

[krispe]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RENAULT-...h=item5b4ce16a1b:g:XUsAAOSwFxJbrL7K:rk:1:pf:0

My nsf lower balljoint is gubbed and considering options. The above link is to a refurbished swivel hub with new lower joint from Four Ashes Renault. There is a £50 deposit on top until they receive your old unit. What are the thoughts of others on this compared to just purchasing a lower joint from RSport at £56.

Gutted to see this. I feel like I have just been raped by Richard Sanders Renault Northampton. Took car to them last week due to vague steering and check esp light coming on. They diagnosed the issue as play in track rod arms and worn threads between inner and outer, (although they fitted a new track rod arm back in July for the previous owner....) Should have taken the car somewhere else then but I agreed for them to replace both inner and outer, (they said both sides needed doing). When they went to fit the new track rods they said the insert on the hub carrier the track rod end goes through is missing and was probably why my steering had play???? How on earth it could be missing is beyond me, it is impossible to fall out by itself unless it just dissolved???!!! They said you cannot buy the insert separately and I had to buy a complete new hub carrier and new wheel bearing (unfortunately I had not seen the above ebay link). Final bill came to £1075!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had already bought upper and lower ball joints from R-Sport ready to replace the originals as part of a suspension refresh in due course, hence now having a spare lower for sale. Will never take my car to a Renault main dealer again! Will most likely drive to RS Four Ashes in Wolverhampton instead next time any work is required!

 

[Rishi]

Will I have to also have to do the top joint and will I have an issue refitting the abs sensor?

It's worth checking the upper ball joint while you're there, if it requires replacement I reckon it also needs to be pressed out. I didn't have any issues with the abs sensor when I replaced the whole hub carrier but the car was only a few years old back then, I hear they can seize in quite tight.

You'll need a decent ball joint splitter to split the lower and upper hub carrier. There's a full write up in the how to section.

When they went to fit the new track rods they said the insert on the hub carrier the track rod end goes through is missing and was probably why my steering had play???? How on earth it could be missing is beyond me, it is impossible to fall out by itself unless it just dissolved???!!! They said you cannot buy the insert separately and I had to buy a complete new hub carrier and new wheel bearing (unfortunately I had not seen the above ebay link).

Yeah, if anyone buys that reconditioned lower hub carrier make sure it comes with the collar for the track rod end to sit in, or swap out your old one before sending it in on surcharge.

 

[mr angry]

It's worth checking the upper ball joint while you're there, if it requires replacement I reckon it also needs to be pressed out. I didn't have any issues with the abs sensor when I removed the upper hub but the car was only a few years old back then, I hear they can seize in quite tight.

You'll need a decent ball joint splitter to split the lower and upper Hub Carrier. There's a full write up in the how to section.

Thanks, I had a look at guide and all seems relatively straight forward apart from the chocolate bolts Renault used.

I have had a look and it just seems to be the lower joint that is gubbed, I just cant decide whether to go for the joint itself or the refurbished carrier which may mean buying a sensor as mine may be a bitch to remove whole.

 

[Rishi]

I was dubious about the pinch bolt but it came out fairly easily after plenty of release spray, a bit of drilling, tapping in a screw extractor and applying some heat. I found removing and refitting the wheel arch liner was the most tricky part of the job.

After an accident I replaced the entire hub carrier and the abs sensor slid out no problem, I think it'll be fine as long you're not too forceful baring in mind it's plastic.

 

[APM]

We have had our fair share of trying to get out some seized pinch bolts. The most common one is the one on the EE bracket.
We have welded a nut on the existing OEM button head bolts in the past then simply swap them over for a more robust bolt as found on the cup race cars.

