Broken upper ball joint retaining bolt > suspension collapse

[HarryMann]

We just got back from a trip to the Eastern Sierra and Yosemite.

We did have one mishap, though. We were heading back to camp after a day out touring, just tooling
down the narrow mountain road to the campground when we went over a dip and there was a pop. The right
front wheel then caved in on the front spring. Luckily, we were not going fast and there was no cliff
right there. Luckily we were not on paved road going over one of the passes at speed with a 2000 foot
sheer drop-off to one side, like we had been numerous times earlier that day (and week). We could have
very easily plunged to our deaths. Once the wheel caves inward like that, there is a loss of steering
ability.

What happened? The upper control arm disconnected from the shock tower/upper ball joint. How/Why?
One bolt fell out prior to the incident. The second bolt had backed itself out so that there were just
a fer threads holding it. This allowed the upper control arm to separate from the upper ball joint,
and then act as a lever on that un-threaded bolt until it snapped it. I found the bolt.

I happened to have an extra bolt with me. Luckily we were going so slow when it happened that there
was no damage to other components or to the tire. I jacked the front wheel up and put in the spare
bolt, although the threads from the broken bolt were still in the upper ball joint and thus I could not
insert a second bolt. But with very gentle driving and proper torquing, the one bolt held up fine.

It seems safe to assume that the shop that installed new lower control arm bushings about 1500 miles
earlier neglected to tighten the upper control arm bolts on that side upon reassembly. The bolts on
the other side was tight.

[HarryMann]

Related info...
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=73054

..and scrutineering at SP7 found a vehicle with both ball-joint set-screws not fully in, due to rusted threads and unusable socket hex heads. Been like it for quite a while, I suppose rough roads for 100 miles or so will eventually shear a loose bolt...

the nominal i-service loads are very low, provided the screws are done up and stay that way, the locating ring doing all the work, which isn't a busting lot to be honest

Just FYI, keep an eye on things!

[KarlT]

Would of been very scary. Why i like/prefer to do things myself. Got no-one else to blame then!

Yes could have been more than scary..

[HarryMann]

Yup

full scary story here http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/syncrolist/messages

[KarlT]

What happened there! What happened to my post? Is big brother/the powers that be been tampering?

[syncrosimon]

You would have thought that it would have knocked and rattled a bit before failure alerting the driver. I guess on rough roads with a rattly camper it is easy to think it is something else.

I have had a persistent knock from the front end for some time, in spite of all new components, and after a complete strip and rebuild this weekend just gone, the knock was still there. I eventually found after re-setting the camber with a spirit level that it was the top control arm eccentric bolt not tight enough. It is very awkward to do up the off side one as you have to push the spanner up to tighten, whilst the wheel is on. ( on the near side you can lay under and pull down on the spanner) So I took off the bracket for the brake pipe next to the 19mm nut, and was able to get a socket and extension on. This cured the knock instantly! The knock had been when you just first touch the brakes, and on ripples only. Now the front is so quiet I can hear the squelching of the shocks again.

[HarryMann]

What happened there! What happened to my post? Is big brother/the powers that be been tampering?

Funny, seems to be mine that's gone missing or renamed as you? Very weird, I can as Admin emulate your permissions but I can't actaully post as you without logging on as you, which of course I can't without changing your password (no-one can read passwords unless they know they can decode phpBB encryption routines).

Simon, Good stuff, I've only done the n/s (w/b bushes, twice, the 1st set were crap ones it seems) and set it to a scribe line as before. I think there'll be a 'trick' spanner or socket setup to get in there.

[syncrosimon]

I think there'll be a 'trick' spanner or socket setup to get in there.

You can get long reach combination 17mm and 19mm spanners which are 40cm long for more leverage. They are twenty quid on e-bay so will have to wait.

[HarryMann]

Yes, saw a set at BusTypes and have the catalog in front of me as it happens... TOPTUL tools.

10 piece Extra Long Combination Set (187 ~347mm; 10~19 AF; 15 deg offset head for extra torque ) Promotion £58.72; List £86.28

Do some nice Extra Long super-grip screwdrivers for about £5-00 ea (400mm shanks)

But I was really wondering whether a crows-foot offset wrench would help with access

[syncrosimon]

But I was really wondering whether a crows-foot offset wrench would help with access

Not heard of one of those, will have a look. My nearside control arm bolt does seem to come undone. Time for a pair of new self locking nuts methinks.

[HarryMann]

Or a dab of nut-lock ?

[sandwedge]

drill and wire, the method used by race bikes.

http://www.solomotoparts.com/catalog/Lo ... 22650.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... ccessories" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.whizwheels.com/Tips/safetywiring.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[HarryMann]

Slightly OTT maybe?

Simon will almost certainly go for a new nut

[syncrosimon]

Simon will almost certainly go for a new nut

Almost certainly. Cheaper than a twenty quid spanner.