I've been hearing an odd popping noise under Indy that seems to keep getting worse. I inspected the A-frame ball joint and it's totally shot. I didn't want to worry about removing and replacing the ball joint in the existing fulcrum, so I ordered a kit from the UK with the ball joint already inserted into a new fulcrum. I also ordered the high articulation version since it was only a few bucks more.

I'll report back once it arrives and I've had a chance to install it.

DA1129ULTRA KIT W BOLTS

One of the major factors limiting the rear suspension movement on vehicles fitted with an A-frame is the standard ball joint. We have developed this part to provide significantly more articulation than the standard and most aftermarket joints. Others claim more articulation yet in reality they offer very little over the standard 30°.

This exclusive ball joint offers 45° movement in all directions. It is easily adjustable with a regular hex spanner and has a grease nipple for convenient regular maintenance.

It is supplied fitted in the mounting bracket ready to bolt to your Land Rover and this kit even includes the bolts to fit it!

 

I bought the TerraFirma kit, works great. Those two bolts holding the fulcrum in were an absolute nightmare to remove, I had to saw the ends off and bang them out with a hammer. So, good thing your kit came with extra!

I also had to saw the old castle nut off of the old ball joint. It’s so difficult getting that thing out with the tiny amount of room you have to get at it.

 

Will be interested to see how it installs for you. Rovers North sells a similar item i've had my eye on.

 

I hope it's a smooth installation. The bolts, nuts, and castle nut are rust free, but anything that's been in place for 25 years will be a pain to remove.

I ordered from lrparts.net. It was $70 including bolts + $44 shipping, so $114 total. Shipping costs have skyrocketed recently. The versions I found in the US were $160-$180 without bolts, plus shipping.

I ordered yesterday and DHL claims it'll be delivered on Monday. Pretty quick shipping from the UK.

 

My ball joint didn’t look rusty on the outside at all, until I attempted to remove the nut. Soaked it with trans fluid & acetone mix, still didn’t budge. It takes a 30mm socket I think, I used a
1 1/4 inch socket (a bit too big but worked) and a 6 inch extension with a breaker bar. I would heat it up real good and give it some whacks with a hammer and chisel to loosen it up.

The easiest way I found to pop it out after the nut was off was to put a jack right under the fulcrum and lift it.

Are you going to change the bushings at the end of the arms? No better time to do it. Even though I couldn’t get mine out for the life of me... I need a shop press.

There’s also this crazy thing I want to get next time.

 

I'm in the middle of replacing mine now. Fun! The castle nut came off easy 30mm wrench + a length of pipe. One fulcrum bolt came out no problem, the rear one won't budge! I hacked off the head and still nothing. So my next plan was to pull off the whole a-frame and whack it to death off the truck. One mount came off easy, the other is stuck! Next, I'm going to try some heat on the bushing mount bolt. If that doesn't work I'm going to hack that too and order replacements from Rovers North who has the fulcrum bolt/nut but only the bushing bolt w/o nut? PO provided me with the replacement bushing.

Castle nut 30mm
Fulcrum bolts 19mm
A-Frame bushing mounts 28mm (not a common avail size)
Soak everything for a week before you attempt.
Have heat avail (my next purchase)
Plan on it being a time suck.
Jack up the rear via the bumper for extra room to work.

 

After doing the lift kit and some other work on my truck, I have to say I’m a huge fan of CRC Freeze Off. Found it at the local AutoZone and figured I’d give it a shot. You have to used a lot of it but it worked on some nuts and bolts I was certain I’d have to grind or torch.

 

ononomos, I am replacing the bushings, too. NTC1773 I'm going to get a local shop to press the old ones out and the new ones back in for me. I don't have room in my garage for a shop press.

drivendesign, thanks for the tips on the wrenches/sockets. I've got the 30mm and 19mm, but I don't have a 28mm. I do have a 1 1/8" impact socket, and a 1 1/8" combination wrench. The interweb states that 28mm and 1 1/8" are equivalent. I'm also buying a pencil flame torch and striker. I have one of the torches below for roasting weeds in my yard, but that thing would light up the entire underside of Indy. :-)


BlackSpeed66, I'm going to purchase some of that CRC Freeze Off. I usually use B'laster, but I've read good things about the CRC. I've already been hitting the nuts with B'laster every day.

 

1 1/8 does work. I could only get the open side on the bolt (of course you cant fit the closed end around it) and it started to slip a lil so I didn't want to strip. Trying CRC tomorrow.

 

The upper ball joint and fulcrum just arrived from Liverpool, UK. I ordered on Tuesday, they shipped it on Wednesday and it was delivered today. We have mountain weekend plans, so this will have to wait until next week or likely longer. I just checked my parts stash and I have the bushings for the front radius arms NTC6860, but not for the rear upper links NTC1773. I now have to place another order.