Thread: Ball Joint modification

NICE job, I'm lazy - I would have just bought the Maxi Drive one!!!

LRH

Originally Posted by LRHybrid100

NICE job, I'm lazy - I would have just bought the Maxi Drive one!!!LRH

I could have just replied, "I'm tight - I repaired the old one", but I did it mainly because I needed the vehicle back on the road immediately.

the money you saved can now be spent on other things and even better
it worked

What is the maxi drive unit worth??

About $165 from Graeme Cooper

or....

Originally Posted by vnx205

I have spent some time trying to get rid of the dreaded rear end clunk on my Defender. Slack in the diff seemed acceptable and there was very little play anywhere else in the drivetrain. First step was replace the worn A frame ball joint, but that didn't seem to solve the problem so I replaced all the rear suspension bushes and bolts.
The problem was actually the replacement ball joint, but I've solved the problem and the Defender is clunk free for the first time since I bought it 5 months and 25,000km ago.
The replacement ball joint looked like a good design with the top screwed down to adjust for wear, but the material and workmanship didn't look all that flash. I went ahead and fitted it and it now appears that it failed almost immediately.
The thread for the big screw at the top stripped, so while I thought I had a nice new tight ball joint, what I actually had was huge amounts of play.
I discovered the problem while fitting the new bushes, so I modified it and appear to have solved the problem and still have the ability to adjust it when it wears.
I fitted a plate to hold the top bit in place. It is bolted in using the existing holes. The holes weren't threaded all the way through, so I had to use a tap to extend the thread. I fiitted a nut under the plate and tightened it against the ball joint fitting to stop it working loose. I reckon it is a better design than the original. It's still adjustable, but shouldn't fall apart.
I don't know if I was just unlucky to get a ball joint made by the work experience kid in some Taiwanese factory, but the thread looked pretty sloppy even before I fitted it.

Allan, nice to see a fellow South Coaster on the Forum, I live at Moruya Heads.
I am interested in what you have done with the ball joint, did you buy it from Land Rover, seems very poorly made (balljoint), does the original have that groove across the adjusting screw, do you place spacers on top of the adj. screw to get play out, has the nut completely stripped, if so does the top plate you added seal in the grease, does it have a grease nipple, cant see in the photos, good job, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by Tank

Allan, nice to see a fellow South Coaster on the Forum, I live at Moruya Heads.
I am interested in what you have done with the ball joint, did you buy it from Land Rover, seems very poorly made (balljoint), does the original have that groove across the adjusting screw, do you place spacers on top of the adj. screw to get play out, has the nut completely stripped, if so does the top plate you added seal in the grease, does it have a grease nipple, cant see in the photos, good job, Regards Frank.

The ball joint came from Four Wheel Drives in Melbourne. I have bought quite a few parts from them since 1983 and this is the only item that was of very disappointing quality.
The one I took off, which I guess was the original one was not adjustable.
The thread was stripped enough that I could lift the screw out with my fingers.
I didn't need spacers because I adjusted the preload on the ball joint with the two bolts that went through the top plate. I can screw the top plate down a bit more later if it wears. The locknuts stop it moving.
I thought about a grease nipple, but was a bit pushed for time. I probably should have added one. However, there is a very thin O-ring at the bottom of the adjusting screw, so that should keep in the grease that is already there. I smeared some silicone around the top of the big screw to try to keep water, dust and mud out of the ball joint.