Steering Knuckle ball joint sleeves

[gmak]

I found this on ebay and I have ordered one. I have an issue with my LHS front thrust arm sleeve which is seized on the ball joint. If it works out, I will post here. At least this is a solution for those who can't go to a junkyard to pull a sleeve out of an old steering knuckle. I asked for the 28mm (that's length) because the size of the nut on the ball joint is 22mm (they say 21 / 22mm requires the 28mm sleeve). For a nut size of 18 / 19 mm, they say that the 26mm sleeve is the proper length.

Here is what I ordered - I think that what I paid for is just 1 sleeve, in spite of the picture. We'll see. After I receive it, I'll report back if it does indeed fit and matches the current one.

[auaq]

I find that a press machine with a bearing splitter makes it easy to split the sleeve from the ball joint.

[gmak]

I find that a press machine with a bearing splitter makes it easy to split the sleeve from the ball joint.

I don't want to split it - I'm tossing the Thrust arm. The ball joint was toast after a year. Go figure. I want to remove the sleeve intact if possible. The one I've ordered is to accomplish two things - 1. Find a source for these sleeves that occasionally drive DIYers to madness; and, 2. Have one on hand in case the removal of my seized sleeve damages it.

I don't have easy access to wreckers and junk yards with E39s all over the place. Perhaps I could use an E46 - but again Ottawa has only 1 million people in the whole area and not much in the way of facilities for the DIYer.

[philly98540]

No ship to USA for some reason. Maybe DOT rules?

[auaq]

Meant to say 'separate' the sleeve from the ball joint.

I don't want to split it - I'm tossing the Thrust arm. The ball joint was toast after a year. Go figure. I want to remove the sleeve intact if possible. The one I've ordered is to accomplish two things - 1. Find a source for these sleeves that occasionally drive DIYers to madness; and, 2. Have one on hand in case the removal of my seized sleeve damages it.

I don't have easy access to wreckers and junk yards with E39s all over the place. Perhaps I could use an E46 - but again Ottawa has only 1 million people in the whole area and not much in the way of facilities for the DIYer.

[StRaNgEdAyS]

When I first tried removing the ball joints this happened to me too... I left the tool on it under pressure overnight... When I came out in the morning the sleeve had popped off the joint and I pressed the sleeve back in with a G-clamp.
It's worth a try

Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder

[gmak]

Thanks guys. I think that I'll start with the ball joint tool that looks like a bearing remover and leave it on overnight as StrangeDays (not gonna try the consonant /vowel stuff) suggests. There is a small gap where the spindle comes out of the sleeve and I'm putting small amounts of PB blaster and lube down there while I wait for the time to go buy the tool. Although I do have an actual bearing removal tool, now that I think of it (Used to get the CSB bearing off of the drive shaft). Maybe it will fit properly and generate the right torque.

If that doesn't work, depending on how fast my sleeve gets here.... I may try a machine shop.

@Philly98540 I didn't realize that. That's strange. I'm going to go ask them why.

[pleiades]

gmak, the BMW sleeve might be a cast metal other than steel. I've been told they're bronze, so if you use a puller, get good purchase with the jaws, go slowly, and try heating the sleeve body.

[gmak]

gmak, the BMW sleeve might be a cast metal other than steel. I've been told they're bronze, so if you use a puller, get good purchase with the jaws, go slowly, and try heating the sleeve body.

Thanks for the tip. I'll go get a propane torch at Canadian Tire. Will that do the trick?

[gmak]

I used the Scwaben 20 - 60 ball joint puller with the 'fork' below the lip of the sleeve and the single arm on a socket on top of the spindle. Using a breaker bar, the sleeve popped off in rather short order. I wasn't expecting that given how much torque I had been applying to get the ball joint out of the sleeve when it was in the steering knuckle.

But, I had put trickles of PB blaster at regular intervals on the bottom of the sleeve (while it was upside down with the spindle facing up) and jiggled the thrust arm to get the liquid to kind of go down what ever space there was at that end between the sleeve and the spindle. Maybe that had something to do with it over the last 2 days.

So now, the sleeve is in the freezer and I'm going to try to press it into place with my big clamp tomorrow morning. If that doesn't work, then I'll put it back in the freezer and bring some heat from a torch, to the steering knuckle.

Getting there.

[pleiades]

....... So now, the sleeve is in the freezer and I'm going to try to press it into place with my big clamp tomorrow morning. If that doesn't work, then I'll put it back in the freezer and bring some heat from a torch, to the steering knuckle.

Getting there.

The knuckle is aluminum so go easy with any heat. Probably shouldn't go over 80 C .... You could probably press it in with a bolt, nut, and few washers.

If you hold a magnet to the sleeve, does it seem ferrous?

[gmak]

Pressed in the steering knuckle sleeve on the LHS for the thrust arm on the 528i (M52). Here are a few pics.

