I've no experience of this on the MK4 (yet), but I assume a normal ball joint splitter is no good? What are you doing?

 

No I've purchased the proper ford splitter as you can't get in with a regular ball joint splitter. I'm trying to get in to replace the top mount bearing which has failed. If I can't make any progress this way, I might have to attempt to separate the strut from the hub.

 

Ah, I see...that's the way I would do it. (Worked fine on my old MK2 when I replaced shocks and then the springs a few years later) But as I've mentioned, not done it on a MK4 yet, though my top mount bearings are going too so interested in what you do. My car is on 82K miles.

 

Everything I've read has recommended doing 8t this way because the strut to hub pinch bolt has a nasty habit of shearing off apparently. I'm going to have no choice at this rate though! Mine has done 95k. To be fair this is the first front end suspension work the car has ever needed though so I'm fairly happy with that!

 

On mk3 my pinch bolts loosen,so i jack strut out of knuckle,after removing

driveshaft and trackrod,with chisel in the split the knuckle just lifts off from

bottom ball joint.

 

That's what I read for the MK2 but I didn't have any issues. Might be worth spraying some WD40 or similar on it first though and then hit the head of the bolt with a hammer before undoing it. Do you have an air or electric Impact Wrench?

I'm currently looking for a new coil spring compressor as I found my current set hard work and time consuming when I did the MK2 springs. Got these https://www.drapertools.com/product/68614/Coil-Spring-Compressor-Set-(3-Piece) but looking at something like this https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cht747-1000kg-professional-coil-spring/ or this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/311903800771

 

A large crowbar together with a large neighbour, combined with some heavy blows with a sledgehammer did the trick for me. If you go for separating the strut from the hub, be careful so the CV joint does not separate, that happened for me because I twisted it to much to the side I think (and then I had to call in the neighbour)

 

You may be able to grind the rivets off the wishbone and leave the bottom ball joint attached to the hub. Usually you need some M10x35mm high tensile (10.8 or higher grade) bolts, and nyloc nuts to refit it.

Have you tried tapping a small chisel in the gap that closes round the joint? Often this is enough to pop them out.

My mk2 has never given me issues, but i have a 6ft bar i rest over the wishbone, and under the subframe. Simply pushing down on the bar often is all that has been needed to pop them out.

 

Thanks for all the help guys! I've got it sorted. I wound as much force onto the removal tool as possible and then turned the steering to full lock and hammered the hell out of the back of the casting and it suddenly just popped out. Cars now back together and good as new!

 

its an absolute swine to get apart - i purchased a VERY long pry bar and literally jumped on it and it wouldn't move! in the end hammering it made it pop out. damn stupid design!