Z bar pivot ball broke. Common?

[67ranchhand]

Went on a slow cruise to scout for deer and while I was out and about, my clutch pedal got easier to push. Made a pop sound and two pushes later, nothing. Now my clutch pedal has always been pretty stiff and I had the z bar off to clean it and put new grease in it. But the pivot ball that threads into the engine block broke off flush with the block. Now I have to get it out of there and replace, which is no big deal, but has anyone else ever had this happen? Any idea why this happened? Thanks everyone!

[57taskforce]

I’ve had to do this job before, I got lucky and it was easy to fish the threaded part out of the block. I think it breaks just because it’s a stressed part especially after 50+ years.

[Jason Banks]

I had an arm break off the Z bar. It was a Big Block 402 3OTT truck.

[mrein3]

I broke one about 20 years ago when my 4x4 was still a three on the tree.

I was just cresting the top of the bridge out of Red Wing, MN to sneak back to my MN house via western Wisconsin. At the top of the bridge I pushed in the clutch and BANG! No more clutch. I coasted to the bottom of the bridge on the Wisconsin side.

I had AAA at the time as I was fishing a lot of bass tournaments - which is why I was down there at the time. I called AAA. I could urinate on MN from where my truck was but because I was on the Wisconsin side they had to call a truck to come 10 miles from the nearest po-dunk Wisconsin village verses a larger town, Red Wing in my rear-view mirror.

After some choice words I convinced the good people of AAA to have me pulled a few feet back to MN where a shop replaced the ball stud.

I sure don't miss the jam-o-matic three on the tree. Especially at the boat ramp.

It probably was simply fatigued after 50 years of you and others pushing on it.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I have broken arms off the Z-bars on both my '68 C/10 Stepside w/292 L6, and my '71 GMC Jimmy K/1500 4x4 w/350 V8.
Both Z-bars had been heated and the arms bent, slightly, to clear headers.
On the V8 in a 4X4, the pivot stud seems pretty stout, and is threaded into the side of the block. The L6 set-up [on a C/10] had a stud set in a steel strap that's bolted to the block. The end of the stud is bucked down [with an air hammer?] and looks like it could pop under severe stress.

[Astro-Balls]

Yes, Broke on on my C20, Squirt some grease in there..

[67ranchhand]

Well I took the z bar out and the broken stud backed right out with the end of my index finger. I was happy about that! Ordered the new ball stud and felts today from Classic Parts. I will be back in business hopefully soon! I will be sure to get plenty of grease in there when I get it back together. Thanks to all for your input and support!!!