Mark Allanson
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| posted on 10/11/03 at 08:31 PM |
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Anyone worried about balljoint strength?
We have a regularly recurring thread about the strengths of balljoints in various applications.
I have a Vectra GSi Estate at work which hit a wall at ???mph, impacting the N/S/F side, outboard of the chassis. The bodywork evaporated and the main
impact was to the roadwheel which buckled like a milk bottle top. The lower wishbone broke under tension at the front bush joint, the wheel pushed
back into the bulkhead, splitting it and partially entered the passenger foot well. The A pillar folded in and the whole safety cell distorted to the
extent that neither N/S doors would open. A large compression dent appeared in the roof and the front screen distorted and cracked.
The lower balljoint was totally undamaged in the accident, just a bit of reassurance for those using front wheel drive balljoints
 
Rescued attachment BalljointWorries1.jpg
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 10/11/03 at 08:33 PM |
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...and another
 
Rescued attachment BalljointWorries2.jpg
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 10/11/03 at 08:34 PM |
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.. even more
 
Rescued attachment BalljointWorries3.jpg
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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JoelP
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| posted on 10/11/03 at 10:01 PM |
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bloody hell that did have a bad day...
incidentally, if you use inboard suspension with rocker top wishbones then the load falls back onto the upper joint. quite irrelevant i know but
anyway...
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Peteff
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| posted on 10/11/03 at 10:12 PM |
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I had a nut strip off my bottom ball joint a couple of years back on a bumpy country road near home and I steered the car round the bend on 3 wheels
with the other one flailing about loose on the top balljoint at about 40mph. Put a new joint in next day but was very wary for a long time on left
handers.
yours, Pete.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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andyps
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| posted on 10/11/03 at 11:07 PM |
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My nearside lower ball joint failed just over a year ago - the ball popped out of its socket. Result was instant stopping and immobility - no steering
etc. Fortunately I was only going about 15 - 20 mph at the time so no major damage. I am very cautious about worn ball joints now though!
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 11/11/03 at 01:00 PM |
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..another one, very similar, again the balljoint is undamaged
 
Rescued attachment P1050010.JPG
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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theconrodkid
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| posted on 11/11/03 at 02:47 PM |
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you got plenty doners there mark
who cares who wins
pass the pork pies
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 11/11/03 at 07:54 PM |
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8 a day at the moment minimun, its mainly due to the level of the sun at going to work time. they cannot see for squinting!
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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