Needed: Front suspension part, bottom link strut

Blueman

Blueman

Member
I am doing the front suspension of my 3500, and have found that the bottom link strut, RH sideball joint is worn.
The strut is the one with the ball joint at one end and a bush at the other.

Does any one have a spare of this, or do you know where to get one. I have tried Rover Classics and Wadhams and Allrovers.

I really hope that anyone of you can help.

Ragnar H.
 
Hi, I've just asked about this, cos I slightly damaged the thread on mine getting it off, the balljoint splitter slipped. Anyhoo, I managed to repair it.

Rich Moon at P6spares has got a decent one, quoted me £30 + postage, (JR Wadhams want £75+vat + postage). I've had stuff from him before, no rubbish, very helpful, decent fellow. Don't know about shipping to Norway though..

His E-mail is as follows:- rich@richmoon.demon.co.uk

Website: http://www.p6spares.co.uk
 
Thanks a lot. :D

The rest of the suspension will be tight as new, with new springs, shockers and bushes all over. It would be a pity to miss one spot. :roll:

Ragnar H.
 
I got one from WINS last year, can't remember how much, around £20 I think

Not available new so a good second hand one will have to do
 
This item (both sides) for the V8 is the most prominent on my NLA (No Longer Available) list. There are a couple of people doing refurbishments with non original design machining of the ball joint, but in very small numbers. Ian at Rover-Classics may be able to persuade one of these back garden machine shops to produce one, or Alan at Classeparts. But don't hold your breath, both producers are essentially doing it out of the kindness as a part time retirement hobby!!!

Bearing in mind that this is an MoT failure item, this is a serious situation! Prizes for anyone able to suggest a way forward - I haven't come up with one as yet.

Chris
 
Surely there must be a suitable similar sized threaded ball joint off the shelf that could be fitted into a fabricated lower arm?

Simon
 
The problem is that on the V8 the bottom arm is very subtly cranked - hence they are sided - and of course terminates at the other end in that whacking great bush onto the chassis. So you are going to have to either re-use the existing arm somehow or manufacture new complete. If you try to cut off the existing ball joint and then thread on a track rod end with a similar taper it is going to be impossible to get both the length right and the orientation relative to the chassis bush and crank right. One or the other but highly unlikely to get both!

The only way I can think of to do it is to cut off the chassis bush and thread it a-la track rod end onto some plain bar. Then thread an appropriate track rod end onto the other end. You then have opposing screw threads, so you ought to be able to get both length and orientation right. But then you've lost the crank. Is that important?

The same problem will eventually occour with the 4 cyl arms, but at present there is still new stock. They are of course slightly longer than the V8 because the chassis rails were moved out to accomodate the V8 engine. This means that the 4 cyl has longer effective length bottom wishbones than the V8 and hence less camber change with spring compresion. (Thats good - and bad for the V8!).

Chris
 
One solution would be getting the ball joint replaced by specialists like these guys:
http://www.balljointrestorers.co.uk
According to the website, they charge 46 pounds each.
I don't know of anyone who's used them, but I'd be surprised if they're the only place offering such a service.

The crucial thing is to keep hold of your old, worn-out link arms to send for refurbishment if/when NOS ones become unavailable.
 
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