question about Passenger Side LCA salvage purchase

[140cilx]

and my question is, how do I replace or patch the dry-rotted boot? Suggestions?

And, the grease inside, it's unusual, not lithium I don't think, but white/creamish. It didn't have water in it.

How can I check the Ball Joint to make sure it is tight? It feels like it...but is there a real way?

Side note: I suspect it is low mileage, but the interior and basically any salvageable part off the car was long gone. It was a drivers side impact, possibly roll onto the driver side. It had been there so long in the JY that I had to work around a 6" diameter tree that was growing just next to the ball joint. The only way you could tell it was an svo was the upper wing hatch holes and these LCA's.

[90lx86svo]

As long at the little button in the bottom of the ball joint is flush or lower (convex) it is still good. Thanks to Lon for the tip. Motion Dynamics has urethane replacement boots.

Bud

[Ken Potter]

I'd love to see pics of the button both ways ( good and bad ) as I'm going up to the same place this Saturday and may buy all LCA's he has left. I also found boots in the "Help" section at Autozone. They're rubber not urethane and just slide down over the shaft.

[lonchair]

The wear indicator on my control arms (with 51K miles) are currently sticking out (protruding) and the ones on a salvage set I have are flush, if not sucked in a little bit (recessed). I'll see if I can get some pics, but it won't be before Saturday.

[140cilx]

thanks for that good info...what makes the "button" (or wear indicator) push out exactly? If Lon's looks worn at 51k, seems hard to imagine finding one that would not be like that already.

And we're talking the bottom side where a grease zirk should be, but is not - correct?

Anybody have any info on putting new lubricant into it? What to use as lubricant is a big question to me. And how to apply it in the case of a zirk not present. I'm guessing the metal cap on the bottom is probably not thick enough to tap and add a zirk.

[Ken Potter]

Since the SVO ball joints were never meant to be servicable they never had grease fittings as far as I know. I believe they were the first "low friction" ball joints? It's been awhile since I took one apart but I believe the shaft rides on a nylon insert? In my usual obsessive manner I cleaned mine up and wiped some wheel bearing grease and then pushed the new boot over it just to keep any water / dirt out. I did the full rotate of the shaft first to check for binding or flat spots of course. All was cool so I installed them and haven't had any problems.

[lonchair]

Originally posted by 140cilx
thanks for that good info...what makes the "button" (or wear indicator) push out exactly? If Lon's looks worn at 51k, seems hard to imagine finding one that would not be like that already....

I think you miss understood me. The 51K mile car's ball joints are looking fine by the wear indicator. My salvage yard ball joints of a 100K plus milage car show wear, but are still usable.

What would be good is to get a measurement off a realy lowmilage (less than 100 miles) car or NOS set of control arms and see how much the wear indicator protrudes out when new.

[sweetwm]

Wear indicator

Lonchair, if you will post a photo of the wear indicator on the control arm in question, I will make a photo of my 26 mile 86 SVO and post on this thread. Not sure of exactually what part of the contro arm you are referring to as I have never replaced a control arm????

Bill Hatfield

[Wizard191]

I, too, would like to see some pictures of this because I was looking over my ball joints this weekend and found that the boot on one of them is torn and the other is dry rotted pretty good.

I found the replacement boots on Motion Dynamics site but how do I install them?

[Wizard191]

Thanks a lot Mike! It makes me feel a little better now knowing that the indicator is supposed to poke out a *little* even on good ones.

I, too, was wondering if the gap in the indicator would compromise the ball joint.

[SVOeric]

140 -- as someone mentioned -- the ball joints were never meant to be serviced --

the grease in the boot is there only to help repel water... any good quality grease will do fine, and don't cram it full, (it probably won't hurt nothing, but could make a mess) just a good thick bead around the shaft that goes all the way out to the housing should do just fine.