chimaera front ball joints

[georgie19]

Can any one help. Need to know what car the front ball joints come off. Dont think TVR would have had the made exclusivly for themselves. Thanks George

[haircutmike]

Check this out.

http://www.parkersteve.dsl.pipex.com/chimaeraparts...

Peter.

[chrispitman]

You are best getting these from a TVR spares place.

The propper TVR Top ball joint is very small compared to the one you can source from the local motor factors, and when fitted gives the wrong camber as there is not enough movement. (Been there and done it tried all my local factors)

The bottom one is also a standard part but machined down to fit in the wishbone, so again better off just getting the correct part from TVR Place.

[STEV8E]

I fitted these recently, no problems at all.

http://www.thetvrshop.com/TVR/Parts_details/TVR%20...

[Timja]

I got mine from a local motor factors and it was half price of any TVR specialist and fitted fine.

[WOO5IE]

Try Mike on

"[e-mail]" <[e-mail]> I dont think you will find any cheaper and its no VAT

Trev

[spend]

WOO5IE said:

Try Mike on

"[e-mail]" <[e-mail]> I dont think you will find any cheaper and its no VAT

Trev

I think Mikes' given up doing that , but do try him he may have some stick left.

MikeyV wherever you are

[v8sag]

haircutmike said:

Check this out.

http://www.parkersteve.dsl.pipex.com/chimaeraparts...

Peter.

The lada bottom ball joints in this list are not correct, neither are the part numbers quoted.I would buy from a reputable TVR parts supplier as there has been catastrophic failure with a few aftermarket manufactures where the housing has fractured.

The top ball joint QH QSJ1004s is the correct fit.This is a saab 99 and 900 part,other equivilent aftermarkets may fit however you may have to use 3mm spacers to both sides of the wishbone instead of the 6mm oe packer due to the housing being wider.

Edited by v8sag on Wednesday 27th January 14:00

[Jonny cobra]

Give Clever Trever site a look .

JC

[georgie19]

Thanks guys.As mentioned in the replys the alternate part list which quotes the larda QSJ768s is wrong,I too hae been there!!! My local guy is now ordering in some QSJ767s for me to look at. Ive down loaded the Quinton Hazel catalouge (free from their web site)and this one also looks like the one fitted to my Chim,will know more when I compare it to my old one. Will make sure I check the ammount of articulation is correct.Top ball joints QSJ1004s also on order, sounds like this one will be ok but will be checking it out. Will let you all know how I go on.
Has anyone tried tubular bottom front wishbones? I am looking to get some made buy a local engineering company who has a lot of experience in wishbone manufacture. Should be stronger,come with polly bushes and work out cheaper than the cut and pressed ones. Any one interested in a pair (bottom front only) let me know.Should have something to take a pick of in 2/3 weeks

[ekim]

Tvr power list them on there web site and they dont seem to expensive either

[penno]

The bottom ball joints are from a fiat 124 (lada) if I remember correctly. Top ones are from a saab 900 the newer type means that you have to have the two thinner spacers either side to get the camber ajdustment. The larger one that TVR fitted means the ball joint doesnt go back far enough Clevor trevor sell the two thinner spacers cheap enough

http://www.clever-trevor.net/part/60/upper-ball-jo...

[spend]

Some of us a few years ago acquired Lada joints that fitted, but in hindsight we were just lucky.. Whether somehow they got TVR ones by mistake or what is a real mystery. Many folks were filing out the holes to make Lada joints fit assuming this was what everyone has done. I even tried ordering various different Lada joints (different manufacturers) and none of them matched although I had got some that did earlier (thank god for factors not charging for the service ).

There has also been much argument whether Saab 99/900/9000 for the top, I certainly got some Saab pattern parts that fitted exactly the same as the originals, and I'd be in trouble if they were different since the wishbones I converted to don't use any spacers!

