Is the top one on the offside loose? If so then it's going to be a case of continuing to put a bit of pressure on it and hitting it.. sometimes whilst it's under pressure, using 2 hitting devices at the same time on either side of the swivel knuckle gives it enough to a shock to get it to pop loose. If the top isn't loose yet, the get that one loose and it can help the bottom one...

Just think - you're 2/3 of the way on total disassembly now, and the refit is DEFINITELY easier than the removal!!

Most people would have given up by now, cursing and calling the vehicle a heap of sh*t - But I imagine there are some parts on any vehicle of the P38's vintage that has some rusty bits that take forever to get apart!

You'll get there! :)

Cheers Marty, It still isn't apart yet. I have been holding one large sledge head against one side of the knuckle striking the opposite side with the small sledge. I also have a forked prong style ball joint splitter wedged in the top joint to add some influence. I can't get your splitter to fit the top joint. In the nearside the whole assembly dropped a bit when the bottom released giving space to get the splitter around the top joint.

I am going to see if I can find another splitter in work tomorrow, yours is pulling at a bit of an angle (hoping I haven't bent it further) so is loosing some of its influence.

On a more positive note the nearside is all cleaned up and reassembled now, with lots of graphite grease between the surfaces!

Cheers,

Smiler.

Actually, turns out the upper joint has cracked free. Still ne movement on the lower though...

I would love to get my hands on the Land Rover Tool which they say to use to get the hub carrier free from the ball joints...

If the top is free, then try putting the splitter on the bottom again, tensioning it up a bit, and then use 2 smaller lump hammers to hit each side of the lower carrier part at the same time (rather than holding one and hitting with the other) as I've found sometimes the force from being struck at the same time on each side is enough to shock it into popping free.

Otherwise, maybe a bit of heat might help, or worst case... a hacksaw!

I try'd swing both hammers (well the biggest one is just the head but it makes a fine bludgeoning tool) at the same time but due to the weights involved it's pretty hard to hit the target. I'll ask our workshops if there is anything they can do to straighten yours and restore its original strength, though they only have limited heat treatment facilities so don't hold your breath...

Splitter tools ? A bloody big hammer should give enough of a shock to get them out, especially if the tops cracked already,, if you have a fork splitter, wedge it in the top, then give the carrier a slap where the Balljoints goes through , it will come undone, just needs to be persuaded
Also try and grab a 32oz ball pen hammer, easier to swing, more power directed where you want it

Had a fork type splitter in the upper joint, it spat that out and smacked me on the chin (nice little cut).

Ouch ! I'm feeling sorry for ya,, most would of given up by now

Smiler wrote:

I try'd swing both hammers (well the biggest one is just the head but it makes a fine bludgeoning tool) at the same time but due to the weights involved it's pretty hard to hit the target. I'll ask our workshops if there is anything they can do to straighten yours and restore its original strength, though they only have limited heat treatment facilities so don't hold your breath...

I'm not overly bothered if not - it's a Sealey one, so not completely cheap rubbish, but not exactly expensive either - it's lasted pretty well given the number of vehicles I've used it on and how much force I've put on it...

The Land Rover one (from what I can see in the rough drawing in RAVE) looks like it is effectively boxed on the sides aswell to provide more vertical strength which is whats lacking from that one - once you start putting a lot of force on it, it just bends rather than is solid on 3 sides and puts that force onto the assembly.

I wouldn't worry if there isn't much they can do about it... if they can straighten it and even weld a couple of side supports on it to give extra strength then great.. if not, then I won't lose sleep over it!

Success! I borrowed a 'gert biggun' from the ground equipment section at work. It's more accustomed to being used on lorries but it did the trick. Went with one hell of a bang, as to be expected.
Remaining two ball joints now fitted and hub carrier mounted. Tomorrow evening will see the hub and brakes reassembled.

I'll have a word with workshops tomorrow regarding the tools.

Cheers,

Smiler.

Yay :) bet that was a feeling of relief when it cracked free...

Remember how I mentioned that press the ball joints themselves out and in would be the easiest/quickest part of the task ;)

I hope the rest of the reassembly goes well!

Cheers, I did give a little yelp for joy!

Good work!

Photo report now added to my diary thread in Retro-Rides:

Ball-Joints

Just scroll down a bit...

Looking good...

I'm liking the fact the P38 seems to be getting a good response from others...

Tempted to do a writeup on mine as I've done countless tasks over the lady 5 years... mostly all preventative, but think it would take me too long to write it all up!

Hope the rest of the rebuild work goes well and she passes the MOT!

Yeah, there are at least two forums now that are P38-positive :-D Good writeup and some good pics, too.

Ta very much, hopefully it'll help turn the tide a bit with the image of these old Rangies.

They aren't old? A Classic is old. The P38 is also the most reliable Range Rover. Classics rust away just about everywhere and the L322 has so many interlinked electronics a fault on one, seemingly unrelated, thing kills everything else so the car can't be driven.

I must admit though, I actually see at least 2 P38s a day when running around between Cambridgeshire and London (and that doesn't count my two and the other 3 that live in the same village as me). but I do clock up about 150 miles a day for work. So they aren't that rare.