Radius Ball

[petew]

Can anyone tell me the proper measurement spec for a radius ball ?
Mine has a rubber ball on it . I want to pull it apart and measure before deciding how to proceed.

 

[Joe K]

The ball is 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

Stick the ball and the bottom of the wishbone in hot (maybe boiling) water for half an hour - you should be able to get the rubber ball off without ruining it.

You may find the rubber ball was a "quick fix" for a ball worn in the original configuration, or you may find the original configuration has been "upgraded" by a previous owner leaving the original ball nearly intact.

Repair is best done with a "hollow ball" pressed on and tack welded in place. Others sell a "loose ball" you cut off entirely and carefully position and weld back on.

Some particularly artful weldors "build up the ball" and grind back down to the 1-1/2".

And others put the rubber ball back and keep driving....

I've used both the original and the rubber ball and see no appreciable difference in driving/road handling - provided it's a "tight" connection.

Joe K

 

[nkaminar]

Joe, My offer to trade my horse for your Model A still stands.

 

[rotorwrench]

They can have some wear and still function. If the end looks like a Q-tip then it will need repair.

 

[petew]

"You may find the rubber ball was a "quick fix" for a ball worn in the original configuration, or you may find the original configuration has been "upgraded" by a previous owner leaving the original ball nearly intact".
Joe K it appears you were correct.
I took the rubber ball off ,measured the radius ball with a caliper and got 1.470 top to bottom and side to side so still a circle and only worn .015 on each side.
Had a new original style ball mount kit that I put on with plenty of grease and went for a ride.
The results were that a light shimmy I had when coming to a stop was gone and I swear it steers better .

 

[Rob Doe]

Petew, I may be off. If so, others will correct me, but I seem to recall that a light shimmy as you are coming to a stop is sometimes uneven braking on the front.

Have you checked for free play in your bearings, spindle bushings, toe in, etc?

 

[Joe K]

Now the downside of the original - take it down annually and check condition. Technically the brass/copper part will wear first, leaving the ball nearly intact.

Ford did a lot of design engineering anticipating "after-care." That was the machinery world they lived in (think "sight feed lubricators.") Not like today at all with our "greased for life" existence.

There is a general aphorism lurking around those last two sentences somewhere. I'll be derned if I can figure out where it applies to life and where it can be overlooked.

I don't think I'm alone in the conundrum.


Joe K

 

[petew]

Petew, I may be off. If so, others will correct me, but I seem to recall that a light shimmy as you are coming to a stop is sometimes uneven braking on the front.

Have you checked for free play in your bearings, spindle bushings, toe in, etc?

Well the change back to the original ball and mount did away with the little shimmy that had been present. It’s all gone now .

 

[1932chevy]

I made a radius gage and will be be welding and grinding the shape back