Steering--ball joint question.

[mike_wa]

I had to replace a ball joint on my Cub Cadet 3235. It is on the upper left front wheel that connects to the steering actuator arm.

Question: How far do I thread the ball joint onto the actuator arm?

Maybe someone could look on theirs to see how far it's on there. Do you see any threads on the acuator arm? Probably doesn't matter if it's the exact same model or not. I know it will matter as far as steering radius is concerned. I ran it all the way on, tightened the lock nut. It seems to turn pretty sharp that way, not sure how much more I'll get if I backed it out a little though. There is only 1" worth of threads anyway, so the most I could safely back it out is probably 1/2", if that.

A mechanic at the Cub dealership said to back it out halfway and see how I liked the turning radius. Since the ball joint is aluminum and the actuator arm is steel I'm not comfortable backing it out too much. I would rather sacrifice some turning radius than strength. The whole reason I'm having to replace it is because the actuator arm pulled out and stripped the threads inside the ball joint. Personally, I don't think half way (leaving 1/2" inside) is enough.

Thanks in advance for your comments.
Mike

 

[DmansPadge]

I can't give you a direct answer. I would think you would need atleast 1/2" of threads in. I would also recommend using some anti-seize on the treads. Aluminum and steel don't mix very well!

 

[GerardC]

<font color="blue"> How far do I thread the ball joint onto the actuator arm?</font>

I believe maximum strength is 1 1/2 times the thread diameter. Seeing some threads shouldn't hurt anything.

1/2"=3/4"
3/4"=1 1/8"
1"=1 1/2"