Off the road already!!!
Discussion
Car just failed its MOT 'coz there is too much play in the NSF bottom balljoint.
The car was serviced by Plans on 13/7/07 at 35066. When I bought it from Humpy there was 35900 on the clock. Theres's now 36900 on it. So within two months and less than 2000 miles since the service the ball joint has gone from OK (assuming Plans checked it!) to absolutly shot to pieces. I'm surprised
.
Question 1 - Should I be?
(by the way this is not a dig at Humpy, - he wouldn't have known, it wasn't noticeable through the steering and the car hasn't really been pushed yet)
I have received the new ball joint from Kerridges this morning (very impressed with their service, I only ordered them yesterday at 15:00!!). Problem though.
The old one sat in the wishbone and bottomed out on the shoulder leaving just enough room to fit the retaining circlip. On the new balljoint, once it is seated there is a gap of approx 5mm between the bottom of the ball joint and the circlip. Also the O/D of the new ball joint is 50mm, the wishbome housing is 49mm.
Question 2 - Have I got the wrong ball joints? The O/S wishbone has had the ball joint replaced and this also has the 5mm gap. :scratchin:
Unless someone tells me I've got the wrong ones, I guess I'll have to machine down the body of the ball joint and make some 5mm spacer rings to take up the gap to make sure they cannot dislodge themselves.
Any help gratefully received - need the car back on the road asap. Don't want to miss the activity day.
The car was serviced by Plans on 13/7/07 at 35066. When I bought it from Humpy there was 35900 on the clock. Theres's now 36900 on it. So within two months and less than 2000 miles since the service the ball joint has gone from OK (assuming Plans checked it!) to absolutly shot to pieces. I'm surprised
. Question 1 - Should I be?
(by the way this is not a dig at Humpy, - he wouldn't have known, it wasn't noticeable through the steering and the car hasn't really been pushed yet)
I have received the new ball joint from Kerridges this morning (very impressed with their service, I only ordered them yesterday at 15:00!!). Problem though.
The old one sat in the wishbone and bottomed out on the shoulder leaving just enough room to fit the retaining circlip. On the new balljoint, once it is seated there is a gap of approx 5mm between the bottom of the ball joint and the circlip. Also the O/D of the new ball joint is 50mm, the wishbome housing is 49mm.
Question 2 - Have I got the wrong ball joints? The O/S wishbone has had the ball joint replaced and this also has the 5mm gap. :scratchin:
Unless someone tells me I've got the wrong ones, I guess I'll have to machine down the body of the ball joint and make some 5mm spacer rings to take up the gap to make sure they cannot dislodge themselves.
Any help gratefully received - need the car back on the road asap. Don't want to miss the activity day.
Noblescort said:
Car just failed its MOT 'coz there is too much play in the NSF bottom balljoint.
The car was serviced by Plans on 13/7/07 at 35066. When I bought it from Humpy there was 35900 on the clock. Theres's now 36900 on it. So within two months and less than 2000 miles since the service the ball joint has gone from OK (assuming Plans checked it!) to absolutly shot to pieces. I'm surprised.
Question 1 - Should I be?
(by the way this is not a dig at Humpy, - he wouldn't have known, it wasn't noticeable through the steering and the car hasn't really been pushed yet)
I have received the new ball joint from Kerridges this morning (very impressed with their service, I only ordered them yesterday at 15:00!!). Problem though.
The old one sat in the wishbone and bottomed out on the shoulder leaving just enough room to fit the retaining circlip. On the new balljoint, once it is seated there is a gap of approx 5mm between the bottom of the ball joint and the circlip. Also the O/D of the new ball joint is 50mm, the wishbome housing is 49mm.
Question 2 - Have I got the wrong ball joints? The O/S wishbone has had the ball joint replaced and this also has the 5mm gap. :scratchin:
Unless someone tells me I've got the wrong ones, I guess I'll have to machine down the body of the ball joint and make some 5mm spacer rings to take up the gap to make sure they cannot dislodge themselves.
