Hello dear DIY mechanics! In this video, I'll show you how to replace the ball joint on a Renault Trafic, identical to the Opel Vivaro and Nissan Primastar.
Ball joints are heavily stressed components that eventually wear out. You may not notice it directly, or only indirectly when they develop play, but it's flagged during vehicle inspections because a ball joint is a safety-critical part. Therefore, let's go ahead and replace it.
Before we begin, a reminder that you're performing this at your own risk, and I'm not liable for any vehicle damage or injuries. This video is intended as a helpful guide.
The procedure is the same on both sides, and I'll demonstrate it using the right side as an example. To replace the ball joint, you need to jack up the front of the car on both sides. It might work with only one side lifted, but that creates tension on the axle and it makes things more complicated. I placed the car on two sturdy wooden blocks because the bolts were extremely tight, so that I had to use long levers, and car jacks would have been too wobbly for my safety.
Once the car is secured against rolling and jacked up, you can remove the wheel. The ball joint is located down here between the hub and the steering knuckle. It's attached to the hub with 3 bolts and to the steering knuckle with a large nut. All of these need to be loosened. Some penetrating oil beforehand is definitely helpful. Even with that, I had to use a 1-meter-long lever. But in the end, I managed to loosen all the nuts. I recommend starting with the large nut, which was a 24mm if I'm not mistaken. It also holds a bent metal piece that you have to push to the side a bit to be able to counter the three bolts . All of this is not easy, but it's doable, so don't give up! Once they're loose with the long lever, you can use a ratchet and a wrench from the top to counter the bolts.
To replace the ball joint, you need to push the steering knuckle down; a bit of hammering helps too, and then the joint practically falls out. After cleaning the contact surfaces a bit, you can install the new ball joint in the same way.
Tighten the bolts really well to prevent anything from coming loose. Once you've done that, you're basically finished. It's recommended to have the wheel alignment checked or adjusted since the new ball joint could affect the wheel's position. Some say it's necessary, others say it's unnecessary. In this case, it's up to you whether you go for alignment or not. I had it done because I also replaced the tie rod end and experienced steering wheel vibrations afterward, so I couldn't avoid alignment. There's a video on my channel about the tie rod end as well.
After putting the wheel back on and lowering the car, you're done! Congratulations on a successful ball joint replacement! I hope this video and my explanations were helpful. As a small acknowledgment for my work, a thumbs up, a comment, and a subscription would make me very happy!
Now, enjoy your time wrenching, saving workshop money, and I'll see you next time. Goodbye!