Replacing a ball joint for a VAZ 2110 without a puller

The suspension life of front-wheel drive cars depends not so much on the design features of the suspension, but on operating conditions. One of the most heavily loaded and critical components is the ball joint. Both in the double-wishbone suspension of classic VAZs and in the MacPherson spark plug, the support performs two functions at once. It connects the arms to the steering knuckle, while keeping it from moving horizontally. And if we take into account that the connection must be movable within certain limits, then the design of the ball becomes completely more complicated.

Ball joint design 2110

The service life of the suspension of front-wheel drive cars, as in the photo, depends on operating conditions

True, in the VAZ 2110 and other front-wheel drive models the unit no longer has such strategic importance as on the classics, where a loose support could lead to complete destruction of the suspension, and fives and kopecks lying teeth on the asphalt with the wheels turned out were constant attributes of bad roads. You still need to be able to bring the suspension to this state. In both front-wheel drive and classic models, the task of the support is simple - to provide an articulated rotary connection between the knuckle and the upper or lower arm, and the design of the unit has remained virtually unchanged, except for the landing planes.

A ball joint is a cone-shaped pin with a ball or mushroom-shaped end that can rotate and change angle through the range of operation of the suspension. The ball is placed in a plastic liner and pressed on both sides with a metal case with a top and bottom cover. At one time they produced supports with a collapsible body, but later this idea was abandoned. There were too many factors influencing the wear of the support - here was the quality of assembly during repairs, the quality of the liners, and the quality of lubrication. And the unit had quite a strong influence on traffic safety, and besides, it was more profitable to sell the entire support than to just replace the pins and bushings. Therefore, collapsible supports are practically never found. They are all welded, assembled at the factory, and lubricated there with lubricant, which, however, must be added immediately when installing a new part.

Video on replacing a ball joint on VAZ family cars

The quality of the support depends not only on the design. It just doesn't differ in variety. The support can be of only two types - with a metal-ceramic bearing, they are used as lower supports, and a filler one. The latter are installed on the upper arms of the front suspension and work only on compression, so there is little demand for them. And the main load falls on the lower supports with a metal-ceramic plain bearing. Visually, they differ in the shape of the hole for the finger and the shape of the boot, which protects the sliding bearing from dirt and moisture.

Practical advice

When purchasing a new product, it is necessary to test the technical condition of the purchase, namely the rigidity of the finger stroke and the presence of a protective cover included with the product. However, the video for replacing ball “tens” allows you to see all this. If a cover is not available, it should be purchased separately, as well as technical grease.

More than half of the boot should not be filled with lubricant, otherwise it will put pressure on the walls of the boot, which can lead to defects and damage to the integrity of the rubber body.

To increase the service life of the ball joint, careful monitoring of the tightness of the protective cover of the product is required; if it is damaged, it is recommended to immediately replace the cover with a new product without defects.

Every driver wants his journey from point A to point B to be as comfortable and safe as possible. This is also helped by the car’s suspension, which helps the driver take turns, smoothes out bumps on the road and performs many other functions.

However, any mechanism can become unusable. And today we will analyze such a malfunction as the breakdown of ball joints on a VAZ 2110.

In general, a ball joint is used when there is a need to secure a part that can rotate in a vertical plane. A ball joint is a very simple and reliable mechanism, but, like everything else, it sometimes fails.

Ball joint life 2110

Replacing the VAZ 2110 ball joint, oddly enough, becomes relevant only after 150-200 thousand mileage. Not 15-20, but precisely 150 thousand. That's how long a quality support for ten goes. Another thing is that buying one is not so easy. The supports are falling like leaves in October, and the producers are multiplying. Therefore, choosing a human support becomes increasingly difficult. But it is possible. To do this, you need, without paying attention to the boxes and colored packaging, just carefully examine the support, and the scorched part will show itself.

After 150,000 km on the “ten” you need to think about replacing the ball joint

Replacing a VAZ 2110 ball joint, lubrication details

Changing the support on the ten with your own hands is quite simple. Having placed the car on the handbrake and put the gearbox in first gear, tearing off the wheel bolts, the front part is raised with a jack and installed on a stand. The wheel is removed, the pin fastening nut is unscrewed, after which the pin is pressed out of the lever using a puller. You can remove the finger without a puller; in this case, a pry bar and even tapping on the conical part will help. The support is unscrewed from the steering knuckle with two bolts; now you can install a new support, having previously coated it well.

