i recently had my car mot'd and it failed on a few things but the thing that is most getting me down is the outer ball joint now i am getting the part at the end of the month but how do i out it on

gavin burns, December 2008

I assume you mean the track rod end on the end of the steering rack - if so here we go! There is a lock nut on the rack that tightens up against the ball joint. Undo this one complete turn (360 degrees). You will need to loosen the nut on the bottom of the ball joint a few turns and then 'break' the joint preferably with a ball joint splitter. You can then remove the bottom nut completely and unscrew it from the rack.You can now replace it with the new one. If you're using a genuine part you should be able to screw it on to the rack until it touches the lock nut and then back it off one turn so it is in exactly the same position as the old one. Tighten the bottom nut and then tighten up the lock nut that you started with. Hey presto! If you're planning on keeping the car a while I recommend you buy a Haynes manual - it has all this stuff and pictures to help as well!

Richard, December 2008