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Exploding ball joint


Tony
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Scene: Mercedes Sprinter van front lower ball joint... These joints are "sweated" into the casting so this centre mimicked the method to remove the worn joint ready for the replacement.

 

What they didn't realise was the grease and air in between the knuckle and housing had nowhere to go so under massive pressure it exploded.....

 

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Fortunately the end cap fired down and hit the ramps flat bed. Nevertheless it hit so hard it dented the ramp and despite the violence of the explosion only one member of staff was hurt from flying metal fragments.

 

I think they were very lucky and this is a lesson learned.

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OMG :huh: could of been a lot worse if it had hit someones ankle/leg or kneecap....doesn't bare thinking about, workshops can be dangerous places to work in.

A typical example of a company that works on every car ever made..... You cannot forecast every eventuality. The chap in the centre that was hurt was some 20ft away, the metal fragment hit him on the cheek cutting it... It could have been his eye.

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