Material advice

[tobyonekenobiParticipant @tobyonekenobi]

Good morning gentlemen,

I’m looking for advice on materials for a tapered ball joint bush. I have a 1970 metric Boxford lathe and use predominantly carbide insert tooling. The original bushes look to be of hardened steel as they don’t scratch easily, they are not particularly large (OD 27mm) so If I have to heat treat them I plan to use a propane touch and hearth and anneal in an oven, but would it be possible to produce these parts with a harder steel in the first place?

Any advice much appreciated

Chris

 

[cogdobblerParticipant @cogdobbler]

Silver steel might do it.

What is the application? High load?

[tobyonekenobiParticipant @tobyonekenobi]

Lower ball joint on a steering knuckle/upright. Some of these cars came with cast steel uprights but later models were fitted with aluminium with steel bushes, the bushes have a habit of sticking to the taper and getting thrown away with the ball joint, hence the need to remake them as they are not or were ever a part sold separately.

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