Ready to do all 4 ball joints. Any tips?

[Steve83]

Correct me if I am wrong, but there is no "camber" adjustment cam on a stock ball joint.

It's been a while since I messed with an eB solid front axle, but I thought there was SOMETHING between the upper BJ taper and the axle tube yoke for alignment. Isn't that what 3B049 is?

(click this text)

 

[Oldtimer]

Stock spicer axles on EB used shims between spindle and knuckle to adjust camber/caster.
3B049 has OD threads of 1-1/8-12 and a concentric ID that matches ball joint stud taper.
There are after-market parts that have an offset tapered ID to allow caster/camber adjustment, but you have to give up some of the ball joint preload to change the caster/camber angle.

 

[DirtDonk]

It's been a while since I messed with an eB solid front axle, but I thought there was SOMETHING between the upper BJ taper and the axle tube yoke for alignment. Isn't that what 3B049 is?

(click this text)

Only for adjusting preload of the assembly. Since it's concentric, there is no change other than up-and-down. Nothing in/out or fore/aft.

Stock spicer axles on EB used shims between spindle and knuckle to adjust camber/caster.

Were any delivered that way? It would not surprise me, but I've never seen one factory installed.
Because of the potential trouble that offseting a spindle would cause, I would think that if an assembly was not to spec, Spicer would not have delivered it to Ford, to install on a production vehicle.
And it would not have been so hard over the years to find them sometimes!

3B049 has OD threads of 1-1/8-12 and a concentric ID that matches ball joint stud taper.
There are after-market parts that have an offset tapered ID to allow caster/camber adjustment, but you have to give up some of the ball joint preload to change the caster/camber angle.

Luckily, the ball-joint preload is a very vague adjustment and has, at least as far as I've found, plenty of leeway. Certainly enough for a half-turn in either direction.
And that's if you can even get close to achieving correct preload in the first place, with these crappy modern parts they're foisting on us!!

Paul

 

[Oldtimer]

Were any delivered that way?

Paul

Good point.
They probably left Spicer with no shims,
. . . . and in spec. marginal caster, to frustrate all of us a 1/2 century later.

 

[Bustedbroc]

FYI UPDATE, all four MOOG ball joints in, greased , and preload set at 40lbs. Brought to align shop, other than changing toe in from 3/8 to 3/16, caster/camber within spec. Truck goes down the road straight with 31-10:50-15 tires on 8" rims. Thanks to all for assist. FM