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Thread: Does anyone rent/can lend special tool 312240? (the ball joint seperator)

  1. #26
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    Yep. I tighten down the press, and after putting a quarter turn in, I jump back.

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    Nate J.

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  2. #27
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    ^ basically my face while doing that driver side lower control arm ball joint with the HF tool
    had trouble actually turning the bolt near the end, using a foot long 3/8th ratchet

    i actually have that gear wrench brand splitter, it's what i used for the thrust arms, works great, it's jaw is just too small for the lower control arms
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
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  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by joekitch View Post
    ^ basically my face while doing that driver side lower control arm ball joint with the HF tool
    had trouble actually turning the bolt near the end, using a foot long 3/8th ratchet

    i actually have that gear wrench brand splitter, it's what i used for the thrust arms, works great, it's jaw is just too small for the lower control arms
    I use a 1/2-inch drive extendable ratchet for this sort of stuff, but yeah, it can get tough to turn.
    Nate J.

    (oOO\ (|||)º(|||) /OOo)
    Titanium Silver/Black Nappa Full 07-18-2001 E39 M5 Heritage (BZ99672). 198,000mi+. Increasing daily. Engine rebuild thread.
    (eŌō\ (||||)º(||||) / ōŌe)
    Alpineweiss III/Black Merino Full 03-26-2007 E60 M5 Manual (CX08265). 157,000+. Dead starter -_-

    RIP, Seabiscuit. Black Sapphire/Schwarz 03-11-2003 530iA Sport (CK39185). T-boned 03-01-2017 at 155,861mi.
    Take 2 "Otto" - Toledo Blue/Sandbeige 04-25-2002 530iA Sport (CH98032). Sold 11-10-2017 at 147,743mi.
    Take 3 "Manuel" - Toledo Blue/Grau 10-29-2001 530i5 Sport (CE92358). Sold 02-01-2019 at 217,600mi. I regret that. Build Log
    Reliable P.O.S. - Green/gray 1995 Camry V6 LE. 270k mi. Sold for space.

  4. #29
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    All you have to do with the tool is to put pressure on the ball joint, when you know you’ve torqued it quite a bit, under pressure, tap the threads with a hammer and the thing will pop off. You guys have to learn how to use tools....
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by joekitch View Post
    This dude


    Attachment 627550


    I'm currently looking at some HORRIBLY seized ball joints for the thrust arms, lower control arms, and center drag links, and i think this thing will be the least painful way to get them all out
    Might just get the copycat version (or is it the oem?) for $109 as a serious investment, the Koch KT20473
    https://www.amazon.com/KT20473-Ball-.../dp/B076FC6PSQ
    also baum makes something real similar, the B312240k
    Harbor freight has a knock off for less and it does work fairly well.

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  6. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty View Post
    All you have to do with the tool is to put pressure on the ball joint, when you know you’ve torqued it quite a bit, under pressure, tap the threads with a hammer and the thing will pop off. You guys have to learn how to use tools....
    of believe me, i was keeping up tapping while torquing, it still took a TON of force
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


  7. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by joekitch View Post
    ^ basically my face while doing that driver side lower control arm ball joint with the HF tool
    had trouble actually turning the bolt near the end, using a foot long 3/8th ratchet

    i actually have that gear wrench brand splitter, it's what i used for the thrust arms, works great, it's jaw is just too small for the lower control arms
    Good time to put some safety goggles on.

  8. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty View Post
    That’s the same one I have, didn’t realize Gear Wrench made it, just pulled mine out of the toolbox, lol, on the side, is printed: GW3916D $40 from either the Matco man, or the SnapOn dude.
    Yep that is the Gear Wrench 3916 tool. It's currently $23 on Amazon. It has been holding up for me so far.

    Quote Originally Posted by 16valex View Post
    I hate doing this job. So much torque have to be loaded it's scary. I usually take a break walk away have cigarette and BANG it exploded.

    It's good to have the right tool though.
    Agree I hate using it as well. Crank it on tight then walk away. Nothing popped? Then you have to carefully continue cranking it little by little... then wait. It feels very unsafe and causes anxiety, "when will it explode in my face?"

  9. #34
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    This thread is not so confidence inspiring. I bought the parts and was all "tooled up" (read: I bought the hazard fraught ball joint tool to add to my arsenal) right before my ankle decided it wants orthopedic (aka human mechanic) repairs more than my cars so wrenching is on hold for the next 2 or 3 months.

    This thread has been very informative as to what I might expect when I do finally get around to the job. Does it make much difference if it is a California car vs salted roads-land car? I guess I'll find out. Wearing PPE sounds like a must. I thought I had read enough archives on this and I was thinking, this looks easy enough. Now, not so much but I have done a bunch of suspension work over the years so hopefully it won't be too bad.

  10. #35
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    cali car won't be nearly as bad as a northeast salt roads car, that's for sure.
    strongly recommend soaking all the bolts you'll be working on in PB blaster the night before you start working on it
    take my advice from earlier and cut off the top of the ball joint stud for the LOWER control arm so the HF tool will fit over it comfortably (use the spacer as a hacksaw guide)
    if i knew all that going in, it would have taken two days at most instead of most of a week
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


  11. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty View Post
    That’s the same one I have, didn’t realize Gear Wrench made it, just pulled mine out of the toolbox, lol, on the side, is printed: GW3916D $40 from either the Matco man, or the SnapOn dude.
    Quote Originally Posted by msvphoto View Post
    This thread is not so confidence inspiring. I bought the parts and was all "tooled up" (read: I bought the hazard fraught ball joint tool to add to my arsenal) right before my ankle decided it wants orthopedic (aka human mechanic) repairs more than my cars so wrenching is on hold for the next 2 or 3 months.

