Not a request for help, just me being a tit for your light entertainment.
I've just replaced a transmission to drive shaft oil seal, with the exception of me being a bit of girl when it came to prying out the drive shaft inner mounting seemed to have gone without a hitch.
Anyway, when removing the bolt from the track rod end it came away with little effort, revealing very little thread on the bolt. When reassembling the nut wouldn't pinch tight or take even the slightest torque.
I put another nut on the bottom, which worked a treat but the nut was hanging off a little. I also had another locking nut but the thread was slightly different. Buoyed on a little by my first success and my wife enthusiastically egging me on, I tried the locking nut. Thought that with a little muscle I might be able to carve a new thread in the putty that was the existing thread. I got as far as the nylon on the nut before the ball joint gave way. Needless to say the wife made an emergency exit from the scene as I stared quietly at a now free spinning ball joint.
Couldn't shift the trackrod end bolt, so it's off to the local garage.
Thinking about it now, the ball joint is probably just rubber so god know what I was thinking at the time. Oh yeah, a little muscle and I'll save myself £50 ;) Should give the mechanic (and the guys at work) something to laugh about.
I'm getting a little fed up of this 'live and learn' b*ll*cks, it's costing me a fortune.
Regards,
Tim