A few weeks ago my son (Steve) & daughter-in-law (Pam) were involved in a near miss when the weld on the pitman arm replacement ball failed. They were on a four lane highway and drifted into the opposite lane where three cars were coming at them at 55 mph. One went around them on the left, the other two on the right. a fourth car stopped in front of them to prevent anyone else from hitting them while they pushed the "A" to the side of the road. This "A" CCPU was borrowed from a friend because Steve is in the process of restoring his '30 Town Sedan. The PU was purchased oin 1985 and no work had been done on the pitman arm since then.
They day before this incident, Steve had this PU on his hoist for lubrication and general inspection. He even commented afterward that he looked at the pitman arm because he had heard of previous failures. It looked good on the surface.
On close inspection of the failed arm it was noted that the weld was just a suface weld about as thick as a dime. There was no chamfer in the hole or on the shaft end to allow for good penetration. And there was no weld on the inside end (ball side) of the shaft. Upon inspection of the remaining three balls it was noted that these were also not welded properly. This was all corrected by having them rewelded by a certified welder.
My reason for telling this is to save anyone from having this same problem. I know this has been discussed many time before, but it is worth repeating. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE STEERING BALLS ON YOUR "A", PLEASE INSPECT THEM OR HAVE THEM INSPECTED. It is easy to tell if the balls have been replaced by welding in a new ball stud. If it has, you must remove the drag-link and the tie rod to inspect the inside end of the ball stud. This stud should also be welded on the inside. if it has not been welded, take it to a certified welder to have this done. Do this for your safety and the safety of your loved ones (also for those that may be involved if a welded ball should fail).
I presented this message at our last Model "A" Club meeting. I also volunteered to help with the inspections and offered the use of my hoist for easier inspection.
I give thanks everyday that Steve and Pam are still with us. Someone was surely looking out for them that day. Don/WI
They day before this incident, Steve had this PU on his hoist for lubrication and general inspection. He even commented afterward that he looked at the pitman arm because he had heard of previous failures. It looked good on the surface.
On close inspection of the failed arm it was noted that the weld was just a suface weld about as thick as a dime. There was no chamfer in the hole or on the shaft end to allow for good penetration. And there was no weld on the inside end (ball side) of the shaft. Upon inspection of the remaining three balls it was noted that these were also not welded properly. This was all corrected by having them rewelded by a certified welder.
My reason for telling this is to save anyone from having this same problem. I know this has been discussed many time before, but it is worth repeating. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE STEERING BALLS ON YOUR "A", PLEASE INSPECT THEM OR HAVE THEM INSPECTED. It is easy to tell if the balls have been replaced by welding in a new ball stud. If it has, you must remove the drag-link and the tie rod to inspect the inside end of the ball stud. This stud should also be welded on the inside. if it has not been welded, take it to a certified welder to have this done. Do this for your safety and the safety of your loved ones (also for those that may be involved if a welded ball should fail).
I presented this message at our last Model "A" Club meeting. I also volunteered to help with the inspections and offered the use of my hoist for easier inspection.
I give thanks everyday that Steve and Pam are still with us. Someone was surely looking out for them that day. Don/WI
