Tim D. Posted April 27, 2017 Report Share Posted April 27, 2017 Ok so took the car for MOT... Failed on three things.. Headlamp aim... fair enough they are new headlamp bowls refitted after a respray.. BOTH top ball joints! Shows how awful these parts are... I rebuilt the whole suspension on a new chassis not more that 2 years and 4000 miles ago! Grrrrr!@@! Tim PS on the good side although the car seemed rough on the way over (it has just had a supercharger upgrade and have had no time to fettle). Then on the way back it was ace (I probably flooded it on startup this morning), amazing umph and fab noise! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted April 27, 2017 Report Share Posted April 27, 2017 Hi Tim, these people may be able to supply better boots etc www.balljointboots.co.uk/ Its odd how these top ball joint boots fail while sitting for long periods in garages but appear to last once on the road. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted April 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2017 Thanks Roger, Yes it is odd. Hopefully this should be the end of the last long layoff for the car. Up to this lay off I had got away with redoing bits over winter and driving in the summer, but this time it was for a respray that the guys I used took most of the summer to get around to it.. Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted April 27, 2017 Report Share Posted April 27, 2017 Hi Tim, these people may be able to supply better boots etc www.balljointboots.co.uk/ Its odd how these top ball joint boots fail while sitting for long periods in garages but appear to last once on the road. Roger I opened the box of a NOS one that I've had for 30-ish years to find the boot has crumbled into a pile of powder. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted April 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 Took the ball joints off and the rubber boots literally crumbled in my hand. Had the consistency of uncooked biscuit dough. The joints themselves look perfect. Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jamesStag Posted April 29, 2017 Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 Hi, just replaced the top ball joint rubbers on my car this week. The joints themselves were new in 2008, and yes now the rubber was all soft and cracked, rubbish! Renewed with those from the site Roger H suggested and seem to be good currently, just need to see what they're like in a few years time... Cheers J. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JJC Posted April 30, 2017 Report Share Posted April 30, 2017 It was the rubbish rubber components that set me off writing in TRAction many years ago. Some time later we got PQI thanks to Roger. The thing is the MG community in the USA solved the problem for themselves although I can't remember the details, too long ago. I just hope when all the dubious stock is eventually sold what replaces it is as the MG USA people specified. JJC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted July 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 Problems still persist.. Ok so swapped out the ball joints with prematurely perished rubbers with a new pair. These include grease nipples so can add lubrication when required.... or so I thought. Tried to grease the first one last weekend.. no chance, both of my Wanner grease guns refuse to inject grease into the nipple. Also discovered the nipple was loose and cannot be tiightened.. just turns (suspect the thread is shot)... shoddy shoddy parts... Cheers Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark69 Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 Mine didn't get as far as the road Roger before they perished. Mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
astontr6 Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Hi Tim, these people may be able to supply better boots etc www.balljointboots.co.uk/ Its odd how these top ball joint boots fail while sitting for long periods in garages but appear to last once on the road. Roger HI Roger! Its all down to the grade of rubber compound used! If the compound used was nitrile rubber with an anti ozone additive, you would not have these problems. This is what the original BL spec. called for! Bruce. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Hi Bruce, quite so. Sadly we are still at the mercy of the suppliers. They source items that are on the market and often have no control over the spec. If it is a new request from a supplier then there may be more control over the spec. We can only forward problems and tell, through these pages, what to avoid or where to get good items. We can only try. In another post I have mentioned a dip switch. Our normal suppliers stock what appears to be a universal item on UK cars manufactured throughout the 60's and 70's. The original item worked for 50 years (in my case) but new ones are very poor. They look nice but no quality control. I can't imagine our suppliers having much sway with the manufacturer. I rebuilt the old one and expect another 50 years from it. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
barkerwilliams Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Roger, Surely the TR's are not being singled out by the manufacturers and all classic cars suffer the same poor quality of particular items. You mention having no sway with the manufacturer / supplier but surely if Classic Car clubs unite, perhaps through something like the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs to focus on particular products then manufacturing will have to respond to market forces. Alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Hi Alan, you would certainly think so; but!! How many car clubs actively challenge the suppliers over parts quality - the answer is one - The TRR. For whatever reason the other clubs stand back. The PQI have had success in areas were we have challenged Moss, Rimmers TRGB and David Manners. However there are still many parts out there that we (PQI) either have not come across or have been fettled to fit. The FBHVC would be the ideal group to chase these parts up but then the problem would be magnified and beyond a voluntary concern. At least with the TRR we only have the TR's to worry about. Indeed a number of the parts are used else where - so good luck to the others that benefit. There may be an element of supplier QC that is not being applied. For small suppliers receiving their stock from a bigger supplier then QC can be done on the counter. But for that bigger supplier who is buying 100' or 1000's of items then QC should be at the manufacturer - maybe it is maybe it isn't !! Keep sending the PQI forms in http://www.tr-register.co.uk/pqi and we will do what we can. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HSM Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Just a point on ball joint dust covers they are available separately from motor factors. Harvey S.Maitland Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Hi Harvey, that is right and not expensive. These are probably slightly dearer but are good www.balljointboots.co.uk/ Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waldi Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Bruce has a good point. It may be worth informing if in the procurement specification of our key suppliers the ball joint gaitors are called: "rubber gaitor for ball joint xx" or " Rubber gaitor for ball joint xx, nitrile rubber with anti aging additives, xx shore" It starts with a correct specification, you will get what you ask, not what you hope for. Regards, Waldi Quote Link to post Share on other sites
astontr6 Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Hi Bruce, quite so. Sadly we are still at the mercy of the suppliers. They source items that are on the market and often have no control over the spec. If it is a new request from a supplier then there may be more control over the spec. We can only forward problems and tell, through these pages, what to avoid or where to get good items. We can only try. In another post I have mentioned a dip switch. Our normal suppliers stock what appears to be a universal item on UK cars manufactured throughout the 60's and 70's. The original item worked for 50 years (in my case) but new ones are very poor. They look nice but no quality control. I can't imagine our suppliers having much sway with the manufacturer. I rebuilt the old one and expect another 50 years from it. Roger Roger, I spoke to an English company called Bailcast who manufacture all types of rubber boots i.e. for CVs, drive shafts ,ball- joints and steering racks for the automotive-after market. I then asked them what compound do they use? They use a modified neoprene compound for flexibility which also contains an anti ozone and anti UV agents and they guarantee their mouldings for 2 years! I think this is where Moss s/b steered towards as my new steering rack boots have split after only 18 months!!!! I have ordered a set from my local motor factor and they were ex-stock from his supplier? They are also an ISO company! Bruce. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted August 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2017 Ok so had another look at the new ball joints. Removed the grease nipples that they were supplied with and replaced with some I had in stock. Low and behold they grease nicely. Not sure what was wrong with the supplied nipples. Cheers Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted August 17, 2017 Report Share Posted August 17, 2017 Hi Tim, nipples come in different sizes and both imperial and metric. Most grease guns will not cover a wide (or even small) range of sizes. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Bracher Posted August 17, 2017 Report Share Posted August 17, 2017 Hi Tim, nipples come in different sizes and both imperial and metric. Most grease guns will not cover a wide (or even small) range of sizes. Roger I managed to get grease into ones that were slightly too small for the grease gun I had, by putting a strip of bicycle inner tube (with a judiciously placed small hole) over the nipple before forcing the gun onto the end. Worked a treat!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted August 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2017 You learn something new every day. Interesting the new ones screwed directly into the hole left by the old one. The problem I had with the old ones was that pump wouldn't pump grease into the nipple. Nothing came out the sides so it seemed to be sealing ok. Still seems odd. Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.