2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Best ball joints??????

[lrox]

I cannot seem to get more than 1o-15K out of my RF ball joints. The first set I replaced were factory and the second set were napa ( the best available from them ).



Does anyone have a suggestion on a good set to run. I'm lokking for a set of severe duty ball joints. The lift, big tires, and 8' snow plow really beat up the front end.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MTatsch]

I've never worked on the front end just brakes thats all i do, how do change the ball joints out i 220000 miles on them and i need to change them?

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

In my sig there is a link to Quad 4x4. I have those in now and they sure felt heavier than oem when those came out. I have heard good things about them so I got em and allbeit I have 20K on them they seem tight still.

 

[SFrey]

i do ball joint's every tuesday for a little car lot that sells & services CTD's. use to use napa brand ball joints (dana), but they would were out in less than a year. now we only use moog, problem is some of the moog's are reboxed mopars (dana brand also). the last couple trucks i noticed that the ball joints were diferent looking. if they have a greese fitting in them (upper & lower) they are moog design, no fitting- reboxed mopar. moog had one of it's major plants burn to the ground, and they are almost up to full speed. do very little 94-98. 5 (12v) ones. mostly 95. 5 to 06. just did 2 truck last week, a 04 with 53,xxx miles on it, and a 05 with 43,xxx miles on it, all 4 joints on both trucks were shot. also a note to 03 and up owners, moog only list a adjustable upper ball joint for your trucks that sells for around $130. 00 a side. use a upper ball joint from a 01/02. will fit no problem, plus its a hell of a lot cheaper.



scot

 

[bmoeller]

If you have a torch, it is a piece of cake without the ball joint remover/installer. Made my own installer tool.

 

[wildmanben]

I used ACDelco on mine. Greaseable are stronger than OEM. Looks just like MOOG. Been using Amsoil synthenic grease in them too and still tight.

 

[AndyMan]

Heads up for you... .



I've heard good things about XRF Chassis Parts ball joints. I should have a set to try out before long. I'll be sure and do a complete write-up with full photographic documentation of the joints when I get them.



Ball Joints, Tie Rod Ends, Idler/Pitman Arms | XRF Steering and Chassis Parts is the site. I stumbled on them when searching for ball joints a couple weeks ago. There's mention of them here on TDR (something piddling like 2 posts), and prices/quality are supposed to be excellent.

 

[JFaughn]

Heads up for you... .

I've heard good things about XRF Chassis Parts ball joints. I should have a set to try out before long. I'll be sure and do a complete write-up with full photographic documentation of the joints when I get them.

Ball Joints, Tie Rod Ends, Idler/Pitman Arms | XRF Steering and Chassis Parts is the site. I stumbled on them when searching for ball joints a couple weeks ago. There's mention of them here on TDR (something piddling like 2 posts), and prices/quality are supposed to be excellent.

How did you get parts from them ?
The link has no option to look up , order , check pricing .
But they are saying a lot of things that ring true & frustrate me about the industry , It doesn't seem they could go far bucking the system [ I wish it would work ] , they'll take a lot of heat from the big 2 that they are going to compete with .

 

[AndyMan]

I agree. An aquaintance of mine is a close friend of the owner. I'm supposed to be getting pricing and some parts to try out in the next couple of weeks. I know they are SUPPOSED to be good parts, but have no firsthand experience. If I like them, then I'll buy from them.



All I know to tell you is to give them a call. I know that they are working on putting together a "dodge specific" package.



Sorry for the limited info, but it's all I've got. I just wanted to throw it out there b/c the price/quality is supposed to be good. That's only going to be acceptable if you can get your hands on the parts though.

 

[LandShark]

Irox, I don't think the problem is the brand of ball joint you are using. When multiple sets of ball joints fail in 10 to 15,000 miles there is another problem causing the failures. Do a close inspection of the front end and figure out what is stressing the joints (or is it just the giant plow, big tires, and lift?).



I also don't see how there can be much difference between brands of ball joints. There is only a certain amount of space to fill with steel. A $10 ball joint looks the same as a $75 ball joint. Maybe there is a difference in the grade of steel or temper, but no company will give you that information. There could be a difference in the seals. Failures on my truck have been caused by lack of grease in the 'lifetime' joints and water getting into the joints.



I would buy the least expensive joints that are greaseable and grease them more often when you are running in severe conditions.

 

[Nate]

Spicer. They are $60 a side.

 

[AndyMan]

I still don't have prices, but I do have the XRF joints on their way to me. If anyone is the least bit interested, I'll post up pics and as much information as possible.

 

[CTD12V]

I still don't have prices, but I do have the XRF joints on their way to me. If anyone is the least bit interested, I'll post up pics and as much information as possible.

I'm interested. Did you get them installed? I emailed XRF and got a list of prices for what I need (before I found this post). Here is what they quoted me:



Passenger side tie rod end DS1456 $134. 84

Driver side tie rod end ES3496 $ 39. 18

Pitman arm end ES3497 $ 35. 70

Upper ball joint K80026 $25. 00

Lower ball joint K8607T $26. 88



[I'm not sure if it's "legal" to post prices, but for the purposes of this discussion, the passenger side tie rod end is about $50. 00 dollars cheaper than the quote I got at NAPA].



Anyways, what did you think of the quality, Andy?



CTD12V

 

[AndyMan]

Man, I still haven't gotten them installed!!! LOL. I'm waiting on the ball joint faries to come down and do it for me I guess.



I can tell you that the track bar I got from them is awesome. Adjustable and VERY reasonably priced. Much like what you're seeing vs. NAPA prices.

 

[SRath]

I'm in the same situation: Comparing, pricing, and gathering all the components for a complete frontend rebuild. I run bigger-than-stock tires (who doesn't?) and I have a big ol' Boss-V plow and I like to go offroad.



The local Napa parts guy is a good friend and asked him about ball joint quality. He happened to have a boxed-display set of "disassembled ball joints" to show the differences between Napa Premium, which he assures me are made by Dana/Spicer, and "brand X", which are supposed to be how Moog and most others are made. There were very big differences, but I'm not sure they are necessarily better.



The Napa/spicer balls are machined extremely smooth. They sit in a 2-piece nylon/delrin/(plastic-of-some-sort*) socket that has grease grooves in it. They definitely appear to be very low friction, but plastic* of any type bothers me...



The Moog-style have coarsely-machined ball with the grease grooves machined into it. They actually look cast more than machined. They sit in a metal socket and rely upon two opposing Belleville washers (a type of spring) to provide constant "squeeze" pressure on the assembly.



I liked the machining of the Napa/Spicer pieces, but not the plastic* socket. i was not impressed by the lack of precision machining of the "brand X" ball joint either.



I came away as unsure of which brand of ball joints to buy as I was when I walked in the door... Still am, though I will likely go buy actual Dana/Spicer ball joints. There is no doubt I will buy Spicer cold-forged, sealed u-joints. But I am converting to the later-model crossover steering to replace my inverted-Y and will be using all Moog components there.



Of all my stock suspension/steering components, the stock Spicer ball joints and u-joints have held up better than any other components for 150K miles. I can live with that.

 

[dresslered]

I've gone to Moog Ball joints on both our Ram and Durango and have had no problems since with either one of them. I also put a DSS on the Ram and grease them at every oil change.

 

[Batphreak]

I put in Spicer units about 2k miles ago. They can be had for $25 per side. Greaseable and thus far aren't a problem. I compared them to Moog units:

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...cussions/184251-ball-joints-axle-changes.html