    This thread has been very informative as to what I might expect when I do finally get around to the job. Does it make much difference if it is a California car vs salted roads-land car? I guess I'll find out. Wearing PPE sounds like a must. I thought I had read enough archives on this and I was thinking, this looks easy enough. Now, not so much but I have done a bunch of suspension work over the years so hopefully it won't be too bad.
    This thread should help further:

    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...Videos-Inside*

  12. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty View Post
    That’s the same one I have, didn’t realize Gear Wrench made it, just pulled mine out of the toolbox, lol, on the side, is printed: GW3916D $40 from either the Matco man, or the SnapOn dude.

    Or $23 from Amazon, damn tool truck thieves!
    Looks to be the same tool as the HF one. ??
    The HF one is okay but made of inferior steel. Mine has a bent pivot, HF says tough beans.

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  13. #38
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    Nice work cutting the threads to get things working. I don't think 6cyl models have to deal with the taller ball joint, so things can get confusing when people say they can do all the joints with the same common ball joint tool. When I did mine, I tried using a puller like in the attached pic, but just couldn't get a good/safe grip on things with the arm still installed. I ended up buying the special tool from ecs. It was definitely worth it for me in the end. The harbor freight tool worked fine for the other joints.

    https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben...958sch01a~sch/

    The issue with that particular ball joint is the odd height. I don't think that Koch kit would have helped in this situation.

    1090.jpg

  14. #39
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    Speaking of those tool truck thieves, our SnapOn truck shows up on Mondays, so when he came, I hopped in to replace a lost 4 inch, $21 1/4” extension, disappeared last week, I probably left it in a car, anyway, by the time I hopped out, I ended up buying a new 60” Epiq Series toolbox, he gave me $4,500 for my old box, which I’ve had since ‘91. New box was $13,810, they’ve gotta have one hell of a mark up on the new boxes for me to get what I got on my old box! Crap, that was an expensive 4” extension....
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  15. #40
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    Snotty, hope that $13K tool box had gold lined draws and a built in whoop azz stereo.

  16. #41
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    Haha! No stereo in it, no cupholders either, but.... it is a lot bigger than my old box, been wanting a new box for a while, when he told me he wanted the box off his truck, I asked how much, that’s when he made the offer on my old box for trade in, I jumped on it. It’s a great deal, as long as you have no qualms spending a ton of money on tools and such. Nice box, 60” long, 30” wide, he will drop it off on Friday, had way too much stuff in the rear of the truck, and was behind schedule. As for music, I have an old BOSE 321 system at the shop, sounds great, jam good old classic rock all day long.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  17. #42
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    Don't people use pickle forks anymore? I've broken multiple HF ball joint tools... so went back to old-school: soak the ball joint with knockoff or pblaster etc a half hr before; then start with picklefork - have four and pick the one that fits best. Bang it into the space until good and loaded; then tap on the top of the bj thread; bang some more on the pickle fork, tap some more on the bj threads... and in 5-10 mins, the bj comes free.

  18. #43
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    Dude, the Harbor Freight tool sucks, the Gear Wrench tool is great. Pickle fork? Sure, they always worked. Hell, I have them for my impact hammer too. So yeah, people still use ‘em. One thing though, the pickle fork usually ends up ripping up the rubber sleeve. The Gear Wrench tool does not, so... it’s good to have different tools, choice is king, use the right tool for the right application.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  19. #44
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    I've removed the control arms a few times now and I have learned a few tips to speed it up.

    Once the nuts are loose, spray PB blaster on the bolt to work its way down the joint.

    I do not use a ball joint tool for the middle control arm. I put a metal plate between the top of the bolt (with nut still on) and the bottom of the strut and then loosen the nut to put down pressure on the joint and it does not take much to pop loose.

    I use the ball joint tool on the thrust arm and with PB Blaster it seems to pop loose easier.
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  20. #45
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    These tools are a good deal more sophisticated than my "jam a pickle fork in it and hit it with a sledge" technique. One thing that my mechanic father in-law taught me well was that parts that aren't being saved don't need special treatment.
    Last edited by 8ender; 05-06-2018 at 01:50 AM.

  21. #46
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    Not only have pickle forks not worked at times for me, I've also had them damage the plastic socket inside the ball joint not just the boot. With rare exception I always try to take things apart so they can be reused, either because I got the wrong part or in temp replacement of an even worse part. No tool seems to work everywhere, but the HF one has worked on my 6 banger E39. Been a while, but preload it up, give a bang in the right place and it pops right off.

    And something I always do now, is to apply a little dab of grease on the taper on installation. Here in the once Golden state at least, factory assembled joints usually come apart with out too much of a fight. But one where someone's been in there before, wiped it clean and reassembled will often fight me. The taper with a bit of lube on it still locks itself into place. But eases future removal.
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  22. #47
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    'swhat i did, little bit of copper anti seize on the taper shape on install, whoever replaces them next will hopefully thank me
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


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