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  View original topic: Ball Joints Don't Fit in Eccentrics
SlugBugLV Wed Apr 27, 2022 4:36 pm

I ordered new Ball Joints for my '66 Beetle from Wolfsburg West. A local shop pressed them into the torsion arms and I installed them. The first thing I noticed was that the washers did not fit over the BJ threads, so I drilled them out. When to trying to put the upper BJ into the eccentric, it does not seat. It appears that the BJ taper is too large to fit into the eccentric (see pics). I called WCM and they said there are no other BJ's for this year, so I must have the wrong size eccentrics (?). I have since ordered a new set of eccentrics from WW, after confirming that their eccentrics have larger openings in them. I am hoping they will fit into the hole in the steering knuckle.

Has anyone seen this before? Are there different sizes eccentrics (smaller) on other VW models and someone along they way swapped out steering knuckles, BJ's, etc.?







runamoc Thu Apr 28, 2022 6:33 pm

'67 'stuff' was of a smaller diameter that '69 'stuff'. Like tie rod ends and inner wheel bearings, not sure of ball joints.

heimlich Sat Apr 30, 2022 8:55 am

What was the brand of ball joint?

SlugBugLV Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:30 am

Wolfsburg West does not state brand and their tech guy says these are the only BJ's they sell:

Description: BALL JOINT, 1966-1970 Bug, 1971-1977 standard Beetle, lower, fits left and right, each. German.

[email protected] Sat Apr 30, 2022 5:43 pm

Thing eccentrics have a larger hole for a larger joint shaft. Maybe the joints you received are mistakenly packaged Thing joints.

SlugBugLV Sun May 01, 2022 11:39 pm

Thanks for the replies, I am still waiting for my new eccentrics.

Does anyone know if all eccentrics are the same OD, meaning - will the ones that fit my BJ's, still fit into the hole in the steering knuckle..

[email protected] Mon May 02, 2022 5:21 am

I would get a caliper, do some measuring, and calling on specs before ordering any more parts. There are three different eccentrics similar to a Beetle, Type 1 for Beetle/Ghia, Type 181 for Thing, and Type 2 for the Bay Buses. Pretty sure a Bus Ball joint isn’t going to fit in a Beetle torsion arm, so that pretty much rules that out. Either your ball joint was made incorrectly, or packaged incorrectly. In the hundreds of joints I’ve installed in arms/on cars, I’ve never had an issue with the eccentric not fitting properly with at least five different manufacturers joints. Any of the aftermarket eccentrics I’ve used have been the exact dimensions of the stock ones, outside, and inside diameter. I’m going to assume the new eccentrics you get are going to do the same thing as the ones you have.

Busstom Mon May 02, 2022 5:16 pm

Too bad auto parts manufacturers/distributors don't do exactly what McMaster-Carr does for all of their hardware/tooling products: publish detailed 2D illustrations of every critical aspect of said part. In this case, a drawing might include the min/max serrated cup interface diameter, taper diameters top and bottom, taper length, taper angle, thread specs and usable thread (stud) length, and so on. This way if one had drawings of all mating pieces, it's the consumer who can successfully order with confidence and piece together all of his/her parts knowing that it will all go together. Yeah, auto parts companies and retailers suck dicks in this regard.

Rant over.



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