Was I Ripped Off

[corkymills]

just took my xantia for MOT and needed to replace a ball joint.Bought new ball joint from spares shop. Haynes manual says obtain special tool from citroen (you can`t get it). Tried to remove ball joint would`nt budge. Ended up replacing hub carrier assembly at a cost of £140.00p+vat.This came complete with ball joint(no nut thou)also hub and wheel bearing,so I replaced both sides+track rods at a cost of £400.00p.The ball joint would have cost me £29.00p.My question is why do they supply ball joints knowing you can`t get the old ones out and why does Haynes tell you to get a tool you can`t get.(Haynes manuals don`t seem as good as they used to).I think the xantia is a great car and I am very pleased with my 1998 1.9TD but if I want to pay through the nose I would take it to a garage(not a citroen one thou) thanks for your time....corky :angry:

[snuffy]

u can buy the ball joint socket iv'e bought 1 from halfords <_<

[snuffy]

i think the socket was a sykes pickavent one
<_<

[Johndouglas]

Lower ball joint is similar to the one on the BX. Most of the tool companies make a removal tool, but they're difficult to use in situ. Best to take the hub carrier off the car and put it in a bench vice.

[Joeblunt]

[quote name='corkymills' date='Mar 22 2003, 09:35 PM'] Just took my xantia for MOT and needed to replace a ball joint.

Replacing hub carrier assembly at a cost of £140.00p+vat.This came complete with ball joint(no nut thou)also hub and wheel bearing,so I replaced both sides+track rods at a cost of £400.00p.The ball joint would have cost me £29.00p.

If I want to pay through the nose I would take it to a garage(not a citroen one thou) [/quote]
Sounds to me like you ripped yourself off! :D

All you seem to have acheived is you increased your own expense from £29 to £400 by replacing parts the MOT garage obviously thought you didn't need to replace? :lol:

But you have paid through the nose but trying to take the cheap option? The Cheapest option is not always the best option. B)