Lower control Arms

G

gary miller

New member
Aug 18, 1998
452
0
0
Just had both lower control arms tanked and inspected. No cracks. 115K
miles.
Gary
'77 Kingsley
North Bend, Oregon Coast

> -- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
>
> Now I am worried again.
>
> Article in MHMP by the grand old man Bob Blekinsop about failures of
> lower control arms at the ball joint hole. He recommends checking when
> doing bearings and lower ball joints.
>
> Local GMC er just checked and one of his was cracked
>
> Just followed thread that said a lot of the ball joint replacements
> using bolts were done badly. There is some indication that these
> failures might be caused by bad ball joint replacement.
>
> This looks like an indication that maintenance / poor maintenance might
> be the root of this problem ? Does this mean that if we see bolts on
> our lower ball joints we better be worried??
>
> Lower control arms are not in great supply, so is a good idea to get a
> handle on this problem.
>
> I would be interested in hearing from folks doing bearing jobs as to how
> many find this problem and maybe the following info:
> how many miles on rig
> bolted ball joints?
> original control arms?
> how found the problem?
> can be repaired by welding?
> any other info?
>
> scared straight ---gene
> --
> Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
>
> GMC Technical Information
> http://www.california.com/~eagle/
 
Gene,

IIRC from the GMCMM article, all the coaches that had cracked control arms
had over 100,000 miles on them. This indicates to me that the ball joints
were probably changed in all of them. Ours had the lowers changed before
we got it (had about 50,000 miles on it). When we did the frame off, it
had over 100,000 miles on it and the control arms were fine. The previous
owners of our motorhome had all their work done by GMC so maybe the ball
joints were replaced correctly. We changed them ourselves during the frame
off just for preventative maintenance. Our uppers were still original and
riveted in. They felt good, so we left them alone to keep the rivet fit.

Zak

>-- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
>
>Now I am worried again.
>
>Article in MHMP by the grand old man Bob Blekinsop about failures of
>lower control arms at the ball joint hole. He recommends checking when
>doing bearings and lower ball joints.
>
>Local GMC er just checked and one of his was cracked
>
>Just followed thread that said a lot of the ball joint replacements
>using bolts were done badly. There is some indication that these
>failures might be caused by bad ball joint replacement.
>
>This looks like an indication that maintenance / poor maintenance might
>be the root of this problem ? Does this mean that if we see bolts on
>our lower ball joints we better be worried??
>
>Lower control arms are not in great supply, so is a good idea to get a
>handle on this problem.
>
>I would be interested in hearing from folks doing bearing jobs as to how
>many find this problem and maybe the following info:
> how many miles on rig
> bolted ball joints?
> original control arms?
> how found the problem?
> can be repaired by welding?
> any other info?
>
>scared straight ---gene
>--
>Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
>
>GMC Technical Information
>http://www.california.com/~eagle/
>
 
If it were my coach and it had bolted in ball joints I would remove them and
check both the lower a-frame for cracks and the bolts for movement. than
put them back together with the green loc tite that Arch spoke about.

>-- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
>
>Now I am worried again.
>
>Article in MHMP by the grand old man Bob Blekinsop about failures of
>lower control arms at the ball joint hole. He recommends checking when
>doing bearings and lower ball joints.
>
>Local GMC er just checked and one of his was cracked
>
>Just followed thread that said a lot of the ball joint replacements
>using bolts were done badly. There is some indication that these
>failures might be caused by bad ball joint replacement.
>
>This looks like an indication that maintenance / poor maintenance might
>be the root of this problem ? Does this mean that if we see bolts on
>our lower ball joints we better be worried??
>
>Lower control arms are not in great supply, so is a good idea to get a
>handle on this problem.
>
>I would be interested in hearing from folks doing bearing jobs as to how
>many find this problem and maybe the following info:
> how many miles on rig
> bolted ball joints?
> original control arms?
> how found the problem?
> can be repaired by welding?
> any other info?
>
>scared straight ---gene
>--
>Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
>
>GMC Technical Information
>http://www.california.com/~eagle/
>
>
Tom & Marg Warner
Vernon Center NY
1976 palmbeach
 
Did they have the original riveted ball joints?

>Just had both lower control arms tanked and inspected. No cracks. 115K
>miles.
>Gary
>'77 Kingsley
>North Bend, Oregon Coast
>

>
>> -- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
>>
>> Now I am worried again.
>>
>> Article in MHMP by the grand old man Bob Blekinsop about failures of
>> lower control arms at the ball joint hole. He recommends checking when
>> doing bearings and lower ball joints.
>>
>> Local GMC er just checked and one of his was cracked
>>
>> Just followed thread that said a lot of the ball joint replacements
>> using bolts were done badly. There is some indication that these
>> failures might be caused by bad ball joint replacement.
>>
>> This looks like an indication that maintenance / poor maintenance might
>> be the root of this problem ? Does this mean that if we see bolts on
>> our lower ball joints we better be worried??
>>
>> Lower control arms are not in great supply, so is a good idea to get a
>> handle on this problem.
>>
>> I would be interested in hearing from folks doing bearing jobs as to how
>> many find this problem and maybe the following info:
>> how many miles on rig
>> bolted ball joints?
>> original control arms?
>> how found the problem?
>> can be repaired by welding?
>> any other info?
>>
>> scared straight ---gene
>> --
>> Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
>>
>> GMC Technical Information
>> http://www.california.com/~eagle/
>
>
>
>
>
Tom & Marg Warner
Vernon Center NY
1976 palmbeach
 
