"Idig" My first Whatits ,found in a school yard

[Idig4beer]

Hello everyone. I found this at a school yard, not buried all the way, just part was stuck in the dirt.It seems to be stainless steel with a swivel ball for attaching to another arm of some sort.I'm sure it was left there by someone as theres nothing at the school this thingy would go on.Its weighs about 3-4 lbs.Any ideas Idig PS the beer can is for size comparsion only

[Angelo]

Does it have threads on the round part? Maybe part of a steering mechanism for a Go Kart or Rider Mower.

Tony

[Idig4beer]

Hi Tony,Heres a photo of the end,no threads on the inside,P.S. the Beer is no longer Idig

[Bigcypresshunter]

Looks like a type of tie rod, steering or other type of linkage, where the end will swivel where a bolt goes through...maybe homeade. ... for gocart, lawn mower of some type of machinery.

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Some kind of swivel fitting. With an opposite end of a similar socket on a rod that fits in the tube and a spring around the outside it's a simple shock absorber - go cart or lawnmower size.

[pronghorn]

The swivel on the end is called a ball joint. They are on pretty much every
thing that steers. The one pictured below is off of a snowmobile, they are
on riding lawnmowers, ATV's, cars, trucks, they are even used in large tractors
and heavy equipment. They can have a bolt hole or the bolt is attached like the
one below. I think the lawn mower or gocart guess is right.

[thepoolguy]

3 point hitch arm from tractor?

[Montana Jim]

3 point hitch arm from tractor?

Exactly what I thought... but like Charlie said... a sliding shock type deal three point hitch deal-e-o daddy-o

[hollowpointred]

looks like a piece of a front end loader to me. maybe it broke when they were excavating to build the school.

[boomer46901]

balljoints are also used on various modern playground equipment

[Ferrous]

It's called a heimend or heim end. Google that image.

[texan connection]

They still make pabst?