Had to perform a ball joint replacement to get a blue slip.
Here's how it's done:
1. Get new ball joint. It is an integral part of the lower control arm. Cost me $48.
2. Raise and support the front of the vehicle - or only one side if you prefer. USE AXLE STANDS.
3. Remove the wheel.
4. Remove the split pin and nut that secures the sway bar to the lower control arm. Remove both sway bar mounts from the front panel and lower the sway bar. (I left the other side connected.)
5. Remove the bolt that secures the ball joint.
6. Remove the bolt that secures the lower control arm.
7. Lever the ball joint from the hub assembly. Mine was worn, and came out easily. You may need to jack up the hub on the brake caliper.
8. Bend/wriggle/pull/twist/heave/lever on the lower control arm to remove it from its mount.
9. Bend/wriggle/push/twist/grunt/hammer the new arm into its mount and loosely secure with it's bolt. This takes a bit to align up perfectly.
10. Fit the ball joint to hub. This was difficult as it was a tight fit, and the angles did want to align correctly. I undid the hub from the strut mount and maneuvered it to line up. (Be careful of the brake line). I put the jack directly beneath the ball joint, and had to hit the top of the hub assembly (the bit that mounts to the strut) with a hammer to get it home.
11. Ensure the ball joint is inserted just enough to allow the retaining bolt to be fully inserted. I had to keep testing for fitment until it was just right. Too far, and it would have been difficult to back off the ball joint.
12. Refit hub to strut
13. Torque all mounting bolts.
14. Refit sway bar (with new split pin).
15. Refit wheel.
16. Lower, and away you go. I guess a wheel alignment would also be required.
Took me about 45mins. The hardest part was getting the lower control arm out, and fitting the new one to align the bush with the holes.
