How to make your ball joints last an awful lot longer.

[Jim Archer]

That is not to say these things don't last, 290K showing and still on the original lower ball joints and trackrod ends - though the left side trackrod has a wee bit of slop that is getting changed this week - this despite being driven 'firmly' down forestry/farm tracks and country lanes - if you are going to get stuck, get stuck 'cos you've over done it

Jim

[dumper]

I’ve only known of one old guy who’s actually done it used to come in our local club but he was a bit of a odd ball the last car he did it on we a 2012 focus.

[andypdq]

I have a 1998 VW Passat, 320 thousand miles, it has four link front suspension, it's been in the family since new. The original parts lasted to about 200,000 miles till the ball joints failed, you really can't complain. Once they need replacing, you have options, genuine, parts, roughly £1000 to replace the front suspension, or aftermarket, at £150 ish, you're lucky if the aftermarket ones last 10,000 miles, add the greasers and they last considerably longer, wield the gease gun every three months or so, it works out to be less effort and expense than not doing it. Just hoping my experience might help someone who can be bothered to put in the effort, it's a lot less work and expense to grease than it is to replace.

[andypdq]

That is not to say these things don't last, 290K showing and still on the original lower ball joints and trackrod ends - though the left side trackrod has a wee bit of slop that is getting changed this week - this despite being driven 'firmly' down forestry/farm tracks and country lanes - if you are going to get stuck, get stuck 'cos you've over done it

Jim

Hi Jim, that reminds me of my 4X4 trials days, the better your machine is, you can go further, until you get more stuck than the opposition.

[gotgcoalman]

Lolz guess what

IMG_20230525_131244.jpg

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[gotgcoalman]

No amount of ky jelly on a regular basis would have saved this

Spot the broken one.

IMG_20230526_163120.jpg

IMG_20230526_164232.jpg

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[dumper]

Yes when the boot gone it’s a goner but saying that the Leyland tiger had adjustable ball joints they had no boots .

[gotgcoalman]

And........
They did away with them because they worked too well

No money in adjustable stuff that lasts

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[andypdq]

I have a 1944 Morris C4 artillery tractor, everything is adjustable, greaseable and replaceable, extraordinarily well engineered for something that was likely to survive for few hours.

[andypdq]

Yes when the boot gone it’s a goner but saying that the Leyland tiger had adjustable ball joints they had no boots .

I remember working on old AEC buses, AEC Reliance chassis if I remember correctly, they were built to last if anything was. Nothing like that now.

[MinorMatt]

I have a 1944 Morris C4 artillery tractor, everything is adjustable, greaseable and replaceable, extraordinarily well engineered for something that was likely to survive for few hours.

When did you get that?

[andypdq]

My grandfather bought it about 1950 something, WW2 surplus, actually he bought two one LWB and one SWB the remainer is the SWB. My dad converted it into a loading machine to collect horse manure from racing stables, a Shawnee back actor modified to lift, rather than dig, replace the petrol engine with a Gardner 4LK with home made adaptor plate. Don't be scared to use your brain and modify. Some of that rubbed off....

It's the 4x4 model, double helical gears, or herringbone gears, in the transfer box, no side thrust, so well engineered, where do you see that today?

[andypdq]

Whoops, typo, it's a Morris Commercial C8.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_C8