34 replies to this topic

[Gedi]

I can't bring myself to pay £50 for a ball joint tool from eliseparts, it's just too much of a rip off. If I had a miller in the garage, it'd only take me 30 mins to knock one up.

 

Does anyone have access to an engineering shop who could make a batch for a possible group buy? If not I might make a trip down to my local one and ask them. 

 

I've put together a little drawing using info I've found on the internet and from measuring my own wishbones. I'm 99% sure the dimensions are right, but if someone who already has a tool could check, that'd be a great help

 

 

 

[Winstar]

I can't bring myself to pay £50 for a ball joint tool from eliseparts, it's just too much of a rip off. If I had a miller in the garage, it'd only take me 30 mins to knock one up.

 

Does anyone have access to an engineering shop who could make a batch for a possible group buy? If not I might make a trip down to my local one and ask them. 

 

I've put together a little drawing using info I've found on the internet and from measuring my own wishbones. I'm 99% sure the dimensions are right, but if someone who already has a tool could check, that'd be a great help

 

 

 

 

I'll check some you may want to do a therad stripping calc on the materal and bolts they have to take alot of force.

 

 

[LY_Scott]

Just borrow one?

[Gedi]

Just borrow one?

 

There aren't that many people up north to borrow from, most of the helping help happens further down south.

 

I've actually got access to a hydraulic press I could use, but I'd prefer to have a tool I can use at home. 

Plus, it'd be nice if we could get a load made up cheaply so we can pass on the benefits to other .org guys

[LY_Scott]

Could stick your neck out and ask though, postage is pretty cheap. Would also give you something to template from once you had it.

[techieboy]

postage is pretty cheap. 

 

Hmmm, not that cheap

 

[Gedi]

 

you may want to do a therad stripping calc on the materal and bolts they have to take alot of force.

 

 

But how much is 'a lot'? Is it useful to have a figure when we don't know how much pressure is required?

Also, won't that depend on the TS / amount of carbon in the block of mild steel?

 

I did a rough calc using 10.9 bolts. Assuming the tensile strength of mild steel is around 400MPa, we'd need a thread engagement length of ~16mm to maintain the integrity of the thread.

[techieboy]

Stretched and wrecked the threads on at least 2 sets of bolts in my balljoint remover. Think Sticky might have done the same when he borrowed it, as well. I gave up in the end and took them to a local tyre place and they pressed them out using their 20-tonne press and even then, they struggled with one (it finally let go with a bang and nearly took out the guy that was using the press ).

[Sticky]

Wondered when that pic was going to surface

 

I did indeed replace the bolts because I wanted to return the press in a very useable state. They do take a hammering!

 

I'm not planning on doing another refresh for a while so a tenner or so to borrow seems a good deal to me.

 

Might have to buy Matt a couple of drinks when we next cross paths so actually could cost a fortune

[LY_Scott]

I sent a SPLAM grill from Edinburgh to Joe in aylesbury for just over £3 recorded.   

[andywilson]

ive got a milling machine and lathe in my garage, don't mind making some depending on complexity

 

drawing doesn't seem to be working for me, can you pm me it?

 

thanks, andy

[techieboy]

I sent a SPLAM grill from Edinburgh to Joe in aylesbury for just over £3 recorded.  

 

The bloody tool does weigh nearly as much as a turdo though.

[Gedi]

Andy, that would be fantastic if you could. 

 

AutoCAD drawing : https://skydrive.liv...ABGkxEOqD3s8WVI

Exported to PNG : https://skydrive.liv...ABGkxEOqD3s8WVI

 

 

Updated drawing:

 

 

[andywilson]

cheers,

 

i'll take a look when I get home, looks easy

 

andy

[slindborg]

unless I'm mistaken, the two big plates want to be 30mm minimum

[Gedi]

unless I'm mistaken, the two big plates want to be 30mm minimum

 

How thick are the EP tools plates?

30mm would obviously be better, but I was trying to keep the cost down with 20mm.

 

I've spoken to Arno in the past who advised when he made his own, he did them at 20mm. He's changed loads using that tool without problems

Edited by Gedi, 04 June 2013 - 03:37 PM.

[andywilson]

20mm would be a lot easier for me to get hold of... and cheaper

[techieboy]

Each half is 12mm thick.

[Gedi]

This should have a considerable increase in strength over the EP tool then.

The top plate (without the thread) could really be much thinner than 20mm, but I thought it'd make more sense to do everything from the same flat bar

[Winstar]

 

 

you may want to do a therad stripping calc on the materal and bolts they have to take alot of force.

 

 

But how much is 'a lot'? Is it useful to have a figure when we don't know how much pressure is required?

Also, won't that depend on the TS / amount of carbon in the block of mild steel?

 

I did a rough calc using 10.9 bolts. Assuming the tensile strength of mild steel is around 400MPa, we'd need a thread engagement length of ~16mm to maintain the integrity of the thread.

 

 

mild (low carbon) steel is more like 280MPa, structural steel is ~350 MPa, you have to go to a pretty high strength steel to get 400MPa

 

I've got a tool up North, infact if you asked last weekend I could have had it taken to Bolton for you.

Edited by Winstar, 04 June 2013 - 03:56 PM.