Ball joint...

[Mark-]

Hello,

Applying some grease to the chassis this afternoon and discovered the rubber boot on top of the ball joint, at the end of the drag link, was decayed and following off.

I read getting part numbers from REV might be more difficult, as of late.

Any ideas where I might find the correct ball joint part number?
This coach has the RR4R chassis.

Mark

I was thinking about taping some plastic around the ball joint to stop dirt from getting in the joint until it can be replaced. Good idea?

[Happycarz]

The tie rod ends are just truck tie rod ends. Which end is the bad one? Is the other end starting to deteriorate also. Someone might chime in and let you know if you can just change the boot and where to get it. Or, you might have to change the tie rod end.

The front tie rod end is tack welded in place, due to the drag link being bent to clear tire on full turn. Sometimes the weld can be ground off and then the tie rod end can be in screwed. Then a thread chaser run down the drag link to clean up the threads.

It sounds like a lot of work, but price out a new one from Source Engineering or Kaiser Brake and Alignment, both in the Eugene, OR area.

If bad one is on the end that unscrews, you could remove it and match it up at a HD truck parts house. Kroil is a real good penetrating oil if the drag link is rusty.

[Mark-]

Thanks for the response.

Originally Posted by Happycarz

Which end is the bad one?

It is the ball joint at the end of the drag link connecting to the wheel.

Originally Posted by Happycarz

Is the other end starting to deteriorate also.

The other end, attached to the Pitman arm, is solid and appears fine.

[Happycarz]

Mark, clean the drag link to see which end is tack welded. On mine, it is the one connected to the pitman arm. Hopefully yours is the same.

[Mark-]

Originally Posted by Happycarz

Mark, clean the drag link to see which end is tack welded. On mine, it is the one connected to the pitman arm. Hopefully yours is the same.

OK

Thanks for your time.

Mark

[Happycarz]

Mark, I must have been remembering one of my previous motorhomes. Sorry, but as you can see from picture below the non removable end was staked pretty heavily. The other end has a clamp on it and can be removed.
Maybe your clamped end is the bad one, where it can be replaced. If is not, then one of the two suppliers above can make you one.

Sorry about the miss information.

[Mark-]

Originally Posted by Happycarz

Sorry about the miss information.
Attachment 197523

No problem here. You have been a great help. That end of the drag link looks exactly as the one on this coach. The other end is threaded and has a clamp around the drag link to secure the threaded ball joint.

So, it looks like the complete drag link must be replaced. Why would a designer not allow for both ends to be replaced? A strength issue? Cost?

Mark

[Happycarz]

They crimp one end so the drag link can never twist out of position, due to the dog leg in it. The dog leg is there to keep drag link from rubbing on tire during full turns, one way. If it were a straight drag link, both ends would be removable.

[BillR10950]

I spent weeks trying to find a new grease boot for my 06 Dynasty. I tried a number of possibilities from different supply houses but nothing worked properly. I finally broke down and ordered a whole new drag link to the tune of $1200. The coach has 60k on it so i figured it was probably time to go ahead and replace. I had saran wrap and duct tape on it for the last trip and it seemed to do a good job at keeping the dirt out but not a perm fix.

[super_rep]

Originally Posted by BillR10950

I finally broke down and ordered a whole new drag link to the tune of $1200. .

Kaiser Alignment in Eugene, OR will supply any Monaco drag link for a little over 1/2 of Monaco parts price.

[Mark-]

Thanks for all the responses.

After talking with a fellow at Kaiser Brake and Alignment, he suggested, if the ball joint was good, just replace the boot. He said a “4617” ball joint should be the correct size boot.

I found a ball joint at NAPA and found a trucker service center (Central Texas Truck Center | truck repair | semi repair | diesel truck repair | semi repairs | tire repair | semi tire repair | truck parts | truck accessories | truck hydrolic hoses | brenham tx | austin tx | houston tx | central texas) that would swap out the boot.

The shop (great service) checked the ball joint and said it was good.

Getting the boot off the new ball joint was easy. It is pressed on with a metal ring and a tap with a chisel and hammer, the boot and ring came right off.
The old ball joint, the boot was not pressed on. It was help in place by compression between the drag link and the upper arm.

Getting the old ball joint disconnected from the upper arm did take some effort. The wheel had to come off to get better access.

The mechanic replaced the boot and off I went.

Both companies, A+.

[BillR10950]

Thanks Mark, I 'll see if this boot will fit my "new" spare draglink.