1. C-Clamp set up. It's massive and usually used for the rear ball joints. You can see the aluminum bearing press plates that I'm using to distribute the force a bit better.
Attachment 603247

2. The goop I put on the sleeve for retention. Usually used in hotter environments in the engine - but should work here.
Attachment 603248

3. The frozen sleeve in place. I decided to try pressing it without heating the steering knuckle.
Attachment 603249

4. Clamp on pressing sleeve into place. I was able to turn the 'screw' by hand for most of the pressing except the last 1/4 inch or so.

Attachment 603250

5. Bottom view of fully pressed sleeve to show clearance.
Attachment 603251

- - - Updated - - -

Here are a few more pictures showing that the cap on top does not sit flat on the knuckle - along with a view of the same sleeve top on the RHS.

1. View of LHS cap after pressing. I put the clamp back on and pressed it a bit more after this.

Attachment 603252


2. Other side for comparison

Attachment 603253

[StRaNgEdAyS]

Good to see you got it sorted

Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder

[jicaino]

Pressed in the steering knuckle sleeve on the LHS for the thrust arm on the 528i (M52). Here are a few pics.

1. C-Clamp set up. It's massive and usually used for the rear ball joints. You can see the aluminum bearing press plates that I'm using to distribute the force a bit better.
Attachment 603247

2. The goop I put on the sleeve for retention. Usually used in hotter environments in the engine - but should work here.
Attachment 603248

3. The frozen sleeve in place. I decided to try pressing it without heating the steering knuckle.
Attachment 603249

4. Clamp on pressing sleeve into place. I was able to turn the 'screw' by hand for most of the pressing except the last 1/4 inch or so.

Attachment 603250

5. Bottom view of fully pressed sleeve to show clearance.
Attachment 603251

- - - Updated - - -

Here are a few more pictures showing that the cap on top does not sit flat on the knuckle - along with a view of the same sleeve top on the RHS.

1. View of LHS cap after pressing. I put the clamp back on and pressed it a bit more after this.

Attachment 603252


2. Other side for comparison

Attachment 603253

HGey Gmak. Going thru a similar issue here. Would you recall if this was a 6 degree taper?

[peter540]

HGey Gmak. Going thru a similar issue here. Would you recall if this was a 6 degree taper?

And GMAK, were you pleased with the sleeve you ordered online? I know the one for the 540 is slightly different -- mainly longer, if I recall. Not sure if I'll need one or more, but my mechanic's about to dig into overhauling the front suspension. Last time I did the job (10 years ago), I had the same problem you did, and one of the sleeves was damaged. I ended up using one from a 6-cylinder knuckle, and it worked fine.

Thoughts?

--Peter

[jicaino]

And GMAK, were you pleased with the sleeve you ordered online? I know the one for the 540 is slightly different -- mainly longer, if I recall. Not sure if I'll need one or more, but my mechanic's about to dig into overhauling the front suspension. Last time I did the job (10 years ago), I had the same problem you did, and one of the sleeves was damaged. I ended up using one from a 6-cylinder knuckle, and it worked fine.

Thoughts?

--Peter

They're the same

- - - Updated - - -

Also peter, if you have access to a lathe or a machinist friend, but him a case of his brew and have him making it for you out of brass or phosphor bronze. Glue them in with Loctite 601 and lube the shafts with anti seize and next time around replacing control arms it will be a breeze, you won't even need a ball joint press tool. A couple of taps and they will be out.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...t-sleeve-issue

[peter540]

Great idea. I'd just needs the specs. But to clarify, at least on my car, the sleeve was shorter from the 6-cylinder car's knuckle. Not sure what model year the donor car was...

[jicaino]

Great idea. I'd just needs the specs. But to clarify, at least on my car, the sleeve was shorter from the 6-cylinder car's knuckle. Not sure what model year the donor car was...

There's a drawing in the linked thread. I just tried them on 540i's thurst arm joints and they seat in the same position... I haven't actually looked at the carrier, so I may be just blowing hot air, but IIRC you can use an I6 on a 540i and viceversa (sleevewise)

- - - Updated - - -

EDIT: your's a 2003. Never took apaprt one post facelift 540i, and they are a tad different in the front end. Even brake discs are different. So maybe the carrier is different, for all I know... Just check it. The taper will be 7.5 degrees anyway since the arms are interchangeable (pre with post facelift)

[peter540]

Thanks!

Yes, I was able to use the 6-cylinder car's sleeve in my car's knuckle, but it definitely was shorter.

[jicaino]

Thanks!

Yes, I was able to use the 6-cylinder car's sleeve in my car's knuckle, but it definitely was shorter.

Maybe it didn't seat all the way up? there's a flange that has to sit flush with the carrier's bottom surface, and then there's a thick washer on top that serves as the self locking nut thurst bearing surface for it to pull the taper into the sleeve. it's not uncommon for different manufacturers to have minor discrepancies, although what it might have happened is that one of the flange bits broke off and wedged in the countersink, impeding the flange in the donor sleeve to seat all the way down.

[peter540]

Hmmm. Don't know. Trying to remember how it looked, but I last did that job on the car 10 years ago (hard to believe it's been that long!).