uprgades for steering ball joints? (800cc)

Posts: 200

I have read about better steeing ball joints in bits and peices from different posts in the past, but I never got the full story myself... I tried searching but man the search on this site is pretty much useless.... I prefer a discussion with others anyway.

My driver side ball joint took a good beating and needs replacement. I plan to do both sides while Im at it. Has anyone had success with an alternative that will last longer than the chinese ball joints?

To me it seems these ball joints are the part easiest to wear out/ bend (besides 3 point axles) on these buggies.

Posts: 200

So I take it no ones looked into this yet? or they dont exist.....?

I guess I will just order stock replacements then...

Posts: 8 · Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 8 Pictures: 0

If your talking steering then I would use Heim joint thta whats they use on bigger ones.
Try Mcmaster Carr for those.

Posts: 200

yes I meant the steering rod ends

thanks for the info, I will check it out

Posts: 1273

I am not sure, but I may have been the poster. I broke a tie rod and was considering an upgrade to the steering system. I ended up getting a replacement system from Awsomebuggies it was easier to stay with the original, and the price was right.

So no upgrade. Try Dans's performance website or Desert kart, they had some upgrades.

Chris

Posts: 200

Yeah I think it was your post I read... thanks for the reply. I will check out desert kart but it ends up the rod ends on my buggy are not bent or broken, one of them had its protective boot dissolve and it 'froze up' and needed to be re-greased. But my steering alignment problem still exists even after I got everything to move smooth and tightened up the castle nuts.

Ever since I moved the stock shocks from the lower mount (on the A-arm) to the higher mount to get more ground clearance, my steering alignment has gone way off. Both tires point in, as if the steering rods are too long, so I went and tightened the ball joint ends down the shaft as tight as it could go (and there is still lots of thread left, WTF?) in order to shorten the rods overall length. It definitely helped but my tires are still both pionting in.... and I cant make the steering rods overall length any shorter because the rod ends cant tighten more. I cant figure it out... all I can think is the stupid chinese made the steering rods too long.... but if that is the case then why was the steering alignment fine when the shocks were in the lower mounts? wouldnt increasing the ground clearance cause the rods to 'become too short' because the a-arms are dropped out more?
Im just thinking its like when your rear swingarm drops out the axle must extend to make up for the increase in distance, isnt it the same basic geometry with the steering rods? so if the A-arms drop out more (while at rest) then doesnt the distance between the steering box and the wheel hub increase? so that would mean you would need longer steering rods, not shorter ones, correct? so then how the hell did my buggys steering arms end up too long and need to be shortened? Maybe I am thinking of this all wrong...??

Posts: 301

They did, among all the other Chinese ingenuitys. I wound up cutting off 1/2 "of thread off of both sides. And added an extra nut for security. Measure it 1st

Posts: 200

..wow...I cant belive I was right. thats ridiculous I really cant belive it... I spent two and a half hours effin' around with it, tweakin my brain. I thought for sure I must have bent something or did something wrong. Add one more to the list of 'genious' chinese engineering. Seriously we should make a thread devoted to the seemingly endless design flaws of the 800cc. I see new members with the old 800cc joining and they have no idea what they are in for... I think it could be helpful to others

thanks for confirming my suspicions Jojano. It seems like you and I have the same production run of roketas with the same problems. Thats why you have been so helpful to me Very Happy

Posts: 1273

Other than running mine into a tree...twice...I did not have any problems with it. I had plenty of room to adjust in and out, even after I hit the tree the first time and had to beat it back into shape and adjust for the stretch.

Chris

Posts: 200

I cut the steering rods down some like jojano said and it worked great. now I can get the wheels straight again Very Happy