The Ford Barn

29Cabriolet · 08-24-2015, 12:49 PM

Hi:
In the process of greasing the car I discovered that the radius ball was not sitting in place the way it should. After checking Les Andrews Manual I concluded that the spacers and springs were missing. When I tried to order some replacements Tams said it may be an earlier design that did not require them. But I'm not sure how it got to this condition. (if there were springs and spacers, what happened to them?) If not what holds the ball up in place?

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Dick M · 08-24-2015, 01:28 PM

I do not know of an earlier design. However, it appears to me that you have the two ball retainers one inside the other and on the bottom. Take the two nuts off and see if you have the two together. If so, the one with the hole in it goes up against the flywheel housing and the other goes on the bottom. You are missing the springs. I can not tell from the picture if you have the bushings that go on the studs and the springs slide over. The concept is that the ball is held between the two retainers and the springs provide tension. This allows the A bars to flex when needed.

29Cabriolet · 08-24-2015, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick M

. . . However, it appears to me that you have the two ball retainers one inside the other and on the bottom. . .

Thanks Dick for the reply! I can see how you may think that from this photo. But it's not. The ball is not visible from this view. What looks like the ball is actually the upper retainer. I can separate the two retainer halves and see the ball inside.

JOHN CT · 08-24-2015, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick M

I do not know of an earlier design. However, it appears to me that you have the two ball retainers one inside the other and on the bottom. Take the two nuts off and see if you have the two together. If so, the one with the hole in it goes up against the flywheel housing and the other goes on the bottom. You are missing the springs. I can not tell from the picture if you have the bushings that go on the studs and the springs slide over. The concept is that the ball is held between the two retainers and the springs provide tension. This allows the A bars to flex when needed.

Dick M is right it looks like you have two halts together. You got to take it apart and separate them

Bob C · 08-24-2015, 05:37 PM

The two halves look right to me but the sleeves and springs are missing
and the castle nuts look like they are not the right ones.

Bob

Barry B./ Ma. · 08-24-2015, 07:11 PM

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Check the size of the ball on the wishbone, some get worn down and require the shaped washer to go on top and take up the slop, the parts when assembled should not compress "bottomed out" to the housing or the springs won't supply the right tension.

Tom Wesenberg · 08-24-2015, 09:27 PM

Since the two halves fit tight together, that indicates the ball is too worn or the two cups are too worn, or both. I would order a new ball retainer kit and the cupped washer to make up for wear, then see how well things fit together.

My car had the rubber cover and cast retainers, but the new original style kit was all it needed to still have at least a 1/8" air gap between the cups. Grease the ball before installing the new cups.

BTW, the ball should be 1 1/2" when new.

frank55a · 08-25-2015, 08:02 AM

For what it's worth, my guess is that when it was put together who ever did it put one of those rubber balls on the radius rod end and since it fit tight they put the 2 halves incorrectly on the bottom. Over some period of time the ball eroded/wore down and fell out in pieces leaving it as you see it.

Dick M · 08-25-2015, 01:47 PM

I can see that I was looking at the upper cup and not the ball after reading your response. I agree that a new radius ball retainer kit is needed. The fact that you have been without springs could have worn the cups. I looked through my reference materials and could not find the proper size of the radius ball. However, I believe it is 1.5 inches. Perhaps some one could chime in with the correct size of the radius ball. I would try installing a new kit and see how it fits. You may or may not need the cupped washer based on the size of your radius ball.

08-24-2015, 01:28 PM	#2
Dick M Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ukiah, CA Posts: 477	Re: Radius Ball - What am I missing? I do not know of an earlier design. However, it appears to me that you have the two ball retainers one inside the other and on the bottom. Take the two nuts off and see if you have the two together. If so, the one with the hole in it goes up against the flywheel housing and the other goes on the bottom. You are missing the springs. I can not tell from the picture if you have the bushings that go on the studs and the springs slide over. The concept is that the ball is held between the two retainers and the springs provide tension. This allows the A bars to flex when needed.

08-24-2015, 07:11 PM	#6
Barry B./ Ma. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southbridge, Ma. Posts: 1,614	Re: Radius Ball - What am I missing? Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Check the size of the ball on the wishbone, some get worn down and require the shaped washer to go on top and take up the slop, the parts when assembled should not compress "bottomed out" to the housing or the springs won't supply the right tension.

08-24-2015, 09:27 PM	#7
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Radius Ball - What am I missing? Since the two halves fit tight together, that indicates the ball is too worn or the two cups are too worn, or both. I would order a new ball retainer kit and the cupped washer to make up for wear, then see how well things fit together. My car had the rubber cover and cast retainers, but the new original style kit was all it needed to still have at least a 1/8" air gap between the cups. Grease the ball before installing the new cups. BTW, the ball should be 1 1/2" when new.

08-25-2015, 08:02 AM	#8
frank55a Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 934	Re: Radius Ball - What am I missing? For what it's worth, my guess is that when it was put together who ever did it put one of those rubber balls on the radius rod end and since it fit tight they put the 2 halves incorrectly on the bottom. Over some period of time the ball eroded/wore down and fell out in pieces leaving it as you see it.

08-25-2015, 01:47 PM	#9
Dick M Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ukiah, CA Posts: 477	Re: Radius Ball - What am I missing? I can see that I was looking at the upper cup and not the ball after reading your response. I agree that a new radius ball retainer kit is needed. The fact that you have been without springs could have worn the cups. I looked through my reference materials and could not find the proper size of the radius ball. However, I believe it is 1.5 inches. Perhaps some one could chime in with the correct size of the radius ball. I would try installing a new kit and see how it fits. You may or may not need the cupped washer based on the size of your radius ball.