ball joint rubbers

[vmx12vmx12vmx12]

put all new ball joints on my Thing....unfortunately I tore a couple of the new rubbers...what would you do.....and is it easy to do....?

Thanks...will be posting a few pics my Thing since getting it back from paint.

Morgan
_________________
"Don't you say another word about dat boy. Fact'o business, don't you say another word to me. I ain't listening to you no more mmmhhmm"---Slingblade---"I like them French fried potaters"

[kubelmann]

Not to worry. You are far from the first person to do this. Buy new German or (Uretahne if you prefer) boots , take the ball joint bottom nuts off. Gently pull them off of the spindle, one by one replace the boots. I did a front end this winter and I tore all 4 boots as a result of the new swayaway front torsion springs and the severe cut and turned Thing beam. Very tough and tight... It took less than an hour to replace the three boots I tore. I used Urethane units... Again you are not the first person to do this. The good news is you will not have to deal wiht nuts rusted in place for 30+ years///// The biggest hassle is that the folsk i know who sell these boots have a $ minimum shipping. So if thats all you need you willhave to buy a t-shirt or something to get the 4 boots/ That is why I did the last one in Urethane. I had 4 of those boots on hand.

[Ian Epperson]

[kubelmann]

The one I put together did not wiggle. Are you sure you got all the leafs in the channel correctly. I find that part to be kind of tough.

[Ian Epperson]

When I put together the top spring (last night after posting this) I found that the springs were not in order - thanks CIP!! Neatly bound, NOT oiled or greased, NOT in the proper order. I even found one leaf had been broken and welded - I didn't use that one.

So, now I'm wondering if I've replaced the correct springs with the SAW replacement. If the stack were out of order, it may not have the correct angle on it.

Also, I'm beginning to doubt that the springs are Thing specific - the bug springs fit perfectly and seem to be identical.

[kubelmann]

I suspected that your leafs were in the wrong orderand that caused the misfit but did not want to add more to the mix. I have put them in wrong before and had that loose deal. I have a 73 bug and a set of 73 Thing leafs out of the beam. You can measure all day long but this will not solve this question. Spring rate is the deal. There is no way that bug adn Thing are the same. NO way!! considering other mods to the front end the German military would not go for that. I put in a set of SAW springs in a front end but i got them direct from SAW... that deal of a welded leaf would have made me go nuts!!!!! I would be red hot fumming. Rebuilding a front end is a very personal sort of deal for me and if I bought top $$ stuff that was junk I would...... not use it and get good stuff. When I get burned I just suck it up and go on with getting the parts I need. I have built a few front ends and have a few more to do. I have others press in the ball joints ( I lack the tools) I bang out the old tie rod ends and replace with good new German ones. willnever ever cut and turn a beam again without adjusters or without a hook and pin limiter. But once you personally build a front end and get it installed and working, it makes driving the car a dream come true..

[Ian Epperson]

[74 Thing]

I saw that aircooled.net has 4 ball joint boots for a Type1 for $15.00-I wonder if they will fit the Thing ball joints? Where do you find the urethane boots and my question is how do they hold up during daily driving since there is no give to them so it seems that some debris may be able to work itself between the boot and ball joint.

[vmx12vmx12vmx12]

Well I will need some...I thought I wasnt in too much trouble here....thanks for your response. I vaguelly remember seeing a clip that needs to be taken off...but it looked easy. Will type 1 rubbers fit?
_________________
"Don't you say another word about dat boy. Fact'o business, don't you say another word to me. I ain't listening to you no more mmmhhmm"---Slingblade---"I like them French fried potaters"

[kubelmann]

I work my hardest to refrain from making negative posts but.... I must post this. CIP has gone low stock and high advertising. They find high interest parts post on the web sell the stock and then do the out of stock issue for months on end. I am over them.. Even the quality has taken as split. There are a number of VW parts suppliers that have gone to poor parts and fast bucks... This is not a new trend. 40 years ago I had to ask the VW dealer if they were German or Brazilian and then Mexican parts. I recently bought a part that was stamped Hecho en Israel. Kosher VW parts. awesome///

[vmx12vmx12vmx12]

thanks for the update Kebel.....

am I able to use Balljoint boots from a type 1?
_________________
"Don't you say another word about dat boy. Fact'o business, don't you say another word to me. I ain't listening to you no more mmmhhmm"---Slingblade---"I like them French fried potaters"

[mattt]

Yes, ball joint boots from std. T-1 ball joints work on 181 ball joints. BTDT...

I got mine from Wolfsburg West.

[uberautowerks]

The Type one boots are a bit tight at the "Shaft", as the 181 shafts are larger, but as said before they will suffice. I would warm them a bit so they don't tear at the shaft. The "Clip" referred to is a bugger. It's around the base of the joint and wraps around the joint, kinda threaded like. Does that make sense? You have to grab one end and "Unthread" them. I send the kids in so I can curse at will when the end slips off and jabs me in the finger!!!

CIP sucks, why do people still shop there?

And... 181 front torsion pack are specific to the 181, they are dimensionally identical to Bug units but 181's are stiffer. Personally I like to use the Bug units as I feel the softer front end provides more articulation.

Anyway, I'm babbling now, Later
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--- The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair.
- Douglas Adams -
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'71 Single cab (White too)
'70 Weekender (White three)
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