MUST HAVE BEEN FAULTY

Just a few images of the broken ball joint thread , something i would not have thought possible.
My Very strong young Trainee told me that it must have been faulty. can you see what the cause was? hint 24 inch stilsons involved.
The replacement joints were on the bench at the time, unfortunately I was not supervising..
What words would you use on being told that it was "faulty"

Whos your apprentice, Eddie Hall?!

blimey

no hot hammer used then

I'd say, "NO -- not like that you muppet"

Heat would have been the answer and running a cutting blade up the 'split' first.
Mechanical sympathy, you can't teach it ....

Pic of new and old ball joints shows the ball joints are different.

If that's a normal tubular rod I'd have bet on the tube spinning long before the forging sheared.

Do not be cross at your trainee, when those ends are that hard to part then even using heat to free off, then often the rust has chewed the threads inside and although a new end will screw in given that the steering rod is a main safety item I would not reuse.
Reason the forged end broke is because the position he had the stilson on the tube is where the thread is inside, so he was just twisting the rod to its sheer point. Strong lad, could be handy. [ at times]

I prise the split at the ends open a bit with a small lever, which lifts part of the inside thread in the bar off the thread on the ball joint. Then run lots of fluid into the gap, leave it for a bit, and then put the bar in a vice and use the Stilsons.

Usually shifts em.

Hammer the tube against something heavy, another hammer/vice/anvil etc works to free the rust up.
Heat also works, BUT you must wait for it to cool fully before undoing otherwise you will pull the threads, you have to paint the area after wards as testers get upset when they see steering components have been heated.

lynall said:

Hammer the tube against something heavy, another hammer/vice/anvil etc works to free the rust up.
Heat also works, BUT you must wait for it to cool fully before undoing otherwise you will pull the threads, you have to paint the area after wards as testers get upset when they see steering components have been heated.

Click to expand...

Back in the 80s, my mate worked in a Land Rover Dealer as a mech.

And they weren't allowed to heat the rods. If they wouldn't undo with penetrating fluids and force, they had to replace the rod and ball joints.

No one’s mentioned the reverse thread?

other thing to notice is that going by where those grip marks are the rod was being gripped where the threaded part extends down the rod so something had to give! I confess I Coppa-slip everything threaded (then use lock washers or locknuts) to minimise such unpleasant events later.

yep his grip position was clamping the thread as well as him tightening it