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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Jerry<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>That is an excellent idea. A witness mark will give a fast visual if a nut or bolt has moved.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ron Fraser<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Jerry Christopherson <christopherson2023@gmail.com> <br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, March 09, 2025 11:40 AM<br><b>To:</b> Ron Fraser <rfraser@bluefrog.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Tigers] Check Your Nuts<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Something that works very well is a "witness mark" on bolts or nuts. A small white line (finger nail polish) on the side of a nut down to the base metal. Very easy to take a quick look to see if any movement has occured. Jerry <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Sun, Mar 9, 2025 at 10:21 AM Ron Fraser <<a href="mailto:rfraser@bluefrog.com">rfraser@bluefrog.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Joe<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Glad no one was hurt by this incident.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Seems strange that a NyLock nut came loose but without that nut the full weight of the car and the spring force are pushing the ball joint out of the knuckle.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Do a complete inspection of the knuckle – safety first and always.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Maintenance schedule – less driven vehicles really need increased maintenance schedules.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>When the weather warms up more here I will do a safety check for all the lights and complete front end check with brakes checked – this is my normal maintenance routine before driving the Tiger every year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-indent:.5in'>Last summer I did an even more comprehensive check on the Tiger and found numerous little problems – torn ball joint boots, air in the brake lines, rear brakes needed adjustment, Panhard bolt very loose – good thing it was a long bolt or it would be lost to the highway gremlins forever plus a small fuel leak.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>These days with the fuel; everyone should routinely inspect the condition of any fuel hose – if cracked, replace.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> Ron Fraser<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b>From:</b> Tigers <<a href="mailto:tigers-bounces@autox.team.net" target="_blank">tigers-bounces@autox.team.net</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Joe Brown<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, March 08, 2025 11:09 PM<br><b>To:</b> Jay Laifman <<a href="mailto:jay.laifman@gmail.com" target="_blank">jay.laifman@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:tigers@autox.team.net" target="_blank">tigers@autox.team.net</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Tigers] Check Your Nuts<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>I was also wondering about how it came loose. We have a bunch of rough roads around here and I have to cross over several cattle guards. I wonder if the nut came loose and then hitting pot holes and cattle guards knocked the pin loose. I hope and pray that the hole in the knuckle hasn't been worn out a little bit. I'll have to see how the new ball joints fit. I'll keep everybody posted.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Joe Brown <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>On Sat, Mar 8, 2025, 9:45 PM Jay Laifman <<a href="mailto:jay.laifman@gmail.com" target="_blank">jay.laifman@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Wow. That is really scary. Thanks for the warning. <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>I see what you are saying about the castle nuts. However, I have to say, in all the years I've taken off ball joints or tie rods, I've never ever had one just slide off, and they always needed a tool and a lot of force. So I'm wondering if something else happened there. <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>On Sat, Mar 8, 2025 at 2:19 PM Joe Brown <<a href="mailto:jbbrown1980@gmail.com" target="_blank">jbbrown1980@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>So, I took my Tiger out yesterday for a short drive and as I was just about home (maybe a hundred yards from my driveway) the right front suspension dropped to the ground and I skidded several yards before stopping. All I could think of was the old stories about exploding ball joints. <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>I walked to my house and threw a floor jack and some jack stands in my truck and drove back to the Tiger. I managed to get the front end jacked up and discovered that the nut on the lower ball joint was gone and the lower A arm had dropped to the road. My suspension pieces are at least 30 years old and the ball joints were held on with nylock nuts. I managed to wrap a ratchet strap around the upper and lower A arms and I was able to slowly drive the car into my garage. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>I am very lucky that: <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>1. I was going pretty slow at the time<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>2. The front end landed in some loose gravel on the side of the road<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>3. None of the body work was damaged<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>4. And nothing else in the suspension looks to be damaged; just scraped up<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>If this had happened 5 minutes earlier I would have been doing 60 on a winding road and I would have wound up in a ditch.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>So I'm ordering a new set of ball joints and I will drill them out for castle nuts so I don't have to worry about a nut working its way loose again. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Regards,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Joe Brown<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.0pt'>_______________________________________________<br><br><a href="mailto:tigers@autox.team.net" target="_blank">tigers@autox.team.net</a><br><br>Donate: <a href="http://www.team.net/donate.html" target="_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a><br>Archive: <a href="http://www.team.net/pipermail/tigers" target="_blank">http://www.team.net/pipermail/tigers</a> <a href="http://autox.team.net/archive" target="_blank">http://autox.team.net/archive</a><br><br>Unsubscribe: <a href="http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/tigers/jay.laifman@gmail.com" target="_blank">http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/tigers/jay.laifman@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></div><div id="m_899710309926904DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellpadding=0 style='border:none;border-top:solid #D3D4DE 1.0pt'><tr><td width=55 style='width:41.25pt;border:none;padding:9.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient" target="_blank"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=46 height=29 style='width:.4791in;height:.302in' id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DB90FF.56D32520" alt="Image removed by sender."></span></a><o:p></o:p></p></td><td width=470 style='width:352.5pt;border:none;padding:9.0pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:13.5pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#41424E'>Virus-free.<a href="http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient" target="_blank"><span style='color:#4453EA'>www.avg.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>_______________________________________________<br><br><a href="mailto:tigers@autox.team.net" target="_blank">tigers@autox.team.net</a><br><br>Donate: <a href="http://www.team.net/donate.html" target="_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a><br>Archive: <a href="http://www.team.net/pipermail/tigers" target="_blank">http://www.team.net/pipermail/tigers</a> <a href="http://autox.team.net/archive" target="_blank">http://autox.team.net/archive</a><br><br>Unsubscribe: <a href="http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/tigers/christopherson2023@gmail.com" target="_blank">http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/tigers/christopherson2023@gmail.com</a><br><br><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></div></body></html>