Your factors will have patterns, take your old ones and try and match, then compare very carefully (exactly) before you are happy. If you can't be arsed with going to that trouble pay the extra and get them from one of the reputable TVR suppliers, simple really

[shpub]

The other problem with the bottom joints is that some of the parts have a reduced amount of movement. OK for a Lada or whatever but not for a TVR. As a result several cases of total ball joint failure have happened. Imagine the wheel coming off at 60-70 mph and you get the picture.

TBH it is not worth taking the risk.

As for tubular wishbones... bear in mind that the suspension setup is designed to bend in an impact so that the chassis is not bent. Strengthening the wishbone means that a small "relatively low cost to sort out" impact could result in chassis damage/bending which would probably write the car off.

[Red Cabbage]

shpub said:

The other problem with the bottom joints is that some of the parts have a reduced amount of movement. OK for a Lada or whatever but not for a TVR. As a result several cases of total ball joint failure have happened. Imagine the wheel coming off at 60-70 mph and you get the picture.

TBH it is not worth taking the risk.

I have had problems with limited articulation on the bottom ball joints causing the suspension to lock up under full droop and making camber adjustment interesting.

I believe Keith at Clever Trevor was looking into getting some bottom balljoints custom made. Worth giving him a call, after all safety is worth the extra cost.

[georgie19]

God this seams a nightmare! Not given up yet!.This started as a brake disc renewal during the winter months and then thought why not clean up the wishbones etc! Bottom wishbones not very pretty and so on!!!!Very much like the midas touch, everything you touch turns to dust. But worth it when my son first had a drive having just bought a bmw M3 thingey said "God this good Ive got the wrong car!!!!" Ha Ha!!!!

[Chuffmeister]

Any update on this? I was looking at sorting my suspension when I get back to the UK.

I totally get the bottom ball joint articulation argument and one of mine was an advisory on my last MOT, so is due for replacement. However, is there a decent cheaper replacement for the top ball joints? May save a few squid.

[ukdj]

Dan Taylor does them at around £25 iirc

[neutral 3]

I'm having the same camber problems with my one. There is an invoice in the cars history file for a new left top ball joint from circa 2003. I started fitting new front top and bottom wishbones as soon as I bought it in May 10 as they were very corroded and the bushes were worn.
I Set the camber by eye to what looked liked slight negative camber, with the large ball joint shim at the front and I dropped the top joint as far back as it would go ( it hits the front edge of the wishbones rear edge )

I bought a pair of new top ball joints early last year from my usual And very helpful TVR parts supplier and fitted the right one ( see photo ) Botg of the new top ball joints look
identical in shape etc to the left top one that was fitted years ago.

The handling of my one has been shall we say " Scary " for a while and I suspected it needed an alignment check / adjustment and very likely the rear toe in was excessive.

Took it to Supertyres in Maldon and the front camber is very positive ! And as suspected the rear toe in is excessive, particularly on the near side, the beast feels very over steery / as if it's going to snap out side ways. They sugested the only way to get the front camber back to negative camber is to grind back the new wishbones, which I'm not too keen on doing.

I didn't realise that 2 thin shims are available, but by fitting these, won't the Castor be out ??

Also the finish on the white powder coated wishbones is shocking. My car hasn't seen a wet road for years, but the 3 replacement white wishbones are all starting to corrode !! The Grey colored lower left one ( Steve gave me a new one when I bought it from him ) and which I fitted first back in summer 2010 is corrosion free ! TVR appear to have changed the wishbone and chassis color circa 1997 from the original better finish grey to the pearl grey / white powder coat, which just doesn't last.

Edited by neutral 3 on Tuesday 28th July 10:11

Edited by neutral 3 on Tuesday 28th July 16:51

[J400GED]

Try TVR Powers - Tel: [phone]
Their upper balljoints allow you to achieve -ve camber without chopping the wishbone about and the spacer(s) in the correct position.
Hope this helps,

Ged