I thought you all would find my attached question and answer
informative.....Phil Swanson
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From: GMCMH
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 13:53:08 EST
To: phil
Subject: Re: Ball Joint Article
>From: phil (Phil Swanson)
>To: gmcmh
>Good Morning Wes,
> Yours was an interesting article in this edition of GMC Motorhome
>News. However, as usual, it raised more questions in my mind. I recently
>bought an NOS lower ball joint at Las Vegas, still in the GMC box. It is
>definitely new. However on closer inspection, I found that if you hold
>the housing in one hand and push and pull the stud in and out laterally,
>there is about .030" to .050" of play in it. Alex Serium was there and
>he said it is probably okay and that they have to be checked installed
>with a load by moving the wheel. It bothers me allot that a brand new
>GMC ball joint could be manufactured with this much play. I talked to my
>supplier here at home, San Diego who primarily handles MOOG parts and he
>said the GMC stuff was junk and that the MOOGs are built tight as they
>should be. The joints pictured in your article do not look like they are
>original GMCs. Have you experienced this situation with the original
>joints and do you think this is ok or would you also recommend replacing
>the "loose" GMC joints? My supplier also tells me that the upper joint
>is soon to go out of production by MOOG and that it might be wise to buy
>some extras.
>
> Thanks, Phil
>Swanson
Phil,
Believe it or not, but General Motors Service Parts Operations has no
incoming inspection program. SPO puts a supplier through the wringer to
get its samples approved (as a supplier we know all to well), but after
that SPO never looks at anything the supplier ships.
When we bought out SPO's remaining GMC Motorhome Parts Inventory in 1992,
we had a scrap provision in the agreement related to quality. Almost all
of the lower ball joints were scrapped for the reason you describe. We
immediately qualified Moog, and inspect Moog shipments along with all
supplier shipments under an incoming inspection program.
I'm afraid your "flea market" purchase won't be much good on your
motorhome, but it might make an interesting paper weight! According to
the drawing, the stud may be tight or have up to 0.020 inches MAXIMUM end
travel. That means anything over a 64th is no good, and tight is, of
course, better.
Wes Caughlan
Wes Caughlan
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informative.....Phil Swanson
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From: GMCMH
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 13:53:08 EST
To: phil
Subject: Re: Ball Joint Article
>From: phil (Phil Swanson)
>To: gmcmh
>Good Morning Wes,
> Yours was an interesting article in this edition of GMC Motorhome
>News. However, as usual, it raised more questions in my mind. I recently
>bought an NOS lower ball joint at Las Vegas, still in the GMC box. It is
>definitely new. However on closer inspection, I found that if you hold
>the housing in one hand and push and pull the stud in and out laterally,
>there is about .030" to .050" of play in it. Alex Serium was there and
>he said it is probably okay and that they have to be checked installed
>with a load by moving the wheel. It bothers me allot that a brand new
>GMC ball joint could be manufactured with this much play. I talked to my
>supplier here at home, San Diego who primarily handles MOOG parts and he
>said the GMC stuff was junk and that the MOOGs are built tight as they
>should be. The joints pictured in your article do not look like they are
>original GMCs. Have you experienced this situation with the original
>joints and do you think this is ok or would you also recommend replacing
>the "loose" GMC joints? My supplier also tells me that the upper joint
>is soon to go out of production by MOOG and that it might be wise to buy
>some extras.
>
> Thanks, Phil
>Swanson
Phil,
Believe it or not, but General Motors Service Parts Operations has no
incoming inspection program. SPO puts a supplier through the wringer to
get its samples approved (as a supplier we know all to well), but after
that SPO never looks at anything the supplier ships.
When we bought out SPO's remaining GMC Motorhome Parts Inventory in 1992,
we had a scrap provision in the agreement related to quality. Almost all
of the lower ball joints were scrapped for the reason you describe. We
immediately qualified Moog, and inspect Moog shipments along with all
supplier shipments under an incoming inspection program.
I'm afraid your "flea market" purchase won't be much good on your
motorhome, but it might make an interesting paper weight! According to
the drawing, the stud may be tight or have up to 0.020 inches MAXIMUM end
travel. That means anything over a 64th is no good, and tight is, of
course, better.
Wes Caughlan
Wes Caughlan
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