122 replies to this topic

[Spider]

King pin inclination angle? Ball roll center? A couple of terms unfamiliar to me. Taller ball joints effect on handling? Requirement for front alignment after installation? These are a few questions that I have. Any help out there?

 

King Pin Inclination (or KPI) - If you draw an line from the roll center of the top ball joint through roll center of the bottom ball joint and then measured that angle to a perpendicular line up from the ground, at normal ride height, that's the KPI.

Ball Roll Center - that center around which the Ball Joint swivels.

 

Taller Ball Joints (or effectively moving the Ball Joint Roll Centers further away from each other) - If you look at this drawing;-

 

 

It will help show where to 'look' in regards to KPI, but also, if you were to move say the Top Joint higher, it will move that Ball Joint Roll Center higher too. This in turn will change (among a zillion other things) the KPI and so will have a change on handling. Same with the lower, and even more so if both are moved.

 

Requirement for a front end alignment - strictly speaking even do as much as undoing a ball joint from the arm and fitting it back together requires a wheel alignment check, but really, how much is it going to move?  I'm sure if one was to remove their old ball joints and say, slip a set of the Maintenance free ones in, you'd be OK as far as needing a wheel alignment goes.

[Bobbins]

Moke, my earlier comment was with regard to roll centre not ball roll centre. If the balljoint roll centres sit further out from the hub top and bottom, the roll centre of the suspension will be higher. I've no experience of how this might affect a Mini, if it even has any effect at all. The suspension and handling of a Mini are quite quirky and it doesn't necessarily follow normal rules! If it was a small racing car on a circuit roll centre would be very important.

[IntMilkBrilliant]

Is it worth enquiring about a group purchase?

 

My brother lives in the UK still, so I will inquire if VAT is required if I send 10 sets to myself at my brothers registered address for distribution.

If anyone knows about this, that would help

Edited by IntMilkBrilliant, 05 May 2020 - 08:15 AM.

[IronmanG]

Sent this morning

Having not lived in the UK for the last 16yrs, I'm not up to speed on the ins-and-outs of VAT. Based on feedback from previous buyers, some pay, some don't.


One thing to look into is to see if the UK is still part of the EU/Japan free trade agreement until December this year when the UK finally departs. Based on the EU/Japan free trade treaty, I hear VAT can be waived if it includes the original invoice from me signed and stamped with my companies 13-digit corporate number. I supply these currently to all EU purchases.


Re dimensions, I haven't listed these on my website yet, but attached is an image of a Japanese made high quality OEM original ball joint [¥10,780 for a set of 2] compared to the maintenance free ball joint. The difference is only marginal at a few millimeters [maintenance free] more.

[IronmanG]

Sent this morning

Having not lived in the UK for the last 16yrs, I'm not up to speed on the ins-and-outs of VAT. Based on feedback from previous buyers, some pay, some don't.


One thing to look into is to see if the UK is still part of the EU/Japan free trade agreement until December this year when the UK finally departs. Based on the EU/Japan free trade treaty, I hear VAT can be waived if it includes the original invoice from me signed and stamped with my companies 13-digit corporate number. I supply these currently to all EU purchases.


Re dimensions, I haven't listed these on my website yet, but attached is an image of a Japanese made high quality OEM original ball joint [¥10,780 for a set of 2] compared to the maintenance free ball joint. The difference is only marginal at a few millimeters [maintenance free] more.


 Screenshot_20200505-094919_Outlook.jpg   30.38K   20 downloads

Edited by IronmanG, 05 May 2020 - 09:17 AM.

[Screwdriver]

I just received a full set from David - incredibly high end rubber components only come from Japan now. Not cheap, but if you only have to do the job once thanks to better quality, I know where my money is going. 

[Steve8274]

I just received a full set from David - incredibly high end rubber components only come from Japan now. Not cheap, but if you only have to do the job once thanks to better quality, I know where my money is going.

Good to hear. Did you have to pay any additional import taxes as someone mentioned earlier?

[Screwdriver]

No tax/ VAT/ duty. I did also buy the tie rod bushes and the knuckle joints.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Seems odd that none of Britain's Mini parts suppliers have started offering these ball joints for sale.  I mean most of them sell an array of expensive stuff that no one really needs but these seem to be reasonably priced highly essential parts of good quality yet all they supply in this regard is cheap sub standard rubbish.

[sonscar]

Because they do not look as good as shiny wheels?Only barely joking.Steve..

[IronmanG]

How about play mini? Nick used to have good japanese contacts. Dont know if he still does?anyone have a good relationship with him?

[Screwdriver]

Any tips on how to install these? I learnt that my typical deep sockets do not fit over these because of the sealing pin that holds the rubber dust cover firmly in place.

 

How would would torque these to the hub?

[Tremelune]

 

 

This looks like a significant number of millimeters, top and bottom...Does anyone smarter than me know how this effects the suspension geometry foreal?

Edited by Tremelune, 23 July 2020 - 02:02 AM.

[GraemeC]

That photo is a bit deceptive as the gaiter is sat higher up the pin and presumably would compress - the top of the taper on the shank looks very similar in height (given one joint is slightly further from the camera).

[Spider]

 

 

This looks like a significant number of millimeters, top and bottom...Does anyone smarter than me know how this effects the suspension geometry foreal?

 

If you scroll back to my Post (#21) you'll see that the Seat is well up inside the 'Nut'. The photo here is quite misleading. When fitted up, the Ball Joint Roll Centre is unchanged,