Telelever Ball Joint

winny · Post by **winny** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:11 pm

Hi all,

I've been noticing a knock coming from the forks and the handling's been off for a little while now. So I decided to have a proper look at the weekend whilst I had the front wheel out for a new tyre.

Low and behold, it's only the nut on the top of the ball joint on the telelever thats started to come loose. Looked in the Haines manual and that says early models did suffer from this problem and later models had a lock nut fitted. What gets me, is why didn't they use a double nut system as is on all car suspensions?

Anyway, rant over, tightened said nut, bike handling a million times better and off to find a lock nut!

Take care out there people.

John

gus · Post by **gus** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:51 pm

YeP
mine came loose a couple of times,locktight and a tippex mark for easy checking seemed to help me keep on top of it.Good idea about the lock nut.
gus

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:02 pm

Sounds funny,but I don't think it comes loose;I think the constant action of bumps etc actually wears away the contact area on the wishbone/ball joint mating surfaces.
My bike was fitted with the later lock nut type affair and it still had slop in it after many thousands of miles.
It should be checked for play every 15K miles.
Bailey.

gus · Post by **gus** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:48 pm

Bailey
Good observation mate.Didnt think of the wear factor,well except maybe the ball joint/socket getting sloppy.
I suppose it dont help bumping up and down curbs or using sleeping policemen as launch ramps!
gus

Boxadog 2000 · Post by **Boxadog 2000** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:16 pm

The bad news folks is that you cant just put a socket on the nut and tighten it up, as the ball joint spins when you apply the correct torque.

You need a special socket that has a cut out in it to allow you to use a hex key to hold the ball joint whilst tightening the nut, a bit like the tool required for paralever bearings.

Oh and by the way yes I do have the socket for the telever ball joint.

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:32 pm

What's the score with your selling bike fingy there Bob?
Bailey.

winny · Post by **winny** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:49 pm

Cheers Bailey, interesting point. Anyone any ideas about how much wear they can have before needing replacement? Mine's only done 27500 miles and needed over half a turn to tighten.

John

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:01 pm

Well it's one of those 'piece of string' questions.Depends how you ride the bike,if you like doing wheelies,and if you like nutting cyclists, it may well need adjusting more frequently

Bailey.

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:06 pm

Boxadog 2000 wrote:The bad news folks is that you cant just put a socket on the nut and tighten it up, as the ball joint spins when you apply the correct torque.

You need a special socket that has a cut out in it to allow you to use a hex key to hold the ball joint whilst tightening the nut, a bit like the tool required for paralever bearings.

Oh and by the way yes I do have the socket for the telever ball joint.

Or you can get your arm done bionic style like mine....with a built in torque meter.
It has 4 settings:not so tight,a bit tighter,tight,and feckin tight.
I can only use the last setting after liberal amounts of spinach

Bailey.

gus · Post by **gus** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:46 pm

Bailey.
Bit below the belt that one.

I think i just took the soft option!
Torque for telelever ball joint+Spanner+2 ft tubing+eyes popping out me head=tight ball joint and a little passing of wind!
gus

julian · Post by **julian** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:12 pm

Ah yes - I think I'm getting that disjointed articulated feeling.

Thought it was brake pads bouncing around on the pins and worn front tyre, but the clicking is definitely there and not going away.

Bob - can I borrow your magic spanner please?

winger · Post by **winger** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:53 pm

Easy to check just sit on the bike put fronts brakes and rock the bike backwards and forward clunk!!!!,bin there done that,i just use a big f/off wring spanner and odd sized allen key!! and Baileys technique

julian · Post by **julian** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:09 pm

winger wrote:Easy to check just sit on the bike put fronts brakes and rock the bike backwards and forward clunk!!!!,bin there done that,i just use a big f/off wring spanner and odd sized allen key!! and Baileys technique

It's not that bad yet but it is most pronounced whan one wheel is in a rut or across overbanding - that's several times a day in London. Also bad tipping into corners - but fine when leant over - and after a hard stop and fast start there's a 'click'.

Boxadog 2000 · Post by **Boxadog 2000** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:59 pm

No problem Julian just say when you want it.

By the way if anybody needs a new ball joint I have one.

Bob

julian · Post by **julian** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:38 pm

Boxadog 2000 wrote:No problem Julian just say when you want it.

By the way if anybody needs a new ball joint I have one.

Bob

Thanks Bob - I'll call you this week. Will take your ball if mine is knackered.

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Telelever Ball Joint

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