bc1987 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Right, now need to change my ball joints. seen lots of threads about hammering them out and in, using extraction tools and hydraulic presses... anyone got any experience of changing them and can offer advice for getting them in and out and even better - anyone local to Derby that has a tool that they have successfully used that I can borrow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scobie140 Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 I did the lower front ones. I bought a cheap tool from ebay after my G clamp went with an almighty bang. It did the job. The kit didn't come with a fitting that was a good fit for pressing the new ones in so I ended up very roughly making a adaptor for it. I think a 2" AF socket might also be a half decent fit but mine were mega tight so wanted even pressure all around when pressing it in, this could be nonses but i'm sure I used that big socket at sompoint during this task Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc1987 Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 2 hours ago, scobie140 said: I did the lower front ones. I bought a cheap tool from ebay after my G clamp went with an almighty bang. It did the job. The kit didn't come with a fitting that was a good fit for pressing the new ones in so I ended up very roughly making a adaptor for it. I think a 2" AF socket might also be a half decent fit but mine were mega tight so wanted even pressure all around when pressing it in, this could be nonses but i'm sure I used that big socket at sompoint during this task Any chance you are near by? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scobie140 Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 A bit north I'm afraid, Sunny Scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal123 Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I had an absolute nightmare doing the ball joints. Firstly I purchased ball joints from ebay for the knuckle which holds the lower control arm. Getting the ball joints out was extremely awkward and took me massive amounts of time. I'd recommend a tool like bc1987 purchased. I had a 12 tonne press but the problem is the knuckle is an awkward shape and really you need to make a complex jig to hold the knuckle and press out the ball joint. So I ended up drilling it out, using a reciprocating saw and the like. It was an absolute pig! After all that I discovered the ball joints sold on ebay are too small. The thread was just 5 - 8mm too short to get a full nut in and the cotter pin through. https://www.dormanproducts.com/gsearch.aspx?year=2005&make=Nissan&model=350Z&origin=YMM&parttype=Ball%20Joint%20-%20Suspension Is the actual ball joint used by Nissan however I couldn't find anywhere in the UK that sells so I needed to purchase entire new knuckles as Nissan don't sell the ball joints individually (£800 cost). I think if I'd purchased a tool like bc1987 it would've been a lot better however 140,000 miles mine were extremely weathered so it was never going to be easy. Oh, I also tried using the press against the floor with the knuckle and ended up snapping the knuckle itself lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Shame that you never previously posted up your ball joint size issue as I have both sizes in stock. Hopefully this thread may help others in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc1987 Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 35 minutes ago, ZMANALEX said: Shame that you never previously posted up your ball joint size issue as I have both sizes in stock. Hopefully this thread may help others in the future. What do you mean about both sizes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal123 Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 39 minutes ago, ZMANALEX said: Shame that you never previously posted up your ball joint size issue as I have both sizes in stock. Hopefully this thread may help others in the future. What sizes are they? I've lost faith in all ball joint suppliers as I purchased several sets all claiming to be the correct size, but none of them were! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc1987 Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 So I bought hardrace ones for my 06... Will they fit?! I have matching hardrace arms which is why I bought them! I also have the same tool to press out now so any one around derby, loaned out for a beer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal123 Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I'm sorry bc1987, I'm not sure about the Hardrace, I did enquire of the length of the studded thread and they sent me a diagram with lots of dimensions except the actual dimension I needed and requested lol. I just looked at the schematic diagram just now for you and going from scale it doesn't look good to me, they seem quite short but that's just my opinion. The hardrace ones are very expensive and that's what enticed me to enquire as if they're charging that money the quality must be justified. However mine is a 2005 Coupe model (looks like you're a 2006 Coupe) so you may be lucky. With all my searching though I found only one other person who experienced the issues I experienced so maybe the problem's me! 6824.