Front ball joints

[57tudor]

Bob Lee and I had the same problem. We had ordered new upper and lower ball joints from Concours when we restored his 57 six years ago. Bob took his old ball joints and went to the local part store and got the right ones. And they were made in the USA. I think Concours gets them for across the pond and I wonder how many were returned to them for this issue!

Rick,
57 Tudor

[hiball3985]

Jim, just got back from epay and the upper Moogs #K8212 are easily available and reasonably priced. they are stamped steel with obviously a slim shank, so they should fit the A arm openings. I will get a set of those. I will further investigate the lower ones and inspect how much trimming my new ones will need.

Aren't the K8212 for the 65 and later models?

[canadian_ranchero]

1957 to 1978 use the same upper ball joint

[RICH MUISE]

I don't think I have any issues with mine...at least didn't seem like I had any fitment problems way back when. But now you guys got me wondering. I got mine from Concorse as well, but maybe 8 years or so ago. This is a pic of my lower, it may also be helpful for DJ to compare his control arm against mine.

[djfordmanjack]

Thanx Rich, that is how my control arms look, to every little detail. So they are 57. also the same style of rubber bump stop, slots for the oem stabilizer mounts aso. I just don't want to believe that they are selling stuff that doesn't fit ( although it seems NONE of those aftermarket items ever fits. Let's not talk about their quality and how long they will last in everday use. I am going to get my old ones out of the pile and see what brand they are. They fit perfectly and were still good without any play. hopefully they will be old made in the USA stuff. Like Jay mentioned, I fear that new Moog replacements might lack in quality too, unfortunately.

[Ecode70D]

    Rich
    Thanks for those nice clear pictures.   I was feeling around my upper ball joints the other day and noticed that the middle upper ball joint bolt is facing up instead of down like the other two.  So Henry had a reason to do just that.   
     Your car must be some sort of a proto type, because I don't see any way to hook up the drum brakes.  HAHA
Jay

[RICH MUISE]

Couldn't remember why I had put one bolt facing up, I guess from what yours is, I was just replicating what Ford did.
From the issues Rick had, it sounds like I lucked out and maybe got ball joints from Concorse prior to the switching to offshore stuff.
It seems like I remember Moog was working on a new line of upper end ball joints to resolve the issues forced on us with the inport (misspelled, but seems more accurate, lol).

[lalessi1]

These are the lower ball joints I used...$54 each delivered, excellent quality, exact fit.  I used Moog uppers from Rock Auto, if I remember right they were made in Mexico. The middle upper bolt is integral with the upper bump stop, has to go that way...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1957-64-Ford-Mercury-58-60-Thunderbird-Full-Size-Lower-Ball-Joints-/121723689984?fits=Year%3A1959%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item1c574c1c00:g:YSgAAOSwjVVVw357&vxp=mtr

[djfordmanjack]

Lynn, those ball joints look good ! they have a sharp corner around the shank, not a rounded cove like the ones I got.
Well - thank you, I guess now I can stop looking for those 2 missing upside down bolts and take those upper rubber bump stop studs instead.....