Upper A-arm ball joint problem

[Jon Pike <jhpike@xxxxxxx>]

> It sounds like you got the nut started crooked.  I always start nuts 
> and turn them as far as possible by hand.  Do not use a wrench until the nut is 
> almost tight - or in the case of locking nuts, until it hits the locking 
> mechanism.  A castellated nut should tighten all the way by hand.
>       Or the threads could have been crap from the factory.  Again, turning 
> the nut down by hand should have disclosed that fact.
>       Put upward pressure on the top of the ball joint such that the spindle 
> will put pressure on the nut as you attempt to back it out.  Try to save the 
> nut and such as the seller will surely want that back to exchange the parts.
>
> Ciao,
> Russ Neely
> Oklahoma City
The one in question did tighten all the way up by hand.  I think I have 
an idea what happened.

You and Nick at Centerline suggested the use of separation force to get 
the nut to reengage threads..  I used the pickle fork and didn't have to 
get the Dremel out..  ;-)

I have to say,  Nick at Centerline was very helpful, and immidiately 
offered a replacement along with picking up the shipping charges.  I'll 
be sending the bad one back so they can evaluate.  Meanwhile,  I have 
looked it over tonight and here's what I've seen so far.

The one that failed seems to stick out a little farther in the steering 
knuckle than the replaced one,  which results in the nut starting to 
leave the threaded part of the shaft.  Also, the new one has a much 
larger cotter pin hole in the shaft, which means less thread surface 
left when you're on that section.

I think there were about 3 threads left when the end of the nut started 
to leave the threaded part of the shaft,  which lowered the remaining 
thread contact area, and put all the force on probably 1/3 less threads 
due to the cotter hole section, AND leaving mostly the castle part of 
the nut bearing most of the load. (also less effective thread area!) 
The nut was completly stripped out in the castle section,  carved up the 
remaining section, and might have bottomed out on the shaft itself 
(would be really good for stripping) but I have conflicting evidence on 
that.

I also might have gotten a tiny amount of the anti-seize I used on the 
threads,  not conclusive though.
It definately looks like the left's shaft end sticks out a bit more than 
the right, and a lot more than the original one, and that's probably 
most of the fault.  Nick suggested that this might be the case due to 
wear or whatever..  if that's the case he mentioned using a washer 
(suitably tough grade) to shim up the nut to a more centered part of the 
shaft.

When the replacement arrives I'll be looking most carefully at fit, and 
possibly be washer shopping..
I'll also report what Nick has to say after he looks it over.  He says 
that at Centerline they haven't been having problems with the FRAP 
adjustable A arms.

Oh,  and tomorrow I'll be taking my torque wrenches to work where a co 
worker who has a couple of recently calibrated ones will bring hers and 
we'll do some comparison testing.. 
Jon  (hopefully no longer torqued off in Irvine) (and got the wheel 
bearing repacking done, the oil pump reassembled and test mounted it and 
the front cover on the engine, too!)
77 Spider
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