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BOE 1/2link threading issue

1K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  ColoradoElise 
#1 ·
I've searched through the forums to see if anyone had a similar issue but I couldn't find anyone else with this particular issue.

I purchased the 1/2 link to reinforce the toe link, no plan on tracking the car but I've read enough horror stories that I don't want to take the chances. Chose the 1/2 link to keep the stock outer ball joint. Went to install. Drilled the holes just fine, but then when I went to thread the outer ball joint into the 1/2 link, it wouldn't line up. I looked closer and it looks like the threading in the 1/2 link is 7/16ths, but I can't tell what the threading is on this ball joint. Do I have a non OEM outer-ball joint I need to replace or is the issue with the toelink? I reached out to BOE and didn't hear anything so I'm trying to figure out best way to proceed. I reinstalled the prior toe links and torqued to spec. Don't know if I should avoid driving the car with the prior parts installed into the larger drilled holes?

:scratchhead:
 
#2 ·
You could have a none oem ball joint, but very unlikely.

I am pointing out the obvious so please bare with me. The toe rod will have a left hand thread in one end, and a right hand thread in the other, are you sure you have them the right way around??

:smile2:
 
#3 · (Edited)
Yeah I thought about that too and tried interchanging them but the thread pitch still didn't line up. I though maybe there was a piece I was missing but the OEM link bolts straight into the joint. I figure I'm going to have to order two outboard ball joints off eliseparts to replace the ones currently on the car, but I just can't figure out which of the two options I found on eliseparts to proceed with. Both appear to have different threading, one uses a M12x1.5 nyloc nut and the other uses a M10x1.25 nyloc nut.

I guess what I need to know is the measurements of the part the 1/2 link is meant to screw into, as I'm quite a noob when it comes to figuring out the threading and diameter based on the numbers above.

I could do trial and error but its about $50 a try.
 
#4 ·
I understand your predicament. Went out into my garage and checked mine. To me it looks like my stock/oem outer ball joint thread is 12mm in size, but I don't have enough room to measure the pitch. Looks like 1mm, but that's just a guess. My toe rods are from InoKinetic, but yours should be the same on the outer ball joint end.

Best I can do, hope you get it figured out.
 
#5 · (Edited)
UPDATE: I found my old toe rods and measured the threads. The outer ball joint end is a RIGHT HAND 12mmX1.25mm pitch.

The 12mmx1.5 with nyloc nut is the thread size for the nut securing the balljoint to the upright, not the toe rod thread size.

:grin2:
 
#6 ·
Sounds like you need to figure out what size everything you have is. Perhaps the thread is different between the new toe link and the ball joint external thread. You mention the size is 7/16", but is it 7/16"-14 or 7/16"-20? (My guess is 7/16"-20 for finer adjustment) The -20 is number of threads per inch, so you can lay the bolt on a ruler and count. If the thread pitch doesn't match, they may start threading, but you won't get far. If you want to check if the internal thread on the link is the same, you can thread in a known fastener, or use a thread checker, like the image below. A lot of hardware stores have these for reference above their bolts and you can bring in your pieces and test the threads.

Same can go with the bolts you have to determine if they're M10 or M12 just by measuring the shank of the bolt. This can help you solve which bolts you would need to reorder. Otherwise just find some cheap parts from the local hardware store of known size and determine what size you need to order. Don't use the cheap parts in the assembly, but just use them for sizing. That would be far cheaper than a $50 gamble.

If you've already enlarged the holes that the toe links attach to the frame, my advice would be DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT THE RIGHT SIZE FASTENER IN THE HOLE. The slop will allow the bolt to move if the clamp load is overcome and it could make the hole become larger for even when you have the larger bolt installed. Also, if the smaller stock bolt were to move while driving, your alignment could snap between different positions while driving, and that's just not safe. Now, I don't know how much larger the new holes are than the old and I'm sure you could go for short distances at low speeds and be fine, but don't start daily driving it on the highway with the improper sized fasteners installed. This coming from a worry wort of an engineer, so take that for what it is.
 

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