After removing the disk, undoing the stabiliser bar from the control arm and tie rod end, all I have left to do is to remove the strut. With a lever I have been trying to prise the strut from the control arm but it doesnt budge, even with brut force. Anyone experienced this, I'll try again tommorrow but I think I might need a rattle gun to help shock it out. Anyone had this problem, cos the damn thing does not budge?

a rattle gun wont help you, you need to break the taper on the ball joint you need a big hammer and some patience

Yeah balljoints are pricks. Mick

or you can heat up the ball joint, this will expand it and make the strut assembly easier to remove or use a hammer and a brass punch, and spray some wd 40 around the ball joint and let it penetrate down in the hole good luck

This is the biggest prick of a ball joint I have ever encountered. Im going to try to split it now. Thanks for your suggestions guys.

Well after all that I finally got it off. Just in case anyone in future has problems seperating the control arm from the strut even after a heavy bashing here is what I did: Basically removed the control arm and radius rods from the chassis and drop the whole unit out, then on the workbech you can seperate them and check the ball joint. I dont think I would recommend an extreme bashing.

how did you get the radius rod out of the chassis, i tried it one day and it was incredilbly hard to move

Quote: Originally Posted by Jazza how did you get the radius rod out of the chassis, i tried it one day and it was incredilbly hard to move Used a 24 mm (I think its 24 from memory) socket an a breaker bar and the nut wasnt too dard to undo. You may have had troubles because there are rubber washers at the radius rod/chassis end and when you try to undo you get a rebound effect. With the breaker bar it should come. It also depends if the prick who had the car before you over torqued the nut!!!

nah getting the bolt off was no worries, used a rattle gun for that but actually removing the rod from the bush in the chassis is what i meant

Quote: Originally Posted by Jazza nah getting the bolt off was no worries, used a rattle gun for that but actually removing the rod from the bush in the chassis is what i meant Yeah that required a bit a leverage to pull out, it took two people to lever and pull it out. Occasionally it needed a bang with a hammer. I think my situation was the opposite of yours, hard to remove strut from the control arm but easy to remove the radius rod from the chassis.