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Originally Posted by ryanheacox
I know I'm in the minority but I don't see much wrong with using the rubber ball setup. When I had mine apart a couple months ago the rubber ball was still in decent shape and it was at least 20 years old. Upon inspection of the radius ball itself I found it was in almost perfect shape and I'm sure that it's at least partially due to the rubber ball. I've seen a lot of egg shaped ones here on the barn from years of metal on metal contact.
Also, my car doesn't have the tightest front end, needs a new front leaf spring and has the rubber ball. Still no death wobble.
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The biggest issue with using the rubber ball is the lack of rigidity which affects other components. When brakes are applied, two differing forces are applied to the front radius rod. When the brake rods pull back on the shaft levers, it will generally pull backward on the front axle allowing the radius rod ball to move. Then as the brakes begin applying, the axle tries to rotate axially which pushes the radius rod ball upward in the housing. As the axle rotates, this increases the brake lever force which tries to increase braking. Also, a worn spring along with a worn ball creates a safety issue in that the drag link is attached to a moving steering arm because the entire axle is allowed to move in both the X and Y direction.
One other thing that many do not realize is the clutch housing itself can be worn which allows the upper cup to move too. Just some additional food for thought...
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