Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: BazaJT on 11 July 2018, 22:19:03
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Looking at the front suspension it appears that these have two upper and two lower track control arms[as opposed to wishbones]Step daughter has been told that the upper front balljoint is worn and it's a bitch of a job to change the control arm,yet a very brief look seems to suggest it's a case of undoing balljoint pinch bolt and the inner pivot nut and bolt ok clearance at between the spring and nut seems a bit tight but that's not insurmountable.Can the procedure really be that simple or is there a heck of a lot more involved?Car is an early '03 reg Passat 1.9tdi estate.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYKvCj39LMI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYKvCj39LMI)
google brings up a video :y
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Getting the long inner bolt out of the aluminium castings it holds together can be very difficult and time consuming.
The steel bolt and aluminium react and seize together
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The you tube video makes it look fairly straightforward[thanks for the link]but don't they all? Although it hadn't dawned on me about removing the leg.The thought of bolts being seized in the housing/bushes was the main drawback I could think of from the very brief look I had under the wheelarch.
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Further question if I may.Would a hand held [similar to what a plumber would use]blowtorch produce enough heat to break the corrosion without damaging castings etc do you think?That's assuming a seized bolt due to such corrosion.
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Heat will free the bolt but will knacker the balljoints in both arms although I'd change both anyway while you are there
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It's the front upper front ball joint that's shot and the reason for needing it changed so destroying that would be a concern,also hear what you're saying re-doing both at same time.