Check your drop arm ball joint

[CraigE]

If you have not done recently check the drop arm ball joint. This one looked the best out of the 4 ball joints but ended up being the worst. The other 3 all had perished boots but still had grease in them. The drop arm ball joint was just dust no grease and these are supposed to be greased for life. Why I have fitted ones with grease nipples and drilled and tapped one into the drop arm ball joint.

[67hardtop]

Had to do mine...https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/02/279.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/02/280.jpg

Not a nice job when its this bad.

Cheers Rod

[Young Angus]

Yikes! That's some good dust.

(sorry that's a useless contribution I know haha)

[Bearman]

Looks like lots of water has been trapped in there Rod.

[67hardtop]

Thats the way i got it. Glad i checked it...lol

[JDNSW]

I've had to replace mine once in 625,000km, so they are not a frequent failure item. But any damage to boot will let in water, and the damage may not be all that apparent.

[CraigE]

I've had to replace mine once in 625,000km, so they are not a frequent failure item. But any damage to boot will let in water, and the damage may not be all that apparent.
John,
The one in mine had no damage to the boot at all and as said actually looked the best of the 4. Inly 220,000kms
Cheers
Craig

[simmo]

I recently replaced all 4 boots on my steering, they don't take long to do, about 20 minutes each, as soon as one of them gets cracked I just replace them all, they look like natural rubber, so they don't last forever.

I scoop out the existing grease, and repack them generously with molybdunum disulphide grease. The little rubber boot is about $8 from memory.

If you look at them each year you'll notice them deteriorating. Its better to keep on top of them than have to replace the ball joint. I also spray the steering rods adjustment threads with Lanotech or fleece grease while Im there, to they don't seize together with corrosion.

cheers simmo.