Special attention must be paid to the lubricant, and the recipe for its preparation is special: a quarter of the transmission, a quarter of the lithol, the remaining part is the CV joint. The new support is clamped in a vice, the pin is sprayed with the transmission, and after that the required compound is filled into the boot. The consistency should not be too thick, because after 5 thousand km there will be no lubricant left in the joint. If you lubricate every 45-50 thousand, the support will come off for a very long time, regardless of the brand.

The front suspension of McPherson-type front-wheel drive VAZ cars does not cause as much trouble as in traditional 2101-2107. The design of the linkage front suspension of the Zhiguli is more vulnerable to the lack of road surface due to its design features. But even on front-wheel drive cars it is necessary to monitor the condition of the suspension components, since they are not endless. First, it goes to the ball joints.

Make or buy?

Ball joint end pullers for domestic cars cost no more than 1000 rubles. You can purchase the device at any store. This means that the instrument is easier and easier to acquire. To make even the simplest tool, you need blanks, special nuts and bolts with a large thread pitch.

It is easier to purchase a ready-made tool because it saves time. You won't have to do unnecessary things. Perhaps purchasing a device will cost a little more, but then there is no need to waste time and effort on making the tool.

Good day to all!

In this article I would like to share with you a very good homemade product, namely a ball joint and steering wheel end remover. I don’t know if it will fit on other cars, but it will definitely fit on a VAZ!

Not long ago I changed the ball joint using the “old-fashioned” method using a hammer, I’ll tell you it’s not very convenient and fast. After looking on the Internet, I found how to make a puller easily and without cost; on the Internet I looked at prices from 500 rubles and above! This homemade product will take about 30-60 minutes if you have everything you need.

And we need:

A pipe with an internal diameter of 45-50mm, and a thickness of at least 2 mm, more is possible!
Two thick washers to fit the diameter of the pipe, or you can cut them out of thick metal.
Bolt and nut, I used a 24mm wrench bolt, maybe smaller.

Checking the condition of ball joints

There are several ways to check ball joints, and we will look at all of them, because there are only three of them.

We hang the car on a jack, having previously placed the wheel chock under the diagonally opposite rear wheel, and it is better to put the car on the handbrake. We take the wheel with our hands in its upper and lower parts. We are actively swaying and trying to catch the play.

There can be a catch here, since the wheel bearings can lead to horizontal play. Just in case, let's check the bearing. To do this, shake the wheel in a vertical plane. If there is no obvious play, then the support is still to blame.

Lever pullers.

Lever pullers are a tool consisting of a pair of levers connected to each other in the middle. They also have a coupling bolt on one side. In the process of acting on the ball joint, this bolt is unscrewed, bringing the ends of the levers together, one of which is located between the support and the eye, the second - under the finger.

Such pullers are also quite effective, but they are larger in size, so they may not be applicable everywhere.

Ball joint diagnostics

There are several options for this activity:

The first option is to regularly visit your favorite service station and have the chassis diagnosed there. The diagnostic price is usually about 150 rubles.
The second option is to do this diagnosis yourself. Here's how it's done.
Place a jack under the car and lift it so that the wheel comes off the ground.
Place something under the vehicle - do not work on a jacked vehicle.
Grab the wheel from the top and bottom.
Make sudden movements - shake the wheel. Push the top away from you and the bottom towards you and vice versa.
When the wheel wobbles, a dull knock will be heard.
Ask a friend to shake the wheel, and you yourself place two fingers on the connection between the ball joint and the suspension arm (see Suspension repair - how to do it correctly).
If the ball joint is out of order, vibration will be heard at the point where the fingers are applied.

Remember. The ball joint does not necessarily change as a pair.

You can also make assumptions about ball wear for the following reasons:

The car does not move steadily on a flat road. If the ball joints are loose, this is quite possible.
The rubber on the front wheels shows significant uneven wear. Although it may be an incorrect alignment, it does not prevent the ball joint from wearing out.
When a car wheel hits a hole, a dull knock is heard - this indicates that the ball joints on your VAZ 2110 have become unusable.
The steering wheel became harder to turn.

