[T3] Ball Joints

[Chris Sheridan]

I agree that you shouldn't have those issues, but the worst possible
outcome would be to assume you know the cause, spend a decent amount
of money and a LOT of time fixing those assumed problems, only to
find that nothing has changed.


You're describing my entire VW history!




Excessive play as you describe is not likely to be ball joints. If
you have a '68 or earlier, my first guess is that you have the wrong
inner wheel bearings. The inner end of the spindle got 2 mm larger in
mid '68 and installing the late bearings will lead to exactly that
kind of play. I've seen that, and it's puzzling until you figure it
out.

I have a 1970. I purchased new rotors, brazilian calipers and wheel
bearings last year
from CIP1.


I have both early and late bearings here, as well as seals.
If your ball joint boots are intact, I would move on to other
possibilities without hesitation.

a cursory examination shows a tear in one boot on the right lower.


You should also check to make sure that your LU torsion arm has not
come loose from the sway bar. The best way to check this is with 2
people. One person grabs the top of the LF tire and yanks in and out.
The other person lays on the ground and watches where the upper
torsion bar goes into the beam. If you see that arm move in and out
of the beam more than 1 mm, you have that problem.

Hi, Yes you kindly provided this test to me a couple months ago but I
cannot perform it
because I don't have an assistant.


I'm going to replace the rotors with TRW, the brake lines and hoses, the
steering shock,
upper and lower balls joints and possibly some tie rod ends depending on if
I can loosen them
and get the to adjust. I'm going to replace the steering donut and replace
the fuel line while
I'm in there. Would be ironic but not unexpected if it turns out to be LU
torsion arm has come loose
from the sway bar, but I'm going to replace all those parts including the
front shocks regardless.

how do you attach the torsion arm back to the sway bar? can one person do
it?

Thanks,
Chris
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