B-3311 steering ball. Taper too big.

[weemark]

Mart you are absolutely correct, why do these suppliers make parts which are incorrect and the wrong sizes. How hard would it be to make pieces the correct size? Surely it wouldn't take any more effort to make parts which are the correct sizes? Is this stuff a copy of a copy of a copy?

It's just laziness on the part of the supplier to not get it correct.

I've just noticed mart started this thread three years ago - I wonder if the problem has been resolved and they make the correct size parts now?

[Mart]

Bringing this up after a pm asking for the pics.

I'll paste the original post here and try and patch the pics in. (can't edit the original post)

I bought some of these steering ball studs from Macs a while ago and I couldn't use them because the tapered part is too big. I put them on one side and recently ordered some more from C&G. I telephoned C&G (from England, a transatlantic call,) and specifically asked if the ball studs fit the steering arms, and could they do a physical check before sending them (as I had a problem before). I was assured they do not get them from macs and they look right.

Guess what? While obviously different from the Macs ones, they are wrong in exactly the same way. The taper is too big a diameter.

Being across the pond, it isn't easy to send stuff back, so I did what I should have done the first time around, modified them myself to fit correctly.

But why is it that 2 suppliers have it wrong? How come it takes me, 3000+ miles away to have to point it out to them?

It's a good job I have a nice Myford lathe and an engineering apprenticeship history.

Here are a few pics:

1, An early ford steering ball stud in a 37-41 pitman arm (same taper).


2, A Macs steering ball in the same piece.


3, A C&G ball stud in the same piece. Note the similar fit.


4, Here's my makeshift setup in the Myford Lathe.


5, To turn a taper you have to set the topslide at an angle. half of 7 degrees is 3-1/2 degrees.


6, Here we have, (L-R), an original Ford stud, a modified Mac's stud, an unmodified Macs stud, an unmodified C&G stud, a modified C&G stud, and another early ford one.


You can see why I wanted some new ones.

Anyone else had this problem?

Mart.

[cpldale]

Great explanation. Thanks Mart

Just for the record, I purchased ball studs on ebay from vendor "1935fordtn" and they fit perfect. I have purchased other parts from them as well and have always been happy.

[big deuce]

I just went through this same situation ordering from Thirdgenford... what a pain in the @ss. I machined mine down as the way Mart did with success but now doubting whether they are heat treated. I ordered some from Early Ford Store sounds like they have the correct ones.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by big deuce

I just went through this same situation ordering from Thirdgenford... what a pain in the @ss. I machined mine down as the way Mart did with success but now doubting whether they are heat treated. I ordered some from Early Ford Store sounds like they have the correct ones.

Hmmm.....That's interesting, because "1935fordtn" in post #23 above is the same folks as ThirdGenFord in post #24 above. What's with that?

Coop

.

[35fordtn]

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Originally Posted by V8COOPMAN

Hmmm.....That's interesting, because "1935fordtn" in post #23 above is the same folks as ThirdGenFord in post #24 above. What's with that?

Coop

.

Wondering the same thing! I personally have not used on of these in five years. There are currently three mfr’s of them and two are garbage. I have not had one single complaint as of yet on them and this is news to me amd we have sold a bunch of them. I rely on the buyers to give me feedback if a part doesn’t fit so I can personally test fit and either fix it or discontinue the item.
I guess I know what one of the many things I’ll be doing tommorow is.

[cadillac512]

Michael, post #23 was in 2018 and #24 was yesterday if that makes a difference.



Terry

[35fordtn]

Originally Posted by cadillac512

Michael, post #23 was in 2018 and #24 was yesterday if that makes a difference.



Terry

Terry I saw that but we purchased a large quantity in 2017 so parts sold today should have been identical to then. I plan to scope it out. The post #24 never reached out to us as a customer with a complaint so I have no idea when his was purchased

[big deuce]

Originally Posted by 35fordtn

Wondering the same thing! I personally have not used on of these in five years. There are currently three mfr’s of them and two are garbage. I have not had one single complaint as of yet on them and this is news to me amd we have sold a bunch of them. I rely on the buyers to give me feedback if a part doesn’t fit so I can personally test fit and either fix it or discontinue the item.
I guess I know what one of the many things I’ll be doing tommorow is.

I need to retract my statement from ealrier... I found when I purchased these pivot balls and it was through CW Moss. Here is the package it was in, clearly does not have the Thirdgen sticker, but it carries the same B-3311 part number that all the others advertise.