[DeTomaso] machine ball joint to modify alignment

[Julian Kift]

I have heard various amounts that can be safely milled off of the balljoint before breaking through to the ball, most of those quoted values are around one hundredth of an inch. It might be wise to practice and determining the safe limit on your old joint prior to milling the new one.

 

Julian
 
> From: cengles at cox.net
> To: boyd411 at gmail.com
> Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 17:09:09 -0500
> CC: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] machine ball joint to modify alignment
> 
> Dear Boyd,
> 
> First: machining the upper ball joint mount will not change the
> camber. The camber is changed by moving the upper ball joint in or out
> along the channel of the upper a arm where the ball joint mount sits. OK,
> so the upper ball joint mount sits in the channel of the upper a arm and
> moves in and out to adjust camber.
> 
> Second: machining the upper ball joint mount will change the
> caster. Machining it requires removal of the upper ball joint mount and
> removal of the ball joint. A machinist then removes from the rear edge
> of the mount a small amount of material, say five-hundredths of an inch.
> You then replace the upper ball joint mount in its normal upper a arm
> channel, but you can now shift it rearwards five hundredths of an inch.
> That movement is maintained by placing five-hundredths of an inch of shims
> in front of the mount to provide snug fitment. Replace the bolts and the
> new rearward position of the mount by our theoretical five-hundredths of an
> inch provides a rearward tilt of the vertical axis of the front wheel, which
> will add, perhaps, one or two degrees of Positive caster. Positive caster
> is a good thing.
> 
> The rearward tilt of the wheel axis can be obtained by the
> modified front upper ball joint mount; by physically modifying the upper a
> arm; and by modifying the front upper and lower a arm bushings----or by a
> combination of techniques. They all have advantages and disadvantages, but
> all produce the desirable increase in positive caster.
> 
> I hope this makes sense.
> 
> 
> The Rookie Mechanic, Chuck Engles
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
> Behalf Of boyd casey
> Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 4:49 PM
> To: De Tomaso List
> Subject: [DeTomaso] machine ball joint to modify alingment
> 
> Can some one out line the procedure for machining the ball joint to improve
> or increase the caster or camber available while alignment on a 73 Panteras
> suspension.
> Please explain the process and the principal if you know and can take the
> time to explain it. Thanks,
> Boyd
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