Plenty of food for thought there. I'll put it up on blocks at the weekend and have a go. One week to takeoff for a Kerry run. I've recent experience of full dismantling in this area, bar removing the actual balljoints as I thought they were ok but your "spring" comment now has me wondering if the tight feel I was getting from the ball/socket was an artificially spring loaded and deceptive effect - there is a SPRING somewhere in there?
As an aside, and thinking of dismantling, I am reminded what a world of difference there is between heavy dismantling of seized and rusted 30/40 year-old post-Fiat economy measure Lancia parts from the early 1970s and more modern seized and rusted 20 year-old components on Y10s and Themas from the 1980s and 1990s. Age certainly takes its toll. But then on the other hand, if you go to dismantle S1 Fulvia, S2 Flavia or Flaminia subframe/suspension parts everything comes off like a Fessia dream - bronze nuts and the like. Bronze monkeys must be a lot better behaved than brass ones.
