You may recall my query about my ball joints?!?
Taking it apart it occurred that I may have asked the wrong question. On my car being an early one the transit ball joint is threaded through the wish
bone, thinking back to another builders car did MK change that to an unthreaded tube.
Seeing that mines threaded do I only need one nut (say on the inside nearest the joint) to satisfy mr SVA? if so then I have no problem, in not what
do I need? Here's a pic below just to help matters.
Thanks.
Rescued attachment balljoint.JPG
christ look at the size of that!!! I can see atoms...oops
here you go 
Rescued attachment MK Indy build pics 082.jpg
Hara!! I can sleep tonight!
Cheers very much.
What's the actual reason for needing a lock nut? It's not as if the top joint can move in/out without turning/breaking. And if it does, the lock nut won't help.
probably just don't like it wobbling about, might knacker the thread or something...
Lock nut is needed really, without it i would imagine the theads would get shagged on the drag link.
Ah, I'd assumed the fit would be good enough to prevent it turning at all.
nah I can turn it with my finger!
Nope the lock nut is definately needed...
Ours came a little loose and you could tell something was a little bit wrong with the feel of the car.
When you pushed the top wishbone up and down you could see it move..probably only the pitch of the thread in and out, but by the outside top of the
wheel this little bit of movement is exadurated.
We nipped it up by hand as a get you home and you could instantly feel the difference.
The thread will wear, and eventually fail if there is any movement at all, Hence the locknut to prevent any movement at all.
A few years ago a father and son were killed when the track rod end came adrift on their Series One Land Rover. (a Minimum of 50 years old)
The thread in the tube had rusted over the years, and eventually the forces on the rod end ripped it off.
OK it was old and worn (threads not the ball joint itself)
Two died as a result.
I would not like that to happen to anyone on here, due to leaving a nut off.
You know it makes sense.
and for safety i would put it on the inside to stop it pulling right through.
I've just put mine together (again), took some work and grease to get the TRE into the thread, it's not gonna move on it's own.
Also when we took the car to the SVA centre first time around, we didn't have the locknuts on and it was a failing point. The examiner explained
that it was to stop the TRE from moving and wearing the thread.
HTH 
quote:
Originally posted by locoboy
and for safety i would put it on the inside to stop it pulling right through.