Hoping for quick reply… Read in one post that the nut on top of rack outer ball joint is “opposite” thread. As in loosen CLOCKWISE
Is that hooey or actually true?
Thanks all!!
Randy, I have to admit to not knowing for certain but, why would they be a LH thread, it would make no sense. I have had a quick look at my Haynes and it makes no mention of the thread direction and I think it would if they were LH,
Regards
Bob
Never came across that in all my years working on any vehicle. Wheel nuts yes seen some that are not ‘conventional’
Me neither. All ball joints are standard thread. Tie rods are normal too, at least on anything I know, and wheel nuts are only different on very few cars, but not our XJs, unless you have a “proper” wire wheel conversion.
Folks: I don’t think he’s talking about either ball joints or tie rod ends. He’s talking about the joints at the inner end of the tie rods, screwed onto the ends of the rack itself. I don’t believe there are any LH threads there, either, but didn’t know for sure, so I left this to others to answer.
Not what I was reading
Especially not when accompanied by that picture 
Agreed. Hooey… But perhaps I misread/interpreted the post I mentioned…
Lock nut, on second thought, may not have been the ball joint nut
But in context the discussion seemed to be “ball joints”
Thanks all
The locknut in case is jamming the outer tie rod end with the ball joint and it has to go towards the rack, so clockwise it is, and then, only, the ball joint part will turn. Probably possible to think that the locknut is part of the casting, and then you’re in for a lot of fun…