[RogerHeinz57]

Originally Posted by RogerHeinz57

So many have been replaced during repairs, but has anybody else recognised a serious defect in the new bolt yet ?
REF : RYG101220
This bolt looks right, until you check the shank diameter, it seems to have been machined away just 8mm away from the built in washer.
This means that the threaded zone of the bolt is fine, but the shank area is wrong, insofar as the section that engages into the ball joint stem is the wrong diameter allowing a serious compromise in the shank's operation in the ball joint stem. So yes we can tighten the bolt to 45 NM and hope that all will be ok.
My suggestion is that the joint is more likely to chatter prematurely as time goes by simply because the cut-out in the joint won't be gripped by anything, it will only be the torque of the bolt properly securing the clamp on the hub carrier.
So plenty of folks are changing their lower arm for this reason and getting annoyed by the costs all because of an imaginary proper part securing it all.
This has happened to my car recently after spending the £4.99 for the nut and bolt and lower arm with bush at a cost of whatever folks are happy to spend for the items.
The joint was chattering it bells off, remedy was to order proper bolts, nuts and washers (Not from MGR parts supply) as previously but from a reputed supplier of decent fastenings. I paid for 5 bolts flanged nuts and some packing washers that fit perfectly. During re-build of hub carrier and associated items, I rotated the rather beaten up ball joint by 180` seeing as that area had no damage. All done and dusted and good results so far.
So I dread to think how many arms I have fitted in the past to my cars and other members where the problem was not so much the ball joint, but the use of sub-standard / inferior fastenings.
Kays is the firm who supplied the fastenings.
M10x55 is the bolt spec, with 10.9 High Tensile shanked bolt.
And varied folks will choose their own nut/washer combinations.

This may be of some saving / help to others who have experienced premature joint knocking/chattering issues.
It has worked for my car and will be used on further repairs to others who request it, But please refrain from offering stupid remarks, I can identify a totalled joint from one that has clattered it's nuts off due to inferior fastenings.
Maybe worth checking the parts if you buy in advance and see if the joint has been chattering where the bolt shank should be 10mm not 8mm or so.

This is not an assassination of parts suppliers, but they have got it wrong with these bolts lately. The proof is in the pre-fit measuring.
If ordering up the bolts, remember to allow sufficient length to accommodate the bolt end washer.

In the event of anybody wanting to rely on the wrong nut and bolt, I have a kit here waiting for a future, but not on my cars ! If interested, just PM me.