[T3] Fixed last suspension problems, floppy rotted ball joints

["Martinez, Leon" <martinezl@ftscpac.navy.mil>]

After replacing the top bearings , arms 
and thrust bushings last week , I had to
 finish the bottom part. I removed my 
bottom arms and bars, they were in perfect 
condition, unlike top suspension rotted 
bearing, arms and damaged thrust bushings.
I guess the previous owners did grease
the bottom arms regularly and ignored the 
top arms for 30 years.

 This weekend I found very deteriorated
bottom ball joints, the drivers side was
so bad that when I pulled it out, the center
shaft was flopping around very loosely. 
I measured the play and it was around almost
1/4 inch. The passinger side ball joint 
was much worse, it had scalely chunks of 
of rusty particles suspended in a brown
paste. When I cleaned the ball joint,
I noticed that the ball was deformed and
had very deep pits. It looked like it was
so corroded that it was smaller than the
first one I pulled out. This ball looked
like it was about to pull out and cause me
a very serious accident. These were the original
VW stamped ball joints.

Good thing I caught
it before it happened. It happened to me
before with a Volvo, good comotion on the
freeway !

I cannot stress greasing the suspension 
enough, it is not only for the car's well 
being but for our own personal saftey.

I have a question , since my new ball 
joints have no grease fittings, will
greasing with a needle until the 
rubber seal slightly puffs up be as 
effective? Is it possible to drill and tap 
the new ball joint stem to give it 
greasing capability? I wish to make these 
last longer than the originals by good
periodic greasing.

Another question , has anyone looked at
page 177 in the hayes manual ? 
It shows two kinds of rubber axle collars.
The modified collars are used to correct
castor. Maybe the lowered darksider's
can benefit from this. They can correct 
their bad caster adjustment caused by 
lowering, this can give them better-
safer handling, maybe even give their
car a sportcar feel. They can put 
different peices of rubber from hoses to
tire tube rubber on the bottom axle tube
mount until their castor is corrected.
Check it out , maybe someone can try this 
and document this on one of the type 3 sites.

I went the other way and raised my car by
a couple of inches this weekend, seems 
to drive well,  dirt road and pot 
hole friendlier for me .


LEON MARTINEZ

1969 SQUAREBACK EFI/AUTO
SAN DIEGO AND TIJUANA

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