Perhaps a silly question but would it be possible to drill out a
slightly loose hole and of course the ball joint and use a larger bolt.
If so what would be the maximum oversize allowable.
Just asking !
Ted Schurman
73 Glacier VA

>
> -- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
>
> Now I am worried again.
>
> Article in MHMP by the grand old man Bob Blekinsop about failures of
> lower control arms at the ball joint hole. He recommends checking when
> doing bearings and lower ball joints.
>
> Local GMC er just checked and one of his was cracked
>
> Just followed thread that said a lot of the ball joint replacements
> using bolts were done badly. There is some indication that these
> failures might be caused by bad ball joint replacement.
>
> This looks like an indication that maintenance / poor maintenance might
> be the root of this problem ? Does this mean that if we see bolts on
> our lower ball joints we better be worried??
>
> Lower control arms are not in great supply, so is a good idea to get a
> handle on this problem.
>
> I would be interested in hearing from folks doing bearing jobs as to how
> many find this problem and maybe the following info:
> how many miles on rig
> bolted ball joints?
> original control arms?
> how found the problem?
> can be repaired by welding?
> any other info?
>
> scared straight ---gene
> --
> Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
>
> GMC Technical Information
> http://www.california.com/~eagle/
 
>
> -- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
>
> Now I am worried again.
>
> This looks like an indication that maintenance / poor maintenance might
> be the root of this problem ? Does this mean that if we see bolts on
> our lower ball joints we better be worried??

Gene,

My advice, my friend, is not to worry. Sooner or later all lower ball
joints will wear to the point they should be replaced. Go ahead and
have the proper parts installed according to one of the methods recently
discussed on this list. Then, whenever doing the chassis lube on the
ball joints, put a couple of box end wrenches on the retaining bolts to
confirm they are still tight. Then drive on until the time for the next
lube.
That's what I do and believe this preventive maintenace should keep any
bolts from loosening so cracks can develop.

Phil Stewart
'76 Transmode, TN
 
I remember the presentation in Precot when they talked about the A frames and
the bolts. Seems that since the bolts were not put on right, and since they
were not fitted right, the problem with the new ball joints could be cured by
keeping the bolts on tight and checking them early. I recall that they were
offering beefed up a frames which had been strengthed with additional weld
joints.
Al Chernoff
77 eleganza II

> Perhaps a silly question but would it be possible to drill out a
> slightly loose hole and of course the ball joint and use a larger bolt.
> If so what would be the maximum oversize allowable.
> Just asking !
> Ted Schurman
> 73 Glacier VA
>

> >
> > -- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
> >
> > Now I am worried again.
> >
> > Article in MHMP by the grand old man Bob Blekinsop about failures of
> > lower control arms at the ball joint hole. He recommends checking when
> > doing bearings and lower ball joints.
> >
> > Local GMC er just checked and one of his was cracked
> >
> > Just followed thread that said a lot of the ball joint replacements
> > using bolts were done badly. There is some indication that these
> > failures might be caused by bad ball joint replacement.
> >
> > This looks like an indication that maintenance / poor maintenance might
> > be the root of this problem ? Does this mean that if we see bolts on
> > our lower ball joints we better be worried??
> >
> > Lower control arms are not in great supply, so is a good idea to get a
> > handle on this problem.
> >
> > I would be interested in hearing from folks doing bearing jobs as to how
> > many find this problem and maybe the following info:
> > how many miles on rig
> > bolted ball joints?
> > original control arms?
> > how found the problem?
> > can be repaired by welding?
> > any other info?
> >
> > scared straight ---gene
> > --
> > Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
> >
> > GMC Technical Information
> > http://www.california.com/~eagle/
 
Tom:
Sorry for the delay in answering; I had to talk with Anderson to find out what
the condition of the replaced ball joints was; they were rivited on, ie,
original balls. No cracks on the arms, 115K miles.
Gary
'77 Kingsley
North Bend, Oregon Coast (rain, rain,rain)

> Did they have the original riveted ball joints?
>

> >Just had both lower control arms tanked and inspected. No cracks. 115K
> >miles.
> >Gary
> >'77 Kingsley
> >North Bend, Oregon Coast
> >

> >
> >> -- [ From: Eugene Fisher * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
> >>
> >> Now I am worried again.
> >>
> >> Article in MHMP by the grand old man Bob Blekinsop about failures of
> >> lower control arms at the ball joint hole. He recommends checking when
> >> doing bearings and lower ball joints.
> >>
> >> Local GMC er just checked and one of his was cracked
> >>
> >> Just followed thread that said a lot of the ball joint replacements
> >> using bolts were done badly. There is some indication that these
> >> failures might be caused by bad ball joint replacement.
> >>
> >> This looks like an indication that maintenance / poor maintenance might
> >> be the root of this problem ? Does this mean that if we see bolts on
> >> our lower ball joints we better be worried??
> >>
> >> Lower control arms are not in great supply, so is a good idea to get a
> >> handle on this problem.
> >>
> >> I would be interested in hearing from folks doing bearing jobs as to how
> >> many find this problem and maybe the following info:
> >> how many miles on rig
> >> bolted ball joints?
> >> original control arms?
> >> how found the problem?
> >> can be repaired by welding?
> >> any other info?
> >>
> >> scared straight ---gene
> >> --
> >> Gene 76Palm Beach /Or/CA
> >>
> >> GMC Technical Information
> >> http://www.california.com/~eagle/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> Tom & Marg Warner
> Vernon Center NY
> 1976 palmbeach
 
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