Possible Howe ball joint problem ?

[gearheads78]

After reading a few threads about ball joint failure and ball joint torque I decided to go back an torque my ball joints to recommended specs. The plan was to pull the cotter pins and loosen the nuts torque and put it back together. Well as I loosened the top the spring pressure was just pushing the spindle right off as the nut went down. I checked the bottom and I had to use a puller to separeate as I think I would have to. I took and magic marker and colored the top ball joint and snugged the nut up pretty good this time with no spring pressure. Loosen and it fell apart by hand and you could hardly see any of the marker rubbed off.

My spindles are off a 67K mile car that still had original ball joints so I did not think there could be a worn spindle problem. I called Macus at SC&C to see if maybe I got a misboxed part. Since I am running a Chrysler bolt in ball joint I thought maybe I got a Chrysler stud unstead of a GM stud.

He was thinking a may have got Gbody studs based on what I was telling him and had me measure some things for him. I called back with the measurement and he said I do have the right Abody stud. He thinks I have a worn spindle and would fix them for me for next to nothing just have to box them up and wait for shipping turn around.

I was about to pull them up to box them up today and decided to check with a couple of other spindles I had laying around. Now I have 4 spindles with the same issue on these ball joints. I decided to pull off the rubber hose that goes on the stud and noticed this. I can slide the spindle up the stud and it easily bottoms out on the step of the stud. See attached picture.

I can't call Marcus today so I was wondering if anyone else has run in to this? Is the stud taper machined too short or do I really have 4 baddly worn original GM spindles?

[David Pozzi]

Do you have an original upper ball joint to compare to?
Lucky you found out before it broke!!!

[gmorris]

I had the same problem was crappy aftermarket spindles. Just chamfer the top edge of the hole about 1/8" and you will get full contact on the taper. I had to re-cut my tapers on my "brand new" chinese spindles.

[gearheads78]

Do you have an original upper ball joint to compare to?
Lucky you found out before it broke!!!

I do somewhere but they are burried. Anything that does not have directly to do with this car is burried in boxes in my shed. I was lucky to find the spindles as quick as I did.




I had the same problem was crappy aftermarket spindles. Just chamfer the top edge of the hole about 1/8" and you will get full contact on the taper.

I thought about that but was not sure if it would have enough clearance or not. Thanks for the tip.

[Marcus SC&C]

You can`t have the wrong studs, we only have the X-tall ball joints gfor GM. They were made specifically for that application and CNC machined to exactly GM specs. They act as a go/no go gauge for spindles. If the shoulder it bottoming out you can chamfer the top of the tapers and restore a tight fit but your spindles are oversized for factory GM specs. It doesn`t matter how many miles they have on them it only matters what the mike reads. It`s not uncommon for the spindle specs to vary,that`s why we mention it in the in the instructions. :) At any rate it`s a 5 min. fix. Chamfer the holes a bit,confirm proper fit and you`re done. Mark SC&C

[gearheads78]

You can`t have the wrong studs, we only have the X-tall ball joints gfor GM. They were made specifically for that application and CNC machined to exactly GM specs. They act as a go/no go gauge for spindles. If the shoulder it bottoming out you can chamfer the top of the tapers and restore a tight fit but your spindles are oversized for factory GM specs. It doesn`t matter how many miles they have on them it only matters what the mike reads. It`s not uncommon for the spindle specs to vary,that`s why we mention it in the in the instructions. :) At any rate it`s a 5 min. fix. Chamfer the holes a bit,confirm proper fit and you`re done. Mark SC&C

Thanks for taking the time to reply Mark. Just wanted to be sure before I modified anything.

[David Pozzi]

I think the stud should have a longer taper to give you some leeway on spindle hole depth.