Description

This element is located in the front part of the car's suspension, on the front arms.

Ball joint location

In addition to the fact that during vertical movements of the wheels, the ball joints must ensure their fixed position in the horizontal plane, the support pin must have a certain degree of freedom to rotate in the bowl bushing and at the same time could move at a slight angle to the sides.

Finger movement directions

Symptoms of a problem

While operating the vehicle, it is necessary to periodically “listen” to the operation of its suspension.

It is especially worth paying attention to the following symptoms of support failure:

The steering wheel began to rotate a little tighter or an extraneous sound (creaking) appeared when turning;
At low speeds, when overcoming minor obstacles (tram tracks, paving stones), a knock is heard in the front of the car;
Slight runout of the front wheels when moving straight;
Uneven tread wear, with the side of the tire wearing out more.

Reasons for failure

The root causes of failure are impacts and friction. Factors leading to a sad result:

Driving through seemingly small obstacles at “indecent” speeds (tram rails, potholes);
Lack of lubrication. The lubricant simply dries out or freezes, losing its properties;
Destruction of the support boots and, as a result, water and dirt getting into the gap between the pin and the plastic liner.

Choosing a quality ball

You can buy any ball joint at the nearest store and drive it for quite a long time, but this is a matter of chance. Therefore, let's look at what a high-quality ball should be:

Ball joint housing. It must be welded in two parts. The seam should be visible on one side, but not on the other.
Ball joint pin. Must be hardened, gray in color, must have scale and no paint on it. Rolled thread.
The ball should rotate with great effort, but not bite. It is often very difficult to turn the finger with your hands - you have to take a knob.
The kit should include a boot and a nut.
Remember - most VAZ 2110 owners install Track balls on their car. Also good options are BelMag, Trial-Lux and others.

Malfunctions

The ball is not particularly friendly with dirt, so getting it on the part can lead to unpleasant consequences. To protect against contamination, the design of the element includes a boot, with the help of which dirt and sand practically do not penetrate inside.

Actually, it is the boot that is the weakest point of the ball joint, due to which it is often necessary to completely replace it. This is all due to the poor quality of the material from which the boot is made and the harsh operating conditions. As a result, the boot cracks, bursts, dirt gets inside, and the support fails.

Worn element

Verification methods

To determine that the ball joint is the culprit for your car’s slightly “inappropriate” behavior on the road, you need to check this point.

To do this, there are three main verification methods, each of which has its own characteristics.

Way	Actions
The car is being jacked up	In this case, firmly grasp the wheel and wobble it. If there is noticeable play, the ball is worn out and requires replacement.
Place the car on the inspection pit	A pry bar is inserted into the gap between the suspension arm and the ball from below. By the movement of the wheel, you can immediately notice the presence of play. Replacement required
Send your car to a service center	Specialists using the appropriate equipment will conduct diagnostics, determine the degree of wear of the support, and come to the appropriate conclusion about the need for replacement. You can change it there too

https://youtube.com/watch?v=B6zdKgkjvvk

Why is replacement required?

Operating a vehicle with a faulty ball joint can not only reduce ride comfort, but also seriously affect the safety of the driver, his passengers and other road users.

Initially, a faulty ball joint only makes unpleasant knocking noises, but at any moment you can simply lose the wheel. You understand what consequences this can lead to if you drive at high speed.

If you find signs of a suspension malfunction, immediately go to a service station or look for the cause and fix it yourself.

Spare part selection

So, to start replacing the ball joint on your VAZ 2110, you will first need to purchase a new part. This is not difficult to do, since the current range is very diverse and wide.

Although it is this diversity that often becomes the reason for difficult choices. Among so many options, you need to settle on just one. But your task is to find the highest quality and reliable spare part that can serve for more than one season.

In this regard, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the principles for choosing a high-quality ball in our table.

