Radius ball cap washer?

[JayJay]

Bert's and Bratton's both sell a spacer to insert into the radius ball socket to compensate for wear on the radius ball. Has anyone tried one of these and be willing to share experience? I have a radius ball that is worn just to the point that the two halves of the socket touch, but no play up and down. This looks to me to be something that might offer a bit of time, and I like this idea a lot more than the rubber ball idea.

The ball measures 1.459" high x 1.491" wide, so it's worn about 0.041" (looks like a nominal 1.5" ball). 0.020" spacer top and bottom would restore geometry. I don't know how thick these spacers are.

I realize that the full fix is a ball replacement, and I'll be looking for a wishbone to do it to. But this would keep the car on the road while I do so.

Thanks.

 

[Gary WA]

Bert's and Bratton's both sell a spacer to insert into the radius ball socket to compensate for wear on the radius ball. Has anyone tried one of these and be willing to share experience? I have a radius ball that is worn just to the point that the two halves of the socket touch, but no play up and down. This looks to me to be something that might offer a bit of time, and I like this idea a lot more than the rubber ball idea.

I realize that the full fix is a ball replacement, and I'll be looking for a wishbone to do it to. But this would keep the car on the road while I do so.

Thanks.

I made one out of a fender washer many years ago and is still working good! Same idea!

 

[alexiskai]

I have one in my ‘29 coupe, works fine. No steering issues.

 

[Synchro909]

I tried one and found it to be useless. It didn't stay in place on the ball - it slipped under it so I took the A frame out and welded the washer to the top of the ball and kept on welding till I could reshape the ball to the required 1 1/2" diameter.
It seems to have worked well but I still have problems there. The bell housing is so worn that the bolts are too low by far for the pin that goes through the slot in their heads is way above them. The round hole where the top cup locates in the bell housing is so flogged out that nothing stays in place for long. A new bell housing or an expensive repair of my current one are the only options as far as I can see but RHD bell housings are like rocking horse $#!T.

 

[Bob Bidonde]

I have the cup washer in my Victoria because the radius rod ball is worn. The ball should be 1.5" diameter. I made a cup washer and placed it in the joint at the bottom of the radius rod ball. Wear of the radius rod ball affects the caster of the front axle which should be 5 degrees. I have driven about 2000 miles with the cup washer in the radius rod ball joint and I do notice any adverse effects in the steering & tire wear.

 

[JoeCB]

It seems like, since the vertical location of the ball affects caster angle, placement of any shim should be on the top of the ball, thus increasing / restoring the caster angle.

Joe B

 

[Synchro909]

It seems like, since the vertical location of the ball affects caster angle, placement of any shim should be on the top of the ball, thus increasing / restoring the caster angle.

Joe B

That was my thinking when I put the washer on top but it slipped under the ball. I then built up the worn part of the ball with weld and reshaped it to 1 1/2" diameter to retain the caster angle. All good in that regard but the bell housing is extremely worn. By rights, I should find another but they don't grown on trees. I'll have to figure out how to repair this one.

 

[JayJay]

That was my thinking when I put the washer on top but it slipped under the ball. I then built up the worn part of the ball with weld and reshaped it to 1 1/2" diameter to retain the caster angle. All good in that regard but the bell housing is extremely worn. By rights, I should find another but they don't grown on trees. I'll have to figure out how to repair this one.

Does it make any sense to drill a couple of holes in the shim and plug weld it to the ball, that way keeping it from rotating? It seems like others have not had the rotating issue the way Synchro has. (Maybe the shim was just seeking its rightful place "down under" when it's down under. I know, dad joke.)

 

[Synchro909]

Does it make any sense to drill a couple of holes in the shim and plug weld it to the ball, that way keeping it from rotating? It seems like others have not had the rotating issue the way Synchro has. (Maybe the shim was just seeking its rightful place "down under" when it's down under. I know, dad joke.)

The washer ended up nothing more than filling material in the weld I put on all over the worn area. It was BADLY worn! Once I had enough steel back on the ball, I made a 1 1/2" washer like gauge to check my progress as I gradually shaped the ball back to round and to size. That part of things is fine - it's just that worn bell housing that causes trouble.