Cutting ball joint ends?

[ddonicht]

I am using my extra time due to a covid-19 layoff to work on my project...a '73 Super. On the front I have swapped to disk brakes, new bearings, and Maxx Struts. I have some 15" Motegi Traklites (4x100) that I am putting on and I found that they didn't rotate more than half way around due to contact with the ball joint. When I looked closer, I noticed that the rim wasn't making contact with the rotor and I surmised that the center of the rim was getting hung up on the dust cap. I just added 1/4" spacers and the rims fit tight on the rotors now but the very bottom of the ball joint is slightly touching the inside edge of the rim.

So, it is ok to to cut off the bottom tip of the ball joint? And if so, would that provide enough clearance or does it move around too much for that? Would adjusting the struts provide more clearance without cutting anything? I am at the top ring on the struts adjustment (least drop). I think eventually going to some 17" rims would solve any problem but being laid off I don't want to spend that money right now. Oh, and I tried a second spacer and while that allowed a lot more clearance with the ball joint, there didn't seem to be left on the stud to safely attach the lugs.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I am using my extra time due to a covid-19 layoff to work on my project...a '73 Super. On the front I have swapped to disk brakes, new bearings, and Maxx Struts. I have some 15" Motegi Traklites (4x100) that I am putting on and I found that they didn't rotate more than half way around due to contact with the ball joint. When I looked closer, I noticed that the rim wasn't making contact with the rotor and I surmised that the center of the rim was getting hung up on the dust cap. I just added 1/4" spacers and the rims fit tight on the rotors now but the very bottom of the ball joint is slightly touching the inside edge of the rim.

So, it is ok to to cut off the bottom tip of the ball joint? And if so, would that provide enough clearance or does it move around too much for that? Would adjusting the struts provide more clearance without cutting anything? I am at the top ring on the struts adjustment (least drop). I think eventually going to some 17" rims would solve any problem but being laid off I don't want to spend that money right now. Oh, and I tried a second spacer and while that allowed a lot more clearance with the ball joint, there didn't seem to be left on the stud to safely attach the lugs.

As far as the thread on the BJ are concerned the standard of 3 FULL threads showing higher than the top of the nut should stay in effect. The top three threads on bolt are tapered so they aren't full strength threads their considered "easy on" threads. Also notice that the nuts (with the exception of machine bolts and nuts) also has an easy on taper on both sides of the nut.

Individual spacers I would definitely say "NO" but the option might be a full round plate style of spacer that allows the wheel and the rotor to connect as more or less one. Some ideas: https://www.bing.com/search?q=vw+wheel+ ... 34898c1428

Lee