JWM front suspension top joints

After 7,000 miles one of the rubber boots on the front suspension top joints has split.

Whilst it's not a serious problem, it can be an MOT issue in the future. So, I decided to get replacement top joints from Jack Webb Motorsports. These are a better quality item, they don't use boots, and are very easy to remove from the upright to adjust the camber. I decided to try and fit them myself, as follows.

The main issue is getting the original top joint out. This is difficult as the taper on the joint is well lodged into the upright. Having got the front of the car on 2 axles stands, this is what we're faced with.

First thing is to remove the rubber boot, which I did with a chisel, and remove the lower nut. Then we need to use a ball joint splitter tool to force the unit out of the upright. I got this from Halfords.

One problem was that the black bolt was too long for the space in the upright, so required shortening by 10mm with an angle grinder. Having done that you can wedge the top into the space where the rubber boot was, and then tighten until the joint 'pops' out of the upright. This took quite a lot of force !

With the old unit removed, it was straightforward to fit the new one.

This has a bolt through the joint that allows very easy removal to adjust the camber (by screwing the head in / out of the top arm.

I set the camber to approximately 1 degree 20 minutes negative using a right-angle. I booked the car into Elite in Rainham to accurately check this and reset the toe angle (which should be 0 degrees and 20 minutes toe-in).