Moparts

Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints

Posted By: RichV

Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/09/05 06:13 PM

I had heard that the Australian A body lower ball joints have a shorter steering arm than the US ball joints. OZhemi confirmed this by measuring a set of ball joints that he has. This should give you fast ratio steering just by changing your lower ball joints. However OZ has not gotten me a set of ball joints from Australia. So I looked for a online Australian parts store, I found that they list two different sets of lower ball joints for Australian A bodies. Since the US cars also have two different sizes of ball joints I wonder if the Australian car did something similar. The 72 and earlier US A bodies used a smaller joint than the post 72 cars. The part number listing for the Australian ball joint are as follows.

BJ81 BJ82 BALL JOINT VG VALIANT LHS LOWER

BJ36 BJ35 BALL JOINT VALIANT LHS LOWER

Since the parts store has not responded to my email I hope that some of our Australian member can tell me if the Australian parts did the same thing. Also I need a parts source that is willing to ship some of these ball joints to the US. If you go down to the bottom of the following page it shows the difference between early and late A body lower ball joints.

http://www.bigblockdart.com/tech/steering/linkage.shtml
Posted By: RichV

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/10/05 12:23 AM

Hopefully those from Australia will be waking up soon.
Posted By: bacaruda

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/10/05 03:53 AM

Cool Rich, I had email discussions about this with OZ over half a year ago, and he never came back.
Hope it's true.
And may be way off, but isn't the ball joint diff. the upper?
Thats why you need '73 upper a arms, so you can use '73 spindle for the '73 bearings?

Jim.
Posted By: RichV

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/10/05 03:31 PM

The upper and lower ball joints are both different. I think the bolt pattern is different where the lower ball joint bolts to the spindle. See the attached picture. Check out the link in my first post.

Attached picture 1488326-bj1.jpg
Posted By: bacaruda

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/12/05 03:48 AM

I see, got that, have the spidles too, but curious on that.

Thanks,
jim.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/12/05 08:37 AM

Hi guys in case u didnt already find out .Ball joints listed Bj 35/36 have a smaller diameter hole for bolts to hold onto stub and are the most common one here is Oz selling for around $35 to $60 .The other ones listed only suit a couple of older type stubs (bit dearer also)so most people buy latter ones and just drill out if needed

cheers
Paul
Posted By: bacaruda

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/13/05 02:45 AM

valiant, I think a few are wondering how we US types can get our hands on a set of these. Do you know place to buy,price, and can ship? Or who maybe can, or try?

Jim.
Posted By: bacaruda

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/17/05 03:58 AM

BTT
Posted By: VDART

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/17/05 05:10 AM

mopar market try this- there are links to the Aussie's parts houses
Posted By: dartcharger

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/17/05 06:49 AM

G,day
Im prepaired to go down to the local mopar part's dealer and grab a set take pic's and measure the hole's and dimention's and if your sure their what your looking for ill even send them over.
That offer stand's to anybody that send's a pm.
Posted By: fullonmopar

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/17/05 07:07 AM

As far as I am aware the only different lwr ball joints on aussie cars are the ones for drum brakes, all the disc brake ones are all the same but I will double check with my parts books, also the original factory ones had 'Dufor' written on them and they are the best quality as the after market ones had a very short service life but they tell me that the after markets have now improved in quality.
Posted By: Moparmal

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/17/05 07:09 AM

DartCharger is a good buddy of OzHemi's..so if anyone wants these things, I'd take him up on the offer...he can be trusted and he'll get it right...

Some of the "valiant parts specialists" around here charge like "horny Rhinocerouses" (?) for basic Valiant stuff...
Posted By: bacaruda

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/18/05 02:47 AM

I'm game too if they check like some have said.

Jim.
Posted By: dartcharger

Re: Australian A Body Lower Ball Joints - 02/18/05 09:47 AM

Thank's for the kind word's Mal.

O.K ill go down and pic up a pair next week and we'll get the ball rolling ( it's friday here and iv gotta work tomorrow)
But im still waiting for a PM from anybody who's interested.
Something else that's accured to me since this thread started is now im wondering what's on my dart.
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