Steering Rod Ball Joints

[nigelmercier]

The Steering Rod Ball Joints on my Bavaria have more play than I would like. They seem to have some form of fabric between the mating surfaces (see pictures).

Can this fabric be replaced? Can the ball joints be repaired otherwise?

 

[Norman_E]

Any decent bearing supplier will sell you new ones. I have personally not seen any with fabric between the surfaces, though teflon bearings are available. All you need to do is identify the thread, hole diameter, and overall length. Have a look here http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Female_Rod_End_-1073-c You can get them in stainless steel, but plated ones will be quite OK if you just give them a good coat of grease.

 

[mattnj]

ideally you need to replace them with heavy duty stainless steel ones, you cant repair them, Personally, I dont think normal steel even coated in grease has any place on a safety critical key part of a yacht, i just replaced mine, about £45 each delivered.

 

[Norman_E]

£45 each? Just how big are they? I would expect stainless or bronze to cost about double the normal steel price. From their appearance I am not convinced that the original ones are stainless as there appears to be some rust on them, though they may be.

 

[mattnj]

£45 each? Just how big are they? I would expect stainless or bronze to cost about double the normal steel price. From their appearance I am not convinced that the original ones are stainless as there appears to be some rust on them, though they may be.

mine are 16mm, from a a Dehler 38:-

http://www.springfix.co.uk/products/pdf/R3566-rod-ends-female-plain-bearing-stainless.pdf

 

[Norman_E]

Thats about right for 16mm size in Stainless, including VAT, but the ones in the photos, from the Bavaria appear smaller. Automotion Components quote £24.38 plus VAT for 12mm or 14mm sizes.

 

[nigelmercier]

The hole in the ball and the shaft both measure 19mm which is of course 0.75". 16TPI on threads, 0.7" in thread valleys - I think this is UNF.