Element	Requirement
Frame	The ball body is welded in two parts. Moreover, on one side the seam should be noticeable, and on the other - not
Finger	Inspect the ball pin. It should be hardened, gray in color with scale. Make sure there are no traces of paint on the part. On quality parts, rolled threads are used
Scrolling	When scrolling, you need to apply a lot of force and watch for the absence of snagging. This is a sign of a quality part. It is not uncommon that turning by hand is too difficult and requires a wrench. This is normal and even good
Equipment	In addition to the ball itself, responsible manufacturers include a nut and boot in the packaging. If these elements are not available, you should refuse to purchase.
Brand	In fact, there are many good manufacturers, but most VAZ 2110 owners choose supports manufactured by Trial-Lux, BelMag, and the most popular ones are Trek

Which of the options on the market is better is up to you to decide. But be sure to focus on the selection criteria presented above.

Replacing the ball joint

Now let's look at how to replace a ball joint correctly with your own hands.

Removal

Advice! Don't forget to set the parking brake and install wheel chocks.

On a VAZ 2110, replacing the ball joint begins with raising the car. This is done using a jack and stand.
Then, using a balloon tool, unscrew the wheel mounting bolts and remove it.
Take a metal brush and clean the area around the ball joint to make it easier to unscrew.
Spray the ball pin with HP spray to make the nut easier to unscrew.
Take a 19mm socket and a long wrench. Unscrew the ball pin nut completely.
Now we need a ball joint remover. Place the connection between the suspension arm and the ball joint into the puller and unscrew the rod until the pin comes out of the arm.

Replacement of ball VAZ 2110

Advice! Tap the suspension arm with a hammer periodically - the vibration will help remove the pin.

If you can’t get such a puller, you can remove the ball joint using a hammer and a pry bar.
The pry bar must be placed between the lever and the steering knuckle, rest against the fist and press on the lever to create pressure.
At this time, it is necessary to apply clear and strong blows to the suspension arm with a hammer until the finger pops out.
Next, using a pry bar, in the same position, you need to bend the lever and move the ball pin away.
Using a 17mm socket, unscrew the two bolts securing the ball joint to the steering knuckle.
Remove the ball.

Ready!

Preparing a new ball

You can just install a new ball joint, but it would be better to apply some tips:

Lubrication. Clamp the new ball joint into the planks.
Remove the nut and boot.
Place a wrench (a small tube of suitable diameter) onto the ball joint pin.
Take Litol or other lubricant and fill the ball joint housing with it.
In this case, you should make rotational movements with the finger of the ball joint so that the lubricant is better distributed in the housing.

Lubricate the ball-to-knuckle bolts.
Drive the threads on the bolts with at least nuts.

Remember! Do not lubricate the ball pin, because it will rotate when you try to tighten the nut directly on the car.

Installation

First of all, clean the seat for the ball joint on the steering knuckle.
Screw the ball back to the knuckle using a 17mm socket.
Using a pry bar, bend the suspension arm and place the finger of the ball joint into the hole in the arm.
Tighten the ball joint pin nut.

Attention! If the finger scrolls, then it is necessary to create a load. This is done with the same mount, only the pressure needs to be created in the opposite direction.

Then put the car wheel back in place.

It doesn't matter on which side of the car you change the ball joint - it's done the same way. In the same way as the replacement of ball VAZ 2110 is done, it is done on other models of this family. Apply these tips from the article, look at the process in the photo and this will make your repair as fast and high-quality as possible!

Alternative method

Finally, we note that it is possible to press out the support pin or tip even if it is not possible to make a removable mechanism. But this method should be used only in extreme cases. To remove the finger you will need a pry bar and a hammer.

The pry bar is used as a lever and must be installed in such a way as to create a force to press the support or tip, for example, place it between the steering rod and the rack eye.

After creating force with the mount, it is necessary to apply powerful blows to the body of the eye with a hammer. If everything is done correctly, then after 2-3 hits the finger will pop out.

The disadvantage of this method is that the eye can be damaged due to shock loads, so it is advisable to use pullers rather than knock out the support.

When repairing the steering system and chassis of a car, owners are often faced with the situation of dismantling ball joints and rod ends. These structural parts cannot be removed without a special tool. This is a puller for ball joints. The device can greatly simplify the process of pressing out parts.

Purchasing this tool is not difficult - just go to the nearest auto parts store and select a suitable puller there. You can also make the device yourself. Let's look at the types of pullers, and also talk about choosing these tools.

The modern market for tools for car maintenance and repair offers the widest selection of different pullers, including several types of tools for dismantling ball joints and steering rods.

The first devices are considered a more universal solution. They are suitable for servicing any car.