XC70: General 2013 XC70 Lower Ball Joint - Help

[37 RUBY]

Originally Posted by al dm

...my Makita LXT impact gun

Now I'm jealous

[al dm]

Originally Posted by xavierx

The lower control arm needs a huge amount of downward force to remove the balljoint. If you don't have the special long pry tool, you need a really heavy friend to stand on the lower control arm while you pull the balljoint free.

Thankfully I have been able to borrow the same friend every time I have had to do this 🤣

When doing the ball joint, I first tried cutting off the rivet heads, but they would not punch out with any amount of force, almost like they had welded themselves into the holes. I ended up removing the entire lower control arm and drilling what was left of them out on the drill press

After looking at it and messing around today, I think that the ball joint pins are press fitted into the ball joint, then the sheet steel of the control arm is assembled around that and then the protruding ends of the pins are riveted. So there is no way to push them out even after the heads are cut off.

I ground off a couple of the heads and had a go at getting them out, but as you say, it's impossible.

I have now made the executive decision to just replace the control arms with new parts. It's probably not needed, but at least I will have new bushes, which is one less thing to worry about down the road. Parts will be delivered tomorrow and it saves me having to go and find an engineering shop with a drill press. Costs a bit more, but peace of mind is valuable. It was pretty easy to get the entire control arm off earlier. The bushes dont look too bad, but there are cracks here and there and the control arm is rusty in places.

On the plus side, I pressed in the new wheel bearing today and it went without a fight. So the cheap eBay tool works well and I now have a shiny, new and smooth running front left wheel bearing. I think leaving the bearing in the freezer overnight probably helped a lot with getting it in easily.

Sadly I need to do some paying work this afternoon, but this evening I will dismantle the front right of the car to get it ready for when the new control arms appear tomorrow. Hopefully the car will be back on the road on Thursday or Friday.

[al dm]

Originally Posted by 37 RUBY

Now I'm jealous

Even worse, I found a reason to go and buy an LXT angle grinder this morning. I was trying to grind off the heads of the ball joint studs and the Dremel just wasn't cutting it (no pun intended).

The Makita made short work of it, and now I can also go out stealing catalytic converters of an evening (joke).

Seriously though, a decent impact gun makes things like working on suspension so much easier and faster. I don't know how I managed working on cars before I had one.

[al dm]

Oh....and a quick question.

Does anyone know the torque settings for the control arm to frame bolts?

My copy of VIDA appears to have gone tits up this afternoon....

[37 RUBY]

I'm away from my computer but can get them in the morning if you can wait...?

[al dm]

Originally Posted by 37 RUBY

I'm away from my computer but can get them in the morning if you can wait...?

Of course - no issue. I wont be fitting new parts until tomorrow afternoon earliest.

I started taking apart the right hand side and made good progress. I have everything apart and the lower ball joint separated and moving freely, but not quite out yet.

Had to stop as I need to cook for my kids....

I managed to snap the brake disc retaining screw on the right, so I will get a replacement for that tomorrow from my favourite little fasteners shop, and also new bolts for the brake disk shields as they are rusted to buggery.

Oh....one important question....the RHS control arm has a strangle looking plastic lever mounted on it that seems to attach to a sensor. Anyone know what this is? I presume it measures the control arm compression for some reason but I don't know what for. Active headlight levelling maybe?

[37 RUBY]

No worries. Will post the torque figures tomorrow.

Yes, link is for headlight level control. Dont break it. Volvo only sell it with a new sensor.Mine was seized and creaking but I managed to pop the offending ball out of its rubber housing albeit with a fair bit of faff. Ball sanded smooth and pressed back in with a slather of grease.

[al dm]

Originally Posted by 37 RUBY

No worries. Will post the torque figures tomorrow.

Yes, link is for headlight level control. Dont break it. Volvo only sell it with a new sensor.Mine was seized and creaking but I managed to pop the offending ball out of its rubber housing albeit with a fair bit of faff. Ball sanded smooth and pressed back in with a slather of grease.

Good stuff - thanks. It's only held onto the control arm with a single small screw, so I should be able to get it off without breaking it and then clean it up and grease it.

Which does of course beg the question....will my new control arm have the screw hole for it? If not, it's going to be a case of drilling and tapping.

I am also going to replace the two bolts that secure the lower ball joint to the steering knuckle. They are usable, but pretty corroded, so I think new ones are in order.

[37 RUBY]

Hello

Torque figures -

lower arm to front subframe(front mounting): Stage 1: 140nm, Stage 2: 45 & #176; <--- I'm not sure how to dechiper that last portion - perhaps you or someone else can clarify? Does it mean 45degs + 176nm? Or something different?

Lower arm front to subframe rear mounting (rear mounting), 175nm for both rear bolts.

[simboc2004]

Sorry, came to this thread too late - I had to do all this a couple of years ago. Having spent a long time grinding off and then drilling out the ball joint retaining rivets I wished I had just bought the entire control arm, as you have done. However, it all worked fine in the end and is still going strong 50,000 miles later. I made up/adapted a standard ball joint splitter for the job, which worked well once made.