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Old 10-14-2020, 08:34 PM   #6
Joe K
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Cow Hampshire
Posts: 4,188
Default Re: Gap at wishbone to bell housing

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The ball retainer assembly is "spring loaded." The ball seat (part directly on the bell housing) should be "close" as in touching. The ball retainer (part on the lower side of the ball) is "free floating" and held against the wishbone ball by retaining springs.

The ball retainer has larger holes than the bolt by a considerable amount. There are actually annular "sleeves" which the ball retainer slides over: the springs are outside of these and on the lower side of the ball retainer.

The nuts are held from compressing the springs "solid" by these sleeves. The proper setup has the nuts as tight as they can be, the compressed spring with small gap between the turns, and a small gap between ball seat and ball retainer.

It is possible if there is considerable downward force on your wishbone that it could compress the springs, cause the ball retainer to drop, loosen the contact between the ball and its ball seat, and a gap to form between the ball seat and the bell housing. This I would consider unusual. And possibly a reason to replace at least the springs which in time may lose their compression.

This quite a bit different from the aftermarket ball caps which when assembled are "solid" - and the make-up made in the rubber ball.

Joe K
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