[Meanchicken]

I'm upgrading to Power Disk Brakes. When installing the new spindles on my 68 SS, my Detroit Iron CDROM with the factory service manual says to torque the upper ball joint nut to 50 lbft and the lower to 65 lbft. This conflicts with the friendly advice given on the DIY Network Classic Car Restoration, where the nice person working on the 68 Camaro suspension said only to snug it and then back it off to line up the cotter pin hole.

I went with the service manual instructions and torqued to the recommended spec. Now my new spindles don't turn with ease. I can turn them back and forth with one hand, but they have a high level of resistance. The ball joints almost feel like they are binding up. Is this just the characteristic of a new ball joint? Should I expect it to lossen up as it breaks in?
...or do I need to loosen those ball joint nuts and free the buggers up a bit?

None of the rest of the steering linkage is hooked up yet, so the ball joints are the only source of resistance.

Advice please...

 

[chevymike]

Yes, tighten the ball joints to the recommended specs. New ones will be stiff, expecially when the suspension is at full droop. The ball joints are reaching the angle limit.

I think the DYI info is for the spindle nuts that hold the rotor/hub on. Those you want to snug up and just back off until you you line up the hole for the cotter pin. This sets the preload on the wheel bearings. Don't want these too tight or too loose.

Hope this helps.

 

[Brian Lewis]

Did you pump any new synthetic grease in yet?? Usually the crappy grease from the factory isn't enough, so I like to pump, move, pump, move, pump, move until I know that its packed tight with new Mobile 1 Synthetic grease.
Just rebuilt my whole front end, did it and had no problems with the spindle movement afte that.

 

[Meanchicken]

Thanks, I'll go out and try adding the lube. I have a tube of the the Mobile 1 Synthetic.

On the DIY network, they actually are talking about the ball joint castle nuts, believe it or not. I had recorded the episode on DIRECTV Tivo and have watched it a few times for reference.

The ball joints are those that came on my Global West tubular arms. They are supposed to be much better that a factory ball joint.

I guess I was just surprised at how much stiffer the turning action was compared to new, but your point about the arms in full drop is worth consideration since that is excactly where my suspension is....full drop.