Do you have the wire safety clips installed on each joint? Each socket has two small holes--one near the base-one near the tip. After the ball and socket are snapped together the safety clips have a straight section which gets inserted into the hole near the base and then protrudes through the hole near the tip---the clip is then rotated so its curved section snaps into a groove at the base of the socket (reverse to remove). The clips are all the same except for the one which secures the straight on socket attaching the pivot shaft to the manifold ball. The socket sections can unscrew from the interconnecting shafts (the means to adjust the length of the shafts) if the socket is too far worn and can be replaced by one in better condition (be aware that some of the shafts have a left hand thread at one end). If the ball part is too far worn the entire pivot shaft can be replaced--or braze another bracket/ball to the original shaft (unbraze the old one to remove). I have a bucket of old linkage available for parts. I think the clips are available new from IPD. -- Dave