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Escort MK2 Ball Joint Thread Sizes
Furyous - 8/9/14 at 10:52 PM

What are the thread sizes on mk2 Escort steering rack and lower wishbone ball joints? I've lost my nuts and don't have any in my garage that fit. They're definitely imperial size. (Who keeps spare imperial nuts these days!)

blakep82 - 8/9/14 at 11:21 PM

Mk2 will be metric (mk1 was imperial)
Track rod lock nuts, m14, ball joint studs, not sure, can only be m8 or m10 though?

Furyous - 8/9/14 at 11:35 PM

Ah, if they're M14 that could explain why the M12s weren't quite going on. Pretty sure the ones on the steering arm aren't M10 though.

britishtrident - 9/9/14 at 07:28 AM

The lock nuts for the track rods on Mk2 are M14x2. Ie they are 2mm pitch. Take care you get 2mmm pitich not the more common 1.75 pitch.
The balljoint retaining nuts could be anything as different component manufacturers used different threads you will need to measure them with callipers and a thread pitch gauge. It is not impossible for them to be UNF. NB. UNF is an inch thread BUT it is not an imperial thread.

Furyous - 9/9/14 at 07:38 AM

Ok, I've measured the ball joint threads and they're about 11.0 mm and 11.8mm. Any idea what they would be? They're definitely not metric. Without a pitch gauge I could buy nuts and see how smoothly they fit, but I need a starting point.

britishtrident - 9/9/14 at 07:44 AM

quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
Mk2 will be metric (mk1 was imperial)
Track rod lock nuts, m14, ball joint studs, not sure, can only be m8 or m10 though?


Mk1 Escort definitely did not have Imperial threads, it had Unified Threads ie. UNF and UNC.
Unified Threads are essential based on US. SAE threads, the reason for this was to avoid the problems with operating mixed fleets of British and US military equipment during WW2. Essentially any UK vehicle introduced to the market between about 1950 and 1972 will have Unified Threads.


Imperial threads are the tradditional Whitworth threads the most common ones are BSF, BSW and cycle threads. The last vehicle sold in the UK with any Imperial Threads was the Morris Minor.

britishtrident - 9/9/14 at 08:03 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Furyous
Ok, I've measured the ball joint threads and they're about 11.0 mm and 11.8mm. Any idea what they would be? They're definitely not metric. Without a pitch gauge I could buy nuts and see how smoothly they fit, but I need a starting point.


There are different pitches of metric threads. M12 is commonly found in 1.25, 1.5 or 1.75 mm pitch with M14 the range of commonly used pitches is even wider.

An 11.8 mm major diameter points toward an M12 thread.

11/16" UNF would measure closer to 11 mm major dia UNF threads look very finely pitched when compared to the most commonly used metric threads on cars.

[Edited on 9/9/14 by britishtrident]