Replacing ball at end of wishbone

[stan35]

Hi guys-A good friend of mine has a '36 Phaeton. He would like to know the best way to change the ball at the end of the wishbone radius rod. He also would like to know the best way to remove the dog bones on the front shocks. How do you remove the shock arm connecting the lower fitting and remove the tapered ball fitting. They won't tap out cold. Any advice is appreciates. Stan.

 

[Karl Wolf]

Hi guys-A good friend of mine has a '36 Phaeton. He would like to know the best way to change the ball at the end of the wishbone radius rod. He also would like to know the best way to remove the dog bones on the front shocks. How do you remove the shock arm connecting the lower fitting and remove the tapered ball fitting. They won't tap out cold. Any advice is appreciates. Stan.

If you mean to change the rubber, that would be easy- undo the cap, cut the old one off. Use a bit of lube, compressed air through the small hole in the back of the rubber, push it on.

If you mean to change the steel ball, I would weld it up and grind it round.

Saving the dog bones? hard to do on the ones I've seen. Maybe a pickle fork.
I think I've used a hammer and a brass drift- with a nut on the threads. Unbolt the shock. do the shock end on the bench.

Karl

 

[jake197000]

use a small 2 jaw puller on the dog bones.take the nut off and screw it back on,but not tight so you dont mess up the threads

 

[SofaKing]

I used a $12 pitman arm puller from O'Reilly and PB Blaster. It has a fixed flange with notch at the bottom so no clearance problems like my 2 jaw puller. Hammering on a houdaille shock with its precision internals may cause damage. I am with Karl on the ball end, nothing precision there, easier to add a little than to cut it off and replace.

 

[woodiewagon46]

If you can get a copy of the "Model A News", the magazine put out by the Model A Restorers Club, there is an article on how to replace the ball. It's very involved and requires a machine shop to do the job. As others have suggested, welding and filing may be your only option. If it's only the rubber you are replacing, follow Karl's post.