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[Diamond Black Geezer]

As it says on the tin, can anyone recommend a good / ok / decent ball joint for front wishbone?

MoT man saying excessive play, not sure i agree, but then again, my opinion doesnt really matter compared with the MoT guy's, does it!? 

Rather than replacing a nearly new wishbone, I fancy trying just the balljoint.

[feeutfo]

By ball joint I assume you mean the rearward bush on the front wishbones? It is the most ball like, although not a ball.

I just got a pair from all German parts.

He does the front bush as well, or Polly? Unusual for the rear bush to fail before the front?

[Kevin Wood]

I guess he means the ball joint that connects the upright/knuckle/hub carrier to the wishbone. Still not a common failure.

Worth checking the condition of the bushes while you're there. If in anything less than excellent nick, might as well replace the wishbones. Otherwise, I'm sure someone will have a wishbone that's been swapped out with a perfectly good ball joint on it. Drill out the rivets that secure it to the wishbone and replace with suitable self locking nuts and bolts.

Kevin

[feeutfo]

I guess he means the ball joint that connects the upright/knuckle/hub carrier to the wishbone. Still not a common failure.

Worth checking the condition of the bushes while you're there. If in anything less than excellent nick, might as well replace the wishbones. Otherwise, I'm sure someone will have a wishbone that's been swapped out with a perfectly good ball joint on it. Drill out the rivets that secure it to the wishbone and replace with suitable self locking nuts and bolts.

Kevin

Oh steering knuckle, sorry, yes, think andyc can help with those? As another option.

[Entwood]

Given the uncertainty, in both threads, as to what has actually failed ... I'd be inclined to go back and ask  for the EXACT failure item to be indicated... just in case there is a misunderstanding and its not the wishbone but .. for example .. a track rod end ...

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Exactly. My point entirely, there was some blurring as to what has actually failed here.

I'll be honest, its a mate Im asking for, he is an oofer, but am asking on his behalf.

As far as I can tell it is indeed "the ball joint that connects the upright/knuckle/hub carrier to the wishbone" and it suprised me that it failed. I thought he meant steering idler, or track rod end, or a bush, but he was adamant its the wishbone ball joint.

As you say, not common for these to go. Even less common on a wishbone with less than 2k miles on the car?!!?!  :exclamation :exclamation

PS: Other bushes in excellent nick, as theyre so new, hence reason for just wanting a balljoint.

[Kevin Wood]

MOT failure sheets are normally pretty specific about what's failed. There's a code for every part.

Get under it and have a waggle of things. A ball joint that's got to the MOT failure stage should be pretty obvious.

Kevin

[Diamond Black Geezer]

MOT failure sheets are normally pretty specific about what's failed. There's a code for every part.

Get under it and have a waggle of things. A ball joint that's got to the MOT failure stage should be pretty obvious.

Kevin

Hence why I was frowning like Gordon Ramsey when he told me. We'd been all over her the previous weekend, never saw any such waggle. Dont know if the guy saw play where there was no play.

Happened a couple of years back to another omega, one mechanic thought there was excessive play, his (older) colleague came over, sneered, waggled, said nah, thats normal for omegas. A very near fail, but just shows what a crucial difference opinions make.

I hasten to add the wishbone wasn't dodgy, or unsafe, it was fine, and still is 2 years later.