 

[Jimmy]

Gutted to see this. I feel like I have just been raped by Richard Sanders Renault Northampton. Took car to them last week due to vague steering and check esp light coming on. They diagnosed the issue as play in track rod arms and worn threads between inner and outer, (although they fitted a new track rod arm back in July for the previous owner....) Should have taken the car somewhere else then but I agreed for them to replace both inner and outer, (they said both sides needed doing). When they went to fit the new track rods they said the insert on the hub carrier the track rod end goes through is missing and was probably why my steering had play???? How on earth it could be missing is beyond me, it is impossible to fall out by itself unless it just dissolved???!!! They said you cannot buy the insert separately and I had to buy a complete new hub carrier and new wheel bearing (unfortunately I had not seen the above ebay link). Final bill came to £1075!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had already bought upper and lower ball joints from R-Sport ready to replace the originals as part of a suspension refresh in due course, hence now having a spare lower for sale. Will never take my car to a Renault main dealer again! Will most likely drive to RS Four Ashes in Wolverhampton instead next time any work is required!

Really sorry to hear about this, that is rotten luck. I had a bad experience with a main dealer that also resulted in a stupidly expensive bill - needless to say, I never went back to them, or any other, after that. It's the same for any make/model of car though, it seems like they all just want to shaft you out of as much money as possible - and from my experience, they don't even do the work to a decent standard anyway!!


Specialists may be that little further away, but I would always recommend going to them instead of a dealer. A specialist will know these cars inside-out and they will only do the work that's required. Plus it'll be a specialist tech that's doing the work, not some snot-nosed apprentice who just sees your car as another on the list for that day. The hub ball joint is a prime example - no need to get the whole assembly, but a dealer will insist on it

Rant over

 

[19Zen]

My N/S ball joint is on the way out after ~50k miles since last replacement, when my wheel dips into holes I can sometimes hear that familiar slight clonk... drives fine otherwise but time to sort it before it gets worse.

Has anyone here tried these new ball joints?

The dust cover seems like a good idea but not sure on the quality. I think the last one I bought from RS Sports in Wimbledon. I think 50k on the roads is about right for these but thinking about other options.

 

[RSRowe]

Pretty sure they don’t fit. The boot gets in the way of things

 

[Sean197]

https://www.kamracing.co.uk/ocap-hub-swivel-joint-renault-clio-mk3-rs197-rs200.html

 

[19Zen]

Yeah it looks like it sits too high in comparison, I'll likely go for a 'heavy duty' one from Kam.

 

[funMACHINE]

most durables are the ones from rene dizdar ,i think @Raptor6767 is your man

 

[Raptor6767]

We have been making uprated ball joints for years now.

Send me a PM m8.

 

[19Zen]

I no longer have access to a press at work so looking for alternatives to fititng these ball joints... does anyone know of some tools which make removing the upper and lower ball joints without a press fairly easy?

My friend says you can use a ball joint removal tool that uses cups but haven't come across one myself.

 

[RSRowe]

I’m not sure what he means, but you’ll certainly have a job on your hands trying to push them out manually (especially the top one)

 

[19Zen]

Haha yeah, I've had a search and found the tools which would fit, but realistically think it would be very difficult to get them out by hand and not worth the effort.

I'll get them stripped and take them to a garage which has a press.

 

[funMACHINE]

You have to clean the upper bearing extra well, especially the area that is pressed through the aluminum part when pressing out, especially the groove for the circlip. And immersing the part in almost boiling water for 2-3 minutes directly before pressing it out also helps a lot.

 

[19Zen]

You have to clean the upper bearing extra well, especially the area that is pressed through the aluminum part when pressing out, especially the groove for the circlip. And immersing the part in almost boiling water for 2-3 minutes directly before pressing it out also helps a lot.

Thanks for the tips.

I'm not actually sure the uppers need replacing as never had any issues with them, but they are original so almost 15 years old.

I'm planning on removing the whole assembly and deoxidising, as quite a few threads and bolts are rusty, so will get everything clean first, disassemble and take it to a RS specialist to press out/push in the new BJs as don't want ruined carriers.