Any help gratefully received - need the car back on the road asap. Don't want to miss the activity day.
Chris - ball-joints do tend to go and if it hasn't been replaced before, and with 35K on the clock I guess the answer to Q1 is No, not a surprise.The car was serviced by Plans on 13/7/07 at 35066. When I bought it from Humpy there was 35900 on the clock. Theres's now 36900 on it. So within two months and less than 2000 miles since the service the ball joint has gone from OK (assuming Plans checked it!) to absolutly shot to pieces. I'm surprised
. Question 1 - Should I be?
(by the way this is not a dig at Humpy, - he wouldn't have known, it wasn't noticeable through the steering and the car hasn't really been pushed yet)
I have received the new ball joint from Kerridges this morning (very impressed with their service, I only ordered them yesterday at 15:00!!). Problem though.
The old one sat in the wishbone and bottomed out on the shoulder leaving just enough room to fit the retaining circlip. On the new balljoint, once it is seated there is a gap of approx 5mm between the bottom of the ball joint and the circlip. Also the O/D of the new ball joint is 50mm, the wishbome housing is 49mm.
Question 2 - Have I got the wrong ball joints? The O/S wishbone has had the ball joint replaced and this also has the 5mm gap. :scratchin:
Unless someone tells me I've got the wrong ones, I guess I'll have to machine down the body of the ball joint and make some 5mm spacer rings to take up the gap to make sure they cannot dislodge themselves.
Any help gratefully received - need the car back on the road asap. Don't want to miss the activity day.
Q2 - Hmmm sounds wrong. Have you tried Wiki for Ball joint number to confirm if you got the right one?
Having done a bit of research (rang Gary at CHR) apparently the bottom ball joints were Peugeot parts. Peugeot later changed the size slightly which is why there is a mismatch with the original ball joint sized wishbone. He said you can sometimes find the original ball joints at motor factors if you are lucky.
He said that to make the one you have fit, you need to machine the collar of the ball joint down to fit into the wishbone carrier and get a (shim?) washer made to fill the gap between the circlip and the casing – I’m afraid it’s all Chinese to me…
He said he would be happy to talk to you about it if it helps. He also said if you don’t want to do it yourself, you can send him the wishbone and ball joint and he will get it done for you and can have it turned round quite quickly. Call or PM me for contact details if you need them.
Hope this helps…
He said that to make the one you have fit, you need to machine the collar of the ball joint down to fit into the wishbone carrier and get a (shim?) washer made to fill the gap between the circlip and the casing – I’m afraid it’s all Chinese to me…
He said he would be happy to talk to you about it if it helps. He also said if you don’t want to do it yourself, you can send him the wishbone and ball joint and he will get it done for you and can have it turned round quite quickly. Call or PM me for contact details if you need them.
Hope this helps…
Thanks guys.
I happened to find a bit of 50mm round steel bar in a box of stuff in the corner of the garage and there's a lathe lurking there too! So I blew the dust off it and spent the evening in the garage modifying the ball joint and making shims.
Now all back together and back on the road. Just need a re-test and off we go again!
Special note of thanks to Humpy for going out of his way to help nurse his old car back to health - much appreciated (you know you're gonna have to buy another one).
I've got all the dimensions now and would be happy to make the shims and mod the ball joints for anyone else that needs 'em.
I happened to find a bit of 50mm round steel bar in a box of stuff in the corner of the garage and there's a lathe lurking there too! So I blew the dust off it and spent the evening in the garage modifying the ball joint and making shims.
Now all back together and back on the road. Just need a re-test and off we go again!
Special note of thanks to Humpy for going out of his way to help nurse his old car back to health - much appreciated (you know you're gonna have to buy another one).
I've got all the dimensions now and would be happy to make the shims and mod the ball joints for anyone else that needs 'em.
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