Death wobble

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by zippi

Jacked my 37 up and crawled under to check the wishbone ball. One bolt was loose and the other one wasn't all that tight. Is this just a pocket where the two meet and rest inside the ball? If I unscrew both bolts and drop the ball down is it replaceable? How can I tell if it even needs to be replaced.

As I advised previously (44), if this ball is loose, there WILL be problems/trouble, i.e.-steering, wobble , incorrect front setting.
That ball should be round metal. A worn out metal ball can be dealt with by welding and reshaping to original spec; using a rubber ball to help take up the wear space and there is an old trick of putting a bent washer under the ball to take up wear. I use a rubber ball, even though my metal ball is good..why?
If the metal ball clamp becomes loosened (yours) , it will make noise(metal/metal) as it moves. I don't like that noise and a rubber ball prevents the noise. I clamp down hard on the rubber ball. If using original good attachment equipment...follow Fords adjustment instructions.
So, if you do not lube that 'ball joint' it will wear out. If not sufficiently tight, it will wear out. By wear out, I mean both ball and its attaching hardware will both wear. So, check that whole area for wear. Suppliers sell the attachment parts that capture the ball. They sell a cheaper replacement and an original quality replacement...your choice.