Front end ball joints

[SpaceSeven]

Hey everyone, 

seeking ball joints. for now.
Found Lotus 7 sitting since 80’s. 
no title, making it extra fun to source what original maker built with.

car was flown from UK around ‘81.

fiat motor which I have rebuilt, tricky Bosch ignition system, Caterham kit frame.

It’s going to eventually serve as a custom art car, not a clean restoration. 
 

can’t add photos to my profile due to sizing, will attempt here. 
 

any tips on where the fk to buy ball joints as again I don’t know exactly part numbers and years from the lunatic in Uk.

 

cheers, colt 
 

 

[SpaceSeven]

[MV8]

Those are actually oem tie rods for something. Short of a known source, you'd need to measure (or have a machine shop do it for you if not equipped with the tools) the taper diameters and lengths plus the thread pitches to determine the closes tire rod based on those specifications.

I don't have specifications for foreign tierod applications.

[Croc]

Triumph Spitfire should be the OEM.  Also I think it was used on the Triumph Herald.  Plenty of suppliers of those with a google.  Moss Motors, Northwest, etc

 

Also some race specialists have them for sale - e.g. here:

Lotus 7 (leechapmanracing.com)

 

 

 

 

 

[MV8]

The spitfire tierod probably fits as the tierod but the upper and lower joints are not spitfire or TR7 oem.

 

The spitfire has a trunnion lower joint and a bolt-in upper joint. There are modified spitfire spindles available that add a stud to the bottom to accept a standard rod end, eliminating the trunnion.

 

It looks like these may be TR7 spindles but the oem TR7 lower balljoint is an assembly pressed into an arm and not in a tie rod configuration.

 

Newer cats use a 70s fiat tierod for the upper balljoint but I don't think it is the same as what you have.

 

 

[MV8]

Looks like the one for the upper is for a fiat/ford/new holland tractor, #86020750. Compare it to the lower on the tr7 spindles though I expect the lower joint taper pin to be thicker. Here is one for $31:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/261571291514?hash=item3ce6dd297a:g:ZtgAAOSwmvBc~r2h&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwB7XX%2FzKc6rKKUorKsvyK%2BWMjDjs2bTQouqp3nB4Kmwa1q%2F5cYQtx%2F7hU1kK9dQ2MhZBjJfCv5UXV7RoiRQkD1UVCQqwQhS4vPzc5DEq9u7zYI3RZwfI6I9KRnB3%2BUwsbX1NmmKynH2qjouDQ4%2B%2B9n2sGrDcC5IwNxz2YweUuMT5aDh65c7pSfnGnR06XTzOl7Vm02rYX9SlVGP4cfU%2FATeHyuBXiXeBfXEpmorhHDhawsVMRmkbhZ0SAgMGSegi3g%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8yVoICoYg