ball joints - which way up?

Post by **flying** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:31 pm

hi there. am in process of changing the steering gaitors but my ball joints have the castle nut on the underside as opposed to on the top, as shown in the manual. Can anyone advise which is the right way round??! turning it round so its as shown means its at the wrong angle and doesn't physically go so is it likely someone has at some point changed the whole lot? help!

Post by **aupickup** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:34 pm

do you mean track rod ends, if so the nut should be at the bottom

Post by **flying** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:40 pm

yeah, sorry the track rod ends. bottom. excellent. the manual is wrong then, i can live with that!! thank you

Post by **bigginger** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:43 pm

Which manual?
a

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:09 pm

It's a taper hole in the steering arm - so really not possible to put them on wrong way up. BMC manual shows them correctly - fig K 10. If you are working from Haynes it can sometimes be an adventure into the unknown! Hence nick-name HBOL - Haynes Book of Lies!

Post by **dave1949** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:39 pm

Just looked in a HBOL i have,
Yes nut up, my BMC manual nut down

Post by **flying** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:41 pm

yeah, haynes indeed!! like you say, being tapered i didn't think it could have gone the other way. much obliged.

Post by **Packedup** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:41 am

flying wrote:yeah, haynes indeed!! like you say, being tapered i didn't think it could have gone the other way.

With a big enough hammer, anything can fit any way round...