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LX Torana cracking around lower balljoint seat on LCA.


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#1 ben23

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 12:32 AM

Hey guys just wondering if anyone has had cracking around the balljoint seat on LH/X/UC lower control arms? Both of mine are cracked it seems. Alright to just reset them and get them welded up?



#2 Heath

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 08:09 AM

If you are going to, you know to drill out the end of the crack to prevent it propagating further?

To answer your question though; I've never seen or heard of cracking in that area. Photos?

#3 mick_in_oz

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 07:48 PM

I had a broken/cracked one floating about, but someone had beat it to death with a hammer while changing a ball joint with the arm still in the car.

 

Other than that, have never seen a cracked one.

 

Suspension components are not supposed to be welded.



#4 ls2lxhatch

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 11:03 PM

I have seen a few posts over the years regarding cracks in the LCA.

 

http://www.gmh-toran...cked-wish-bone/

 

http://www.gmh-toran...om-ball-joints/


Edited by ls2lxhatch, 28 June 2016 - 11:04 PM.


#5 ben23

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Posted 05 July 2016 - 11:03 PM

13592304_10209239904529965_7800250350247

 

13620117_10209239904489964_7869143378019



#6 _LS1 Taxi_

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Posted 05 July 2016 - 11:22 PM

Jesus.
Was the car jumped or an ex-rally car?

#7 ben23

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Posted 05 July 2016 - 11:31 PM

Who knows haha



definitely not ex rally, the owner before the bloke I bought it off was an old guy, had it put on gas and just putted around in it, dunno how the other blokes treated it



Thinking about sticking the old balljoint back in, trying to get it lined back up and getting it TIG'ed up. Either that or try and find a good set of control arms



#8 76lxhatch

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Posted 06 July 2016 - 06:54 AM

The first photo makes it look like its been attacked before. Although they could be fixed safely its probably just as easy/cheap to simply replace them, they're not that hard to find as yet.



#9 Statler

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Posted 06 July 2016 - 11:24 AM

Just MIG it up. :) 

 

Weld from 1 side, back grind a prep & weld the other side. 



#10 ozyozyozy

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Posted 06 July 2016 - 07:47 PM

I agree, looks like its been attacked before.
I could be wrong but looks like some metal has been removed near the ball joint were the crack is at the edge.

#11 ben23

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Posted 09 July 2016 - 01:29 AM

The one you see here had been ground back by my mate to see the full extent of the crack. He TIG'd them back up and they now look like nothing was ever wrong. All sorted now. Also I hear that its steering components, not suspension components that shouldn't be welded (although its heresay once again)



#12 Bigfella237

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Posted 09 July 2016 - 06:29 AM

Attached File  Welding Suspension and Steering.JPG   91.28K   1 downloads



#13 Statler

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Posted 09 July 2016 - 10:50 AM

Try & convince me that the 'competent person' who welded on the balljoint boss at the factory was actually 'competent'! 

 

Take any one of these into a weld test inspector & ask him/her for their opinion. lol



#14 Bigfella237

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Posted 09 July 2016 - 11:29 AM

I don't think there are any welds on a factory A-arm are there, they look like they were stamped from a single sheet of metal?

 

EDIT: Ah okay I see what you're talking about with the ring that the BJ pressed into.


Edited by Bigfella237, 09 July 2016 - 11:33 AM.


#15 ozyozyozy

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Posted 09 July 2016 - 07:35 PM

Because it has cracked in that way, just welding the gap back together is prob not enough, if its not chased in and welded all the way through.
Would need a little extra bracing in that i would think, otherwise risk cracking again.

#16 I'm a Red Motor fiend

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Posted 10 July 2016 - 07:09 AM

There's no way i'd weld that and put it back in. Where else may the arm be fatigued? Not like they are hard to find and hard to change over.....

#17 ben23

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Posted 11 July 2016 - 06:36 PM

Well my mate is a qualified boilermaker and has done stuff far more involved than this, including working on mining gear. I trust his work, it's gotta be better than it was cracked, that's for sure. Better to try and save a set of LCA's rather than throw another lot in the bin. I'm a fairly cautious person so if I was worried at all, in the bin they would go but I'm happy to save them, the car is just gonna be a once a weekend cruiser by the time its done, nothing crazy.



#18 ozyozyozy

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Posted 11 July 2016 - 09:55 PM

👍🏽, just keep a close eye on that for a while tho.
Its a fairly stress point

#19 ben23

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Posted 11 July 2016 - 11:15 PM

Will do! Always pretty vigilant about any repairs like that so I'll be keeping an eye on it. 



#20 ben23

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Posted 11 July 2016 - 11:21 PM

There's no way i'd weld that and put it back in. Where else may the arm be fatigued? Not like they are hard to find and hard to change over.....

I get you but every other second hand arm is just as old and tired who says they aren't fatigued and about to crack somewhere anyways. Mine are no worse off now than a pair of seemingly good condition lower control arms. It was repaired by a professional welder.



#21 Statler

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Posted 12 July 2016 - 11:57 AM

It's only the guys who can't weld that throw them away. :) 



#22 _Ls1_sshatch_

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 12:37 PM

It's only the guys who can't weld that throw them away. :) 


Or the guys like me who accumulate parts and have 3 complete front ends sitting in there shed.
If you want another lower arm just let me know, I'm just about to rip one apart

#23 ben23

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Posted 22 July 2016 - 07:23 PM

All good bud mine are welded back up and ready to go in when I can be arsed haha. Cheers!



#24 piquet

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Posted 23 July 2016 - 10:13 AM

BIN IT.

Repairs of that nature are a disaster waiting to happen at any time any place and at any speed.. At low speed the damage would be slight and be embarrasing at HIGH speed its an instant killer of maybe not yourself but others.

 

Just do yourself a favour and cut it up and scrap bin it so it cant be used.



#25 ben23

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Posted 24 July 2016 - 08:23 PM

As opposed to when they were cracked and driven on for 20 years after? I probably had more chance of them breaking on the 3 hour drive home from picking it up then I'll ever have. Its a fair bet they are safer now then they have ever been. Another set of used ones cracked or not are going to be just as tired.






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