I was checking over my 2000 wrangler and I noticed that my right side lower ball joint was not fully seated in the c? I’ve been chasing a steering issue for some time now and was wondering if that will cause any stiffness or steering issues? It’s got a decent gap between the flange of the ball joint and the inner c… the other side is seated perfectly. I guess I just made a mistake but more importantly I just want to kno if this will cause any issues by not being fully seated? Thanks guys
Will it cause issues if my ball joint is not fully seated?
- Thread starter Joethrottle81
- Start date
If "the lower ball joint was not fully seated in the c", I'd think that would keep the steering knuckle too low and stop the upper ball joint taper from getting seated tightly in the steering knuckle. If the upper taper is seated maybe the C is bent?
Others may have more experience than me just guessing.
Others may have more experience than me just guessing.
Thanks I’m thinking that’s been my problem all summer. It has a really strange steering feeling . I’ve had I lined up two times. Caster and toe are correct and camber is within stock spec to. I’m thinking I just found my reason for the weird steering having. I’m gonna take it apart and look at it. It was totally my fault for not seeing it not pressing in fully so I can blame nobody but myself. Thanks for the input. No matter what I have to fix it . Thanks
Thanks mr blain.. I’m an idiot. I can’t believe i didn’t see that before I reassembled it. I guess I learn something new every day. Today’s lesson….. slow down and check over my work
thanks
If the upper pin wasn't seated on the taper correctly, you wouldn't drive it long or far before a terrible issue of some sort showed you there is a big problem.Thanks mr blain.. I’m an idiot. I can’t believe i didn’t see that before I reassembled it. I guess I learn something new every day. Today’s lesson….. slow down and check over my work
Didn't know that either. How common is that, the floating pin, in the rest of the automotive world? Is it done to compensate for the possible various tolerances between axle housing end and knuckles?
There is some method of vertical adjustment for all double taper pin set ups because it is almost impossible to get two tapered holes the exact same distant apart. All it takes is half a thou larger or smaller on one and you are forcing the two pins together or apart via something like the knuckle.
The early Jeep knuckles were fixed pins so they put a threaded adjuster in the lower hole that you threaded onto the pin with a little 4 prong socket. Ford has a floating sleeve on the upper for the F-450 style. You snug down the lower, then when you tighten the upper it pulls the sleeve down and then expands into the hole because it has a split in the bushing.
When I received my Spicer ball joints last time, they came with the threaded adjuster. I always wondered what they were for.
They have never not come with those since the application covers early YJ and XJ models which have that knuckle.
Ok I kno it’s been a few but I figured I’d update my situation with my tj. After a bunch of tests and goin over and over my Jeep I finally was fed up and brought it to a Jeep 4x4 shop 2 hrs away. They did all the same tests and agreed my jeepvwasvin great mechanical shape. The owner called me and said he’s like to change my ball joints… he said even tho they are new they seem to get tight with the Jeep on its own weight. So I said sure go for it. And bammmmm my Jeep is absolutely perfect. 4 inch lift on 35s and I’m loving this thing. I struggled all summer dialing it in. Shop after shop for alignments and I had 3 shops totally take me for a ride on the alignments. One shop didn’t even give me a printout of the alignment and I asked them why and they said we don’t print out our specs. So 399 bucks later I’m driving home and it was actually worse. There are a lot of shops in Massachusetts and nh that are so clueless with what they are doing and are ripping people off. Plain and simple. I even went to bandit off-road in Manchester and they took me for a huge expensive ride with very bad results. They even put in an old front bushing and ground it down and just set it in my front end and bolted it in. But I ended up goin to Steve’s jeep country in epsom nh and they nailed it! Awesome place with honest service. So now I’m very happy and my Jeep is a 80 mph highway driver with one finger and I can get to my favorite off road places too. Thanks for all the input u guys have me this past summer. It all helped. Thanks
my Jeep is absolutely perfect. 4 inch lift on 35s and I’m loving this thing. I struggled all summer dialing it in. Shop after shop for alignments and I had 3 shops totally take me for a ride on the alignments. One shop didn’t even give me a printout of the alignment and I asked them why and they said we don’t print out our specs. So 399 bucks later I’m driving home and it was actually worse. There are a lot of shops in Massachusetts and nh that are so clueless with what they are doing and are ripping people off. Plain and simple. I even went to bandit off-road in Manchester and they took me for a huge expensive ride with very bad results. They even put in an old front bushing and ground it down and just set it in my front end and bolted it in. But I ended up goin to Steve’s jeep country in epsom nh and they nailed it! Awesome place with honest service. So now I’m very happy and my Jeep is a 80 mph highway driver with one finger and I can get to my favorite off road places too. Thanks for all the input u guys have me this past summer. It all helped. Thanks
Wow! Good to hear you finally got it worked out.Ok I kno it’s been a few but I figured I’d update my situation with my tj. After a bunch of tests and goin over and over my Jeep I finally was fed up and brought it to a Jeep 4x4 shop 2 hrs away. They did all the same tests and agreed my jeepvwasvin great mechanical shape. The owner called me and said he’s like to change my ball joints… he said even tho they are new they seem to get tight with the Jeep on its own weight. So I said sure go for it. And bammmmm
399.....?
The alignment shop I go to only charges just under $60 for straight axle jeeps.