Re: [VAL] My ball joints are killing me

["Gary Quamen" <g_quamen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Glyn:

I had one like that.  The dual light aft.  One of the lights would pop off
and dangle like an eye out of the socket every time we would take the
trailer out.  Finally, in exasperation, I removed the cone and joint from
the fixture and took it out to the picnic table at the campsite we were at.
I was able to wedge one end into a crack in the picnic table to restrain it.
Then I applied pressure to force the "ball" as far as I could into the
"socket". While holding it in,  I took a hammer (and drift as I recall) and
carefully peened the edges of the socket over the ball until it wouldn't
come out.  It's been several years and many miles of bouncing (the lamp is
on the rear bulkhead) and it hasn't come apart yet.  Sometimes I find it
pointing down, but it's still together.

Another one at the front had been modified as Harry suggested with the
threaded electrical tube.  I really disliked that and was able to get an
entire lamp from that guy at Healthy Homes and rebuilt it with a real joint.
Now I'm in pretty good shape.  He usually has an inventory of that sort of
thing at his site.

Good luck,

GQ '67 Safari
4082 in CA