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 This is a very common fitment issue that I am seeing more and more these days. There are only 2 x sizes for the upright lower ball joint. The difference is the thickness of the spindle (threaded part) Off the top of my head, they are 14mm or 16mm If you prefer, you can overcome the issue by fitting a compatible lower suspension arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc1987 Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 7 minutes ago, Dal123 said: I'm sorry bc1987, I'm not sure about the Hardrace, 7 minutes ago, Dal123 said: You would think that if I had the hardrace arms, the hardrace ball joint would be a perfect fit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal123 Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Sorry bc1987, you're completely right, I don't think you need to worry in that case, I overlooked that major important part. ZMANALEX, yeah they're 16mm diameter, all the one's I received from others were 14mm, though this wasn't the issue, yes a 16mm would've been better to spread the load with the flange nut. However a washer with the 14mm and the castle nut's that were provided wouldn't have worried me as I'm only plodding around at the speed limit nowadays. The problem was the length of the stud, the 14mm's simply weren't long enough, from any supplier. Though it seems you're the only person I've come across that offers the 16mm, man I wish I posted here a few weeks ago. Hopefully this does help someone in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 The studs are the same length. The difference is the thickness of the stud which fits into a cone. The protrusion is controlled by the thickness of the stud. You will only be able to fit the nut properly with the correct protrusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal123 Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 (edited) 16 minutes ago, ZMANALEX said: The studs are the same length. The difference is the thickness of the stud which fits into a cone. The protrusion is controlled by the thickness of the stud. You will only be able to fit the nut properly with the correct protrusion. No, the studs are not the same length. Most likely you're selling the shorter ball joints then like other sellers. They're NOT the same length as the OEM, just that bit too shy. The thread length of the cheaper ball joints are 78mm, the length of the OEM ball joints is 85mm. After trying 3 different suppliers I know everything about the front ball joints now lol. "The protrusion is controlled by the thickness of the stud", yes that is a factor as you say she slips into the cone, however given that non OEM suppliers are mostly 14mm this would cause the stud to go even further as it's a smaller width, thus not being hindered by the cone, enabling it to go further. OEMs are thicker & longer; by around 5 - 8 mm ish, difficult to measure as it's needs to be perfectly perpendicular from the base to get an accurate measurement. Spend £400 on a knuckle from Nissan and you'll see what I mean. EDIT: Picture attached. Edited June 10, 2018 by Dal123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 You are missing the point I am afraid. The aftermarket 14mm and 16mm ball joints that I sell are the same length. You are comparing an oem ball joint which as you have found out to your cost is not available from Nissan. I have been selling these for 14 years and never had an issue as I have always asked the question to make sure that my customers get the correct part first time every time. Also, do not use the castellated nut supplied with the aftermarket ball joint, always use the OEM nut. Also from your image, the 14mm ball joint cone is sitting far too high, which will reduce the protrusion. Unfortunately, you only had a mare fitting these as you were listening to the uninformed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azure350z Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 I'm in Nottingham and have what looks like the same ball joint extractor as shown in this thread. I used it to change the front lower ball joints on my zed with a ball joint that Alex provided. Dal123 I have found the same as you, no aftermarket ball joint seems the same as oem but the ones Alex supplies do fit the face-lift and hr zeds without issue of you get a new cone at the same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc1987 Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 I just wanted help with my ball joints!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGR Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 On 10/06/2018 at 11:05, ZMANALEX said: Shame that you never previously posted up your ball joint size issue as I have both sizes in stock. Hopefully this thread may help others in the future. Hey ZMANALEX, I just found out today I need new ball joints, can you sort me out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Hi CGR, Yes, all suspension ball joints are in stock for Nissan 350Z. What BJs are you after mate? Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGR Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 45 minutes ago, ZMANALEX said: Hi CGR, Yes, all suspension ball joints are in stock for Nissan 350Z. What BJs are you after mate? Alex. It's the lower front ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 14 minutes ago, CGR said: It's the lower front ones Plenty in stock, PM on its way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scobie140 Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 The ball joints I fitted were non OEM and were the right size. I'd hardly say zmanalex is an idiot, he knows more about these cars than the service manual! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Keep it reasonable on this thread please. Calling any member an idiot isn’t on @Dal123, when it’s someone with that level of knowledge and experience of Zs, you’re at risk of embarrassing yourself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vondan Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Hi don't know if anyone has had this issue before, bought and changed for ebay ones before 2yrs down the line and gone again. Got some from conceptzperformance over the pond when ti put them in and for some reason my old ones came out easy but when I put new ones in there lose by about 1mm on bottom where it sits in hub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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