Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Zen · « **Reply #15 on:** March 15, 2009, 07:33:31 AM »

I've never worked on an early (71-mid 73) Stuper . . . I know the control arms are different . . . cast maybe? The later Stupers had control arms that were two pieces of pressed sheet metal tack welded together. A deep pothole at 55 mph will bend the end of the arm back a couple of inches. Anyway, you have the earlier set up and I know it's different . . . but it's the same basic design.

On the later ones if you remove the three nuts around the top of the strut (under the hood) and knock it loose from the ball joint, the strut and spring comes out as an assembled unit. The big nut in the top center of the strut holds the strut bearing and top cap in place . . . you better have the spring compressed when you take it loose or you will launch parts (and body parts if you get in the line of fire) into orbit.

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #16 on:** March 15, 2009, 01:11:52 PM »

SC, Lets get serious about this front end stuff and I'm not kidding. You need to take Stupie" to a shop that can tell you what you need before you hurt yourself, Track arm bushings,struts, ball joints etc etc. Then order what you need and have the job done all in one shot . I would bet that you need the "upper" caps on the struts also. I can not express enough to you how dangerous this can be if you don't have the tools and the "know how".
I have a spring compressor and I still stand aside when I use it. Even if you managed to get it apart without killing yourself. you would never be able to put it back together. I have seen the aftermath of such "folly" . A friend of mine now has a tongue about 1 inch shorter and had his jaw wired back together for a while. IF you think I'm trying to scare you, you are damn correct. Please have it done. I'm very very serious about this. This also ,If you replace just one ball joint and wait awhile before doing other stuff and the front end is still flopping around, your new ball joint more than likely be worn out again. You can do a lot of crazy things to Stupie like having a diorama of WW-2 in the back seat but it would be very embarrassing to have the front end fall off right in the middle of The Battle of The Budge .

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #17 on:** March 15, 2009, 01:15:50 PM »

Budge

I meant BULGE . Oh well :lol:

Smelly_Cat · « **Reply #18 on:** March 15, 2009, 05:52:08 PM »

Bugtech, I am listening. and I want to live.

The struts are crap. I dont think they do anything anymore. I have changed the idler bushing and the tie rod ends, and that shock stablizer thing so far

It sure seems like I put on a paint ball mask and a can compress the spring with a tool from autozone..

Pop out the ball joint. Put in the new one. tighten it all up. release the spring.

I am having trouble getting the old joint out of that swing arm thing. I'm going to leave it alone and think about this. SC

Smelly_Cat · « **Reply #19 on:** March 15, 2009, 06:47:18 PM »

I went out today and was wacking a pickle fork trying to get the ball joint shaft to move. . I missed and wacked the back of my left hand. Holy smolley that hurts. My hand is swollen and my fingers are not working right. Rats. So I took a picture. I'm saying What if I take off the sway bar and that arm that the ball joint attaches to. Them I take the the kit and kaoddle to a shop and they press out this thing. If the tire is on the ground how can the spring go KA Boing? SC

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #20 on:** March 16, 2009, 08:21:57 AM »

O Boy !! The coil spring will not go "KA-Boing" unless you take the CENTER nut off on top of the strut. If you want to take the strut off the car , take off the 3 13mm nuts and what ever you are trying to do on the bottom with the Track arms. If you are going to replace the strut /shock, you will have to take the coil spring off.
What did I tell you ? Now you have already hurt yourselve and the games have just started.
If your struts are "crap" as you say, Stupie will still shake rattle and roll and will take care of all your new parts you have put on already in short order

Zen · « **Reply #21 on:** March 16, 2009, 10:17:45 AM »

Quote from: "Ret.Bugtech"

If your struts are "crap" as you say, Stupie will still shake rattle and roll and will take care of all your new parts you have put on already in short order

AMEN!

Speaking from experaince, if you repair it one piece at a time, you'll never get finished! If you have one thing out of whack on a stuper's steering/suspension, it'll beat the remaining good parts to death.

You can remove the strut assemblies and take them to someone who has the tools and know-how and have the strut cartridges replaced along with the mounts, bearings, bump stops and dust covers if needed . . . and if the struts are shot, those other parts are probably shot too.

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #22 on:** March 16, 2009, 05:05:48 PM »

Dang Zen, I'm about to give up. You buy them books,send them to school and they still eat the damn pages. I'm glad I have mellowed out over the years so I can maintain a certain amount of sanity. :roll: :roll:

Smelly_Cat · « **Reply #23 on:** March 16, 2009, 05:50:05 PM »

When ever I see Ret Bugtech as a reply, my tummy knots up and I start sweating. So allow me to paraphrase the last few posts. I wont kill my self replacing this ball joint as long as I leave the top of the strut alone. Yes, I should listen to Zen and buy new struts and an rubbers and then I'll have the fine driving vw. But Suppose... I change this one $28 part and Stupie can roll at 50 mph with out having an fit. Would'nt that be a good compromise? By the way. I have a bruise on both sides of my left hand. Stupid hammer.. SC

certdubtech · « **Reply #24 on:** March 16, 2009, 06:25:24 PM »

ok Smelly Cat...
I've been letting David have at you because i've been trying to find a large enough stick to strike you in the head with. Like he said, unless you are skilled in the ways of suspension repair, not a good idea to try and learn on this one. and, if the idea is to use the weight of the car to compress the spring, i wish i could have had a video of a co- worker who tried that one. can you say disaster? The really funny part was watching him try to line everything back up and put it back together.

Like he said, all kidding aside (and we all like to do a lot of that) this stuff WILL HURT YOU.

There.
I'm out.

:roll:

Zen · « **Reply #25 on:** March 16, 2009, 10:03:46 PM »

Quote from: "Smelly_Cat"

But Suppose... I change this one $28 part and Stupie can roll at 50 mph with out having an fit. Would'nt that be a good compromise?

That would be an EXCELLENT compromise. But if you've got other stuff out of whack, don't expect one ball joint to cure all your ills. I suppose if everything else is only half worn out and the one ball joint is just about to fall apart, it could help somewhat. Try it and see what happens. Just don't mess the big nut in the center of the top of the strut unless you have someone who knows what they doing helping you. :wink:

Bugnut · « **Reply #26 on:** March 16, 2009, 10:36:27 PM »

Sounds like a bad idea, but heck do it anyways. I'll sign your cast at Bugapalooza. :lol:

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #27 on:** March 17, 2009, 08:15:03 AM »

Thats right, Blame it on the hammer. The poor hammer gets all the bad rap!
( No pun intended )Most of the time People have to go look in a mirror to see the real problem. :lol: :lol:

certdubtech · « **Reply #28 on:** March 17, 2009, 08:46:13 AM »

Is not the phrase "The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem."

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #29 on:** March 17, 2009, 12:35:42 PM »

Quote from: "certdubtech"

Is not the phrase "The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem."

Please, One phrase at a time on the same subject. This might be confusing to some and could determine where the final resting location of the hammer should be. :lol:

Forums

Topic: Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle (Read 16933 times)

Zen

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Ret.Bugtech

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Ret.Bugtech

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Smelly_Cat

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Smelly_Cat

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Ret.Bugtech

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Zen

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Ret.Bugtech

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Smelly_Cat

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

certdubtech

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Zen

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Bugnut

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Ret.Bugtech

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

certdubtech

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

Ret.Bugtech

Ball joint replacement on a Supersonic beetle

About Us

Follow Us

Contact Us