A frame ball joint rubbber grease boot

[harro]

I have noticed that the rubber grease boot on the A frame ball joint on my Defender has perished.
Is it the same as the ones on the tie rod ends?
is it an off the shelf part?
Or do I have to get the whole A frame ball joint?:(

Comments appreciated.
Cheers,
Paul.

[uninformed]

taking a WAG, I suspect it is larger than the standard TRE rubber boot....could and off cut of bike tube or something do the trick?

[harro]

taking a WAG, I suspect it is larger than the standard TRE rubber boot....could and off cut of bike tube or something do the trick?

I am starting to think by the time I get it out I may as well replace the whole thing.
It is ten years old but no discernible play and certainly no clunk when driving.
I have done a bit of searching and found the replacement part (should have looked harder first:angel:).
So really just a cost of the boot vs new ball joint descision and of course I wont really know which way to go until I pull the ball joint out.

[uninformed]

If it is the OEM ball joint, I would replace it. I have been told that these flog out fairly quickly (say 150,000km) but are hard to tell when checking insitu. What ever brand you buy, get an adjustable, greasable type.

M R Automotive are one place that sell this type

Also, when did you last do your A Frame Chassis bushes?

[rick130]

Yep, you have to half pull it out to change the boot anyway, and you'll have to wash the joint out and re-pack with some good moly grease while upside down, and.....
I used to do this with the TREs and yet for the price of a new TRE, and the stuffing around buying boots from Bursons or Repco, why did I bother ?

I'd go a new HD adjustable one, (Bearmach are good) pretty cheap if buying from the right place, and I made mine greasable too ;)

MR in Brissy also make the really good Maxi-Drive ones, but they are quite a bit more exxy than the imported ones.

[harro]

Thanks for the advice ;).

Will look at those bushes while I am doing the job and also lots of versions of the ball joint available and huge variation in price.

Like the idea of a adjustable/greasable one so may just have to spend the money on a good one, not something I want to be doing again in a hurry.

Just another job on the 'to do' list.

Cheers,
Paul.

[wally]

Thanks for the advice ;).

Will look at those bushes while I am doing the job and also lots of versions of the ball joint available and huge variation in price.

Like the idea of a adjustable/greasable one so may just have to spend the money on a good one, not something I want to be doing again in a hurry.

Just another job on the 'to do' list.

Cheers,
Paul.

It's really not worth buying a cheap one. I did once and it wore out after the first drive (when I was driving the Battlecamp Road weekly).

[harro]

It's really not worth buying a cheap one. I did once and it wore out after the first drive (when I was driving the Battlecamp Road weekly).

Weekly trips on that road would kill just about anything:D

The corrugations that can form on that road have to be some of the worst I have ever seen .

Although I was once lucky enough to drive it straight after the grader crew had been through:)

Aahh well, a quality ball joint is is then.

Cheers.

[rick130]

[snip]

Aahh well, a quality ball joint is is then.

Cheers.

Bearmach adjustable from Karcraft.
You might be surprised at the price ;)

[harro]

Thanks Rick,
is there much in making it greasable?

[rick130]

The way I did it, yes.

I unscrewed the top screw, drilled and tapped it for a grease nipple, washed it out and repacked with my grease of choice, (I'm a bit anal sometimes :angel:) but it was packed with what looked like a moly grease anyway.

The problem with unscrewing it was that the threads were damaged by the distorted top that locks the screw in place (even after carefully knocking it back out true(ish) and so needed dressing to get all back together, so took far longer than needed.

If it was billable time, I could have bought a Maxi one....

When I drilled and tapped the TRE's I just used a dob of grease on the end of the bit and tap to catch the swarf as they went through, then screwed a grease nipple in and purged all the old grease out (they don't pack much in them from the factory:o)

[harro]

The way I did it, yes.

I unscrewed the top screw, drilled and tapped it for a grease nipple, washed it out and repacked with my grease of choice, (I'm a bit anal sometimes :angel:) but it was packed with what looked like a moly grease anyway.

The problem with unscrewing it was that the threads were damaged by the distorted top that locks the screw in place (even after carefully knocking it back out true(ish) and so needed dressing to get all back together, so took far longer than needed.

If it was billable time, I could have bought a Maxi one....

When I drilled and tapped the TRE's I just used a dob of grease on the end of the bit and tap to catch the swarf as they went through, then screwed a grease nipple in and purged all the old grease out (they don't pack much in them from the factory:o)

Thanks for that, might just save myself some $$ and have a go.

Cheers.

[rick130]

Forgot to add I made a tool up to undo and do it up too.

The slot is pretty wide and just laughed at my biggest screwdriver. :D

BTW, the Bearmach one is pretty beefy compared to the (Lemforder ?) original.

I'm sure the Maxi one is absolutely brilliant too, and would probably last forever.

[clubagreenie]

X-Eng make a very nice one. Knowing them you might be able to ask them to drill it for you. Alternately (or additionally) they might be able to supply spare boots as well.
X-eng High Performance Off-Road Engineering (http://www.x-eng.co.uk/x-store.asp?cmdSearch=Yes&txtSearch=Adjustable%20A-Frame%20Ball%20Joint) https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/917.jpg

For a tool for adjusting I use the SST for removing the S2/3 large slotted drain plugs on the diffs.

[rick130]

X-Eng make a very nice one. Knowing them you might be able to ask them to drill it for you. Alternately (or additionally) they might be able to supply spare boots as well.
X-eng High Performance Off-Road Engineering (http://www.x-eng.co.uk/x-store.asp?cmdSearch=Yes&txtSearch=Adjustable%20A-Frame%20Ball%20Joint) https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/917.jpg

For a tool for adjusting I use the SST for removing the S2/3 large slotted drain plugs on the diffs.

Si doesn't make them, he re-sells them and it looks suspiciously (exactly) like a Bearmach one to me ;)

[uninformed]

are these Bearmach 50% the cost of a MD ball joint from M R Automotive?

[rick130]

Can't discuss pricing on the board ;)

[Dockstrada]

This looks very similar and the price looks good.

Britcar (UK) Ltd > TRE76RS A FRAME ADJUSTABLE BALL JOINT HD (P) (http://www.brit-car.co.uk/product.php?xProd=183540)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Il be ordering one this week .

[rick130]

This looks very similar and the price looks good.

Britcar (UK) Ltd > TRE76RS A FRAME ADJUSTABLE BALL JOINT HD (P) (http://www.brit-car.co.uk/product.php?xProd=183540)

http://www.brit-car.co.uk/shopimages/products/normal/TRE76RS.jpg

Il be ordering one this week .

That's the Bearmach ball joint and part #

[harro]

A frame Ball joint manufacturing quality.

The following is a list of some available.
Some are adjustable, some adjustable/greasable and some neither.

The prices vary considerably so would appreciate some comments on value vs quality by people that have either used or have knowledge about any of them.

Maxi Drive
Delphi
Lemforder OEM
Quentin Hazel
Bearmach
Gwyn Lewis does an adjustable/greasable one but doesn't look like they export and it might just be a Bearmach one with a grease nipple?



Cheers,
Paul.

[wally]

I'm getting a good run out of Bearmach ones.

[clubagreenie]

Gwynn Lewis will ship overseas. Just call them, 16:30hrs here (sydney) is 07:30hrs there for reference.

[uninformed]

Maxidrive is adjustable and greasable, available in standard height or 25mm extended. I think they are made from hytuf which is very good steel. A phone call to M R Automotive could confirm this, as they are now the manufacturer.

Which of coarse means its a local product ...