Getting cotter pin through ball joint

[scherp69]

So as the title says, I have a question about getting the cotter pin through the ball joint. I'm have Moog 5108 ball joints and I have the nut tight, but it hasn't gone far enough to allow the cotter pin to go through. In the past if I've gone too tight, then the entire shaft starts turning and then I can't tighten it up at all so I ended up replacing them. At $38 each, I don't want to keep replacing them. I can get the cotter pin through one side, but it won't come out the other. Any advice?? Thanks in advance.

[Blake Foster]

if it is really tight, the nut i mean, just back it off one notch, but make sure you are really pulling onthe 3/4 wrench thata how tight they should be then just back it off

[gearheads78]

Originally Posted by scherp69

So as the title says, I have a question about getting the cotter pin through the ball joint. I'm have Moog 5108 ball joints and I have the nut tight, but it hasn't gone far enough to allow the cotter pin to go through. In the past if I've gone too tight, then the entire shaft starts turning and then I can't tighten it up at all so I ended up replacing them. At $38 each, I don't want to keep replacing them. I can get the cotter pin through one side, but it won't come out the other. Any advice?? Thanks in advance.

I had the same issue with my ball joints. The hole was not perfectly centered in my Howe ball joints. I had to sneak up on it to where one side of the hole was opening as the other side was closing my pin would just barley slide in. If I lined up one hole in the center the other side would be closed up too far. It also helped to arc the pin just a little.

[70rs]

I think you guys just need bigger hammers.

[JRouche]

Sound like my problem I had with some spindles. The tapered hole was too small. I was lucky enough to have factory stock spindles still and measured the tapered hole. Sure enough, the new ones were small. Back to the company they went. JR

[JRouche]

Originally Posted by JRouche

Sound like my problem I had with some spindles. The tapered hole was too small. I was lucky enough to have factory stock spindles still and measured the tapered hole. Sure enough, the new ones were small. Back to the company they went. JR

Oh, and for the spinning ball joint stud. I have had to resort to an impact air wrench sometimes. Just to get the taper seated quickly so the BJ stud didnt turn. Just a quick tap on the trigger. Prolly not the preferred method. And once the pin was seated and grabbing good I was able to move the nut to the last hole or even cinch it down a lil to the next hole. Just a matter of getting the tapered pin to seat and grip.

[wedged]

massage the slot in the nut a little to make more room for the pin. I've even cut down studs, slotted them with a cut off wheel, then drilled a hole through a ground down nut to still use a cotter pin. This was to gain clearance. Crude but effective.

[xpsled]

Hey guys im an aircraft engineer and new to the forum, we encounter this problem often on aircraft, nut has to be torqued to a specific torque and cotter pin installed but 99% of the time the holes wont line up. Just shim the nut with thin washers until you can achieve this. Standard practice on aircraft and works every time.

[JRouche]

Originally Posted by xpsled

Hey guys im an aircraft engineer and new to the forum, we encounter this problem often on aircraft, nut has to be torqued to a specific torque and cotter pin installed but 99% of the time the holes wont line up. Just shim the nut with thin washers until you can achieve this. Standard practice on aircraft and works every time.

That does work, if you can see the hole. I think, I may be wrong but it sounds like the nut is sitting ABOVE the hole. Thats why I was thinking one of the tapers were off. Either the pin or the bore. JR