Upper outer A arm bushing Install

[StudeRich]

Dick is in Calif. but he has been thinking of trailering it to Omaha if we can find him some TT 4.56 gears to do the Drag Race thing!

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[wagone]

I'm in line behind StudeRich for my turn at a whole week. Actually one day wouldn't be bad! Hey Dick, is that "thing" coming to Omaha?

wagone

[StudeRich]

OK Dick, for helping get way OFF-TOPIC we are going to have to punish you severely like a lot of Forums do...NO,NO,NO we're NOT going to throw you out of the Forum. Since you helped ruin my post, I GET TO DRIVE THAT BLACK BEAUTY OF YOURS FOR A WHOLE WEEK -as in 7 days!![}]
I'll be over to get it, the day you return from Calif.!
Rich.

quote:Originally posted by Dick Steinkamp
What car had the first "modern" ball joint suspension and when? (Not a quiz...I don't know)

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[wagone]

Thanks for the info on who started the ball joints--actually I'm kinda glad it was Ford and not GM, though why it should make any difference escapes me--but at 11:30 pm I might come up with just about anything off the wall.

wagone and the R2 Avanti

[Jeff_H]

Seems to me I read someplace that the ball joint was invented by a ford engineer named McPherson (sp?). Same guy who gave us the "McPherson Strut" front end used on countless later models.

I've got a '54 Mercury brochure that sings the praises of the new ball joints.

'53 Champion Hardtop

[Mike]

Ford had ball joints in '54; Lincoln in '52. Here's a picture:
http://www.tocmp.com/manuals/54Linco...Linc_5469.html . Note it's the '52 to '55 parts book.
Mike M.

[studegary]

I can't imagine Chevrolet having a first with this, but on the other hand, no earlier examples come to mind. I bet that DaimlerChrysler wishes that they never heard of ball joints. First there was a problem with Durangos and now about 600,000/800,000 Jeep Libertys are being recalled for ball joints. Last month, I took Cathy's PT Cruiser in for an NYSI and oil change. In the short time that I was there, two Jeeps came in on flatbeds. The second one was a new looking Liberty. I took a closer look and discovered that the lower, right ball joint had separated. The guy said that he was just pulling into a parking space. A few days later, I saw the announcement of the recall.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY
1954 Commander Starliner (restomod)
1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[CHAMP]

Chevy was 1955, Ican't recall if anyone had balljoints suspension before then.

GARY H 2DR.SEDAN 48 STUDEBAKER CHAMPION NORTHEAST MD.

[wagone]

Good question, Dick. I can't answer it either!

wagone

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by wagone

A LOT extra to deal with. Has anyone but me given thought to the cost of two ball joints compared to the expense of producing a king pin front suspension--the comparsion is mind boogling, at the least. No wonder Stude went under trying to compete with Detroit.

What car had the first "modern" ball joint suspension and when? (Not a quiz...I don't know)

[wagone]

A LOT extra to deal with. Has anyone but me given thought to the cost of two ball joints compared to the expense of producing a king pin front suspension--the comparsion is mind boogling, at the least. No wonder Stude went under trying to compete with Detroit. I can only hope the guy that invented the ball joint front suspension died a rich man. Course the likely result was that all the Detroit shareholders each got a little richer! And the engineer responsible was left thinking that he should have been an independent afterall. Course if he had been on his own Detroit would have found a way to screw him out of his idea--that's life!

wagone

[sbca96]

Wow, what a pain. I havent inspected my Avanti yet, but so far I have
been lucky in not needing to get into that area. My Hawks suspension
was in pretty good tight shape. I guess with the ease of aligning the
front on a Stude, there has to be a downside. We dont have to deal
with shims, but we have extra to deal with on a rebuild.[V]

Tom

[StudeRich]

Thanks much, 55prez and Alan for all your help. -See continuation on new post: "Todays episode of the Great Outer Pin Repair".
Thanks, Rich.

[Alan]

I have a lot of parts like that, usualy find them when looking for something else.

[Roscomacaw]

I'm glad Alan came up with that. I'd gone out to where I was confident those new A-arms were and they weren't. I know's I gots 'em. Somewhere............

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS