ivoryjohn
Senior Member
My car just got Flathead Ted's brakes and a new engine. When the car came home it had a new kind of wheel wobble not induced by bumps. The old girl wobbled real badly on the left front wheel and it started from a dead stop and continued to about 15mph. It was bad enough that people pointed it out to me as they drove passed, as if I didn't know.
We checked the usual complaints, wheel bearings, tire pressure, toe-in, drag link tie-rod adjustment, and loose bolts on the steering box. As the engine had been out I asked if the Wishbone had been dropped and it had not. Still, I wondered if the cupped washer I had at one time installed been removed. I drove it home 85 miles and had no problems except when I dropped my speed to 10mph or so.
When I got home I dropped the wishbone and sure enough the washer was missing. I cupped a new one, folded a new piece of washcloth to to place on top of the ball and buttoned it up. Problem solved! No wobble either caused by bumps or from a stop. Why...? Before you jump in I got 4000 miles out of this set up before this.
How is it that a half sphere piece of metal .074" thick placed in the bottom cup of the assembly makes any difference and solves so dramatic a problem?
Common sense says to me the piece shim should be on the back of the ball to increase the camber angle of the axle. My ball is worn noticeably on the top and has worn smooth shoulders on either side of the ball, left and right. Wouldn't it seem reasonable that the shim would replace the worn on top area as the bottom of the ball seems okay. Go figure?
Lastly I looked at the replacement balls available and marvel at it. If a simple .074" thick washer placed in the right place solves the problem Imagine how deadly accurate a welder would have to be to get that replacement ball in the exact right place, at the exact right angle and length to work as it is supposed to work.
We checked the usual complaints, wheel bearings, tire pressure, toe-in, drag link tie-rod adjustment, and loose bolts on the steering box. As the engine had been out I asked if the Wishbone had been dropped and it had not. Still, I wondered if the cupped washer I had at one time installed been removed. I drove it home 85 miles and had no problems except when I dropped my speed to 10mph or so.
When I got home I dropped the wishbone and sure enough the washer was missing. I cupped a new one, folded a new piece of washcloth to to place on top of the ball and buttoned it up. Problem solved! No wobble either caused by bumps or from a stop. Why...? Before you jump in I got 4000 miles out of this set up before this.
How is it that a half sphere piece of metal .074" thick placed in the bottom cup of the assembly makes any difference and solves so dramatic a problem?
Common sense says to me the piece shim should be on the back of the ball to increase the camber angle of the axle. My ball is worn noticeably on the top and has worn smooth shoulders on either side of the ball, left and right. Wouldn't it seem reasonable that the shim would replace the worn on top area as the bottom of the ball seems okay. Go figure?
Lastly I looked at the replacement balls available and marvel at it. If a simple .074" thick washer placed in the right place solves the problem Imagine how deadly accurate a welder would have to be to get that replacement ball in the exact right place, at the exact right angle and length to work as it is supposed to work.
