Front Radius rod / rubber ball

[Rob Doe]

What is the secret to getting the rubber ball over the steel one?

[Keith True]

KY and two tablespoons.Teaspoons will work,but they are thinner and can bend real fast at the wrong moment.

[Bigsnapper43]

There is a tool for the instilation of the rubberball. KYjelly works well.

[Rob Doe]

Bigsnapper43, can you elaborate? Describe it or where I could see it?

[Will N]

The secret is not to use the rubber ball. If you're using the rubber ball because the steel ball is worn, a new ball can be welded on.

[Bob Bidonde]

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Don't do it. The rubber ball is not as durable as the original steel ball socket, and as the rubber wears, it affects the angle of the radius rod. Also, the rubber ball is not imperious to the oil that leaks through the joint.

[Aretino]

True, the rubber ball is a routine replacement item. Its an easy job after you develop the technique. Keeping oil away from the rubber ball tends to increase its life, but difficult to do given its location.

[rotorwrench]

I push compressed air into the ball while applying force to push it on. It usually jumps right on there. I'm not a giant fan of the rubber ball set up but Ford used it on the later cars of the V8 era. A person has to check it during scheduled maintenance to insure it's still good.

[RHD]

Never use a rubber ball. You are just fooling yourself. Cut the old ball off and weld on a new one, and use the steel cups and springs, Joy all around.

[Marshall V. Daut]

If you use the rubber ball mounting system, you'll be back here in six months asking for help eliminating front end shimmying that has developed in your Model A. It's not a matter of "if" that ball will get oil soaked and become mushy (causing wishbone ball gyrations = shimmy), it's a matter of "when". I can't think of a single case of shimmying I was asked to repair that didn't at least involve changing the rubber ball mounting back to the original design. Only in one case did the king pins and bushings also have to be changed. 99% of the time the shimmying was caused by a squishy rubber ball inside the clamshells. You are not doing yourself or your Model A a favor by sticking with this poorly-designed "upgrade". The concept may have worked in the V-8 models, but that was a split wishbone design, not a single mount. The little springs inside the clamshell bores are what impart the "give" needed for bumpy roads. The rubber ball creates too much "give". Order the correct, original design and odds are in your favor that unless something in the steering system wears out or loosens up, you won't experience the dreaded "Death Wobble" that afflicts so many Model A's these days.
Marshall

[Bruce of MN]

+1 on keeping it stock. My A came to me with the rubber ball and it got very loose. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the steel ball was in great shape. I put on the stock parts and one source of shimmy went away.

[Bob Bidonde]

I have tried the rubber balls on the front radius rod and in dog bone shock links. The life of the rubber is too short.

[Joe K]

Ditto on shorter life. Perhaps a year and maybe 5K miles. I think a lot of rubber balls sold today are not of the quality they were when they were developed.

That "Chinese uncured rubber smell" is indicative.

Of course we change out oil filters 7.5K miles on modern cars.

Joe K

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Will N

The secret is not to use the rubber ball. If you're using the rubber ball because the steel ball is worn, a new ball can be welded on.

^ THIS ^^

This ball affects 50% of your braking, and also affects Steering. Having a rubber ball, -and especially one that deteriorates without notice is not the most prudent design.

[Marshall V. Daut]

Here's what you need, Rob Doe: Snyder's Part #A-3440-S, $24.95:
https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/p...7769&cat=41738
Be sure to compare bolt lengths between the rubber ball design and the original one. Sometimes - depending upon the manufacturer- the rubber ball bolts are longer and run out of threads when the correct clamshell parts are installed. The bolts CAN be changed without removing the bell housing. Bend the tips of a long needle nose pliers at a 90-degree angle so that you can grab the bolts beneath their heads and lift/install them through the hole at the bottom of the bellhousing. Some guys use thin fishline threaded through the cotter pin holes in the bolts to remove and install the new bolts that way. Or you could use a die and cut threads up higher on the bolt shanks.
Marshall

[petew]

Originally Posted by Marshall V. Daut

Here's what you need, Rob Doe: Snyder's Part #A-3440-S, $24.95:
https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/p...7769&cat=41738
Be sure to compare bolt lengths between the rubber ball design and the original one. Sometimes - depending upon the manufacturer- the rubber ball bolts are longer and run out of threads when the correct clamshell parts are installed. The bolts CAN be changed without removing the bell housing. Bend the tips of a long needle nose pliers at a 90-degree angle so that you can grab the bolts beneath their heads and lift/install them through the hole at the bottom of the bellhousing. Some guys use thin fishline threaded through the cotter pin holes in the bolts to remove and install the new bolts that way. Or you could use a die and cut threads up higher on the bolt shanks.
Marshall

Along with A-3440-S would you need to also use the A-3440-W shim to take up the slack of a worn ball ?

[Marshall V. Daut]

"Along with A-3440-S would you need to also use the A-3440-W shim to take up the slack of a worn ball ?"

I would say, just install the original style kit as is and see if the clamshells tighten sufficiently to enclose the ball. To test afterwards, put the chassis on tall jackstands so that the front axle hangs free. Then grasp the radius rods at their intersection with both hands and try to move the rods up and down, as well as sideways. If slop is felt, that means the ball is worn undersized and a shim on TOP of the ball is in order (to maintain the front axle's caster). If the shim is too thick, a large fender washer of thinner thickness could also be used, hammered to form a cup shape. But quite frankly, I have never run into a situation where the ball was so badly worn undersized that a shim was necessary. Measure the ball's diameter once it has been freed from the bell housing to see if it is worn undersize. A little wear is acceptable and probably normal. 'Sorry. I don't have the ideal diameter figure handy. Maybe someone can supply that number. But you can eyeball the ball to see if it is worn badly on one side or obviously undersized, such as being egg-shaped, a sure sign that it had been loose for a LONG time..
Marshall

[JOES31]

If the ball isn't worn too bad, I would use some steel washers and take a ball pein
hammer to shape them. Or if the ball is just too far gone, welding in a replacement
will do it for a very long time. So another "No" vote from me.