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- Thread starter 496truck
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That's what I'm planning on 
scary story few months ago . . . . 99-up 1500 ifs chevy 4x4
i installed lift kit for guy and attempted to install his cheep A$$ b/j from advanced auto . got 1 side done and went to put knuckle on truck . got upper finger tight and tryed to snugg up with wrench by hand and it spun with some effort. so i pulled apart and found threads ripped clean offthe SHAFT not the NUT
glad it happened at assembly time and not after he recived truck and drove it on 35" tires. that would have been bad.
STEERING AND SUSPENSION PARTS ARE NOT THE SAME ANYMORE ON QUALITY LEVEL FROM CHEEP TO GOOD STUFF.
do it 1 time and do it right and be done its your and our lifes if somthing goes bad.
my info and opinion is from years of working as a mechanic in the rust belt of vehicles.
i installed lift kit for guy and attempted to install his cheep A$$ b/j from advanced auto . got 1 side done and went to put knuckle on truck . got upper finger tight and tryed to snugg up with wrench by hand and it spun with some effort. so i pulled apart and found threads ripped clean offthe SHAFT not the NUT
glad it happened at assembly time and not after he recived truck and drove it on 35" tires. that would have been bad.
STEERING AND SUSPENSION PARTS ARE NOT THE SAME ANYMORE ON QUALITY LEVEL FROM CHEEP TO GOOD STUFF.
do it 1 time and do it right and be done its your and our lifes if somthing goes bad.
my info and opinion is from years of working as a mechanic in the rust belt of vehicles.
I specified Moog when I did upper and lower balljoints this past fall. The parts store asked why I specifically wanted Moog...said the cheaper ones were just as good. 
I told him, that the cheaper ones definitely were not as good as Moog, and if he'd ever done ball joints before he'd choose Moog too. Then I asked for Spicer forged axle U joints...got the spiel about "Brute force" u-joints are as good or better. I ended up having to go across town to a driveline shop to get the 5-760X's, but I consider it worth it.
Most parts I buy I prefer the top brand. The more my safety depends on it, and/or the more of a PITA it is to install factors into the choice too.
I told him, that the cheaper ones definitely were not as good as Moog, and if he'd ever done ball joints before he'd choose Moog too. Then I asked for Spicer forged axle U joints...got the spiel about "Brute force" u-joints are as good or better. I ended up having to go across town to a driveline shop to get the 5-760X's, but I consider it worth it.
Most parts I buy I prefer the top brand. The more my safety depends on it, and/or the more of a PITA it is to install factors into the choice too.
Lord knows I am guilty of using the cheepest parts I can get,being broke all the time--but when it comes to things like ball joints,and other labor intensive to install critical parts I'd rather install ONCE,I go for the ones that look the best built...I dont enjoy doing ball joints on my old 4x4s ,once is more than enough!...ditto for the axle u-joints,I might skimp on the others ,being easy to change,but not the axle joints...
However,I have seen many Moog parts that were not up to their former quality standards that failed in short order in recent years,evidently they too are outsourcing parts from overseas factories,and or re-boxing them...other brands that had good reputations are also slipping as far as quality..
Some vehicles like Dodge Durango's and trucks and GM's with IFS seem to wear ball joints out much faster than our older trucks did too,I feel they didn't use ones large enough to handle the weight of the vehicle..on vehicles like that I'd definately look for the better quality parts...
Prices can vary widely on the same part from different sources too,so it pays to shop around--my friend had to replace a Kia ball joint the other day,and all the local jobber stores would have had to order it in the next day,Auto-Zone did not list one at all,and Advanced and the other stored claimed only Moog made one,and they'ed have to special order one,and the prices ranged from 110 to 150 bucks...its one of those that comes with the control arm as one unit..
He told the owner to try buying it online if he didn't mind waiting,or it possibly being wrong once it came in,but he called one store my friend doesn't do much bussiness with only a mile away,who happened to have one right in stock ,in Beck-Arnly brand (which most likely was a Kia OEM one re-boxed),and he walked out the door with it for less than 50 bucks!...so,the moral here is,it might be a pain in the butt to call EVERY parts store locally,but its probably worth it,if it saves you 50-100 bucks...I often find dealers have parts in stock no other store lists or stocks for the same or less $$$ than aftermarket junk too,so dont assume the dealers prices will be inflated,its not always the case on some things..
However,I have seen many Moog parts that were not up to their former quality standards that failed in short order in recent years,evidently they too are outsourcing parts from overseas factories,and or re-boxing them...other brands that had good reputations are also slipping as far as quality..
Some vehicles like Dodge Durango's and trucks and GM's with IFS seem to wear ball joints out much faster than our older trucks did too,I feel they didn't use ones large enough to handle the weight of the vehicle..on vehicles like that I'd definately look for the better quality parts...
Prices can vary widely on the same part from different sources too,so it pays to shop around--my friend had to replace a Kia ball joint the other day,and all the local jobber stores would have had to order it in the next day,Auto-Zone did not list one at all,and Advanced and the other stored claimed only Moog made one,and they'ed have to special order one,and the prices ranged from 110 to 150 bucks...its one of those that comes with the control arm as one unit..
He told the owner to try buying it online if he didn't mind waiting,or it possibly being wrong once it came in,but he called one store my friend doesn't do much bussiness with only a mile away,who happened to have one right in stock ,in Beck-Arnly brand (which most likely was a Kia OEM one re-boxed),and he walked out the door with it for less than 50 bucks!...so,the moral here is,it might be a pain in the butt to call EVERY parts store locally,but its probably worth it,if it saves you 50-100 bucks...I often find dealers have parts in stock no other store lists or stocks for the same or less $$$ than aftermarket junk too,so dont assume the dealers prices will be inflated,its not always the case on some things..
I actually like the Brute Force stuff. They are made by Neapco who was doing 4x4 conversions in the 50's. We have used them in several trucks and never broken an actual joint. We've had some caps spit out before we started using full circle clips on the wheel joints but any brand joint will do that. The trunnion surfaces are just center drilled where many joints (greaseable or non-greaseable) are drilled through to the center of the cross reducing the amount of material.
Do I think the Spicer Forged 760-X wheel joints are better than the Brute Force joints? Yeah I do and have them in my K5. But for a street vehicle, especially in the drive shafts, I think the Brute Force is all you ever need. Plus they have a life time warranty if you properly grease them. Remember, the grease that comes in U-Joints is simply assembly lube. You need to put a squirt of grease in the caps when you assemble the joints to properly grease them for use. I use the Synthetic "Green Grease" for all my joints and parts.
wasted wages
1 ton status
Well played sir ........( golf clap........)
Well played sir ........( golf clap........)
Yeah,when I read the post's title,I was expecting a sad tale about STD's ....
..but it would have been posted in the lounge,not the garage,I suppose !..Well played sir ........( golf clap........)
Yeah, we all know about using cheap ball joints, I just needed a place to print the cheap BJs line. Thought it up while replacing them, had to share with CK5ers. Glad I made at least one person laugh.
The guys at WFO said that they preferred the Napa Chassis line of ball joints over Moog. Told me the quality has been better than Moog lately.
i have installed lots of prem napa stuff over the years no real problems i can recall.
i even put 4 new b/j in my 2wd build from napa prem line
i even put 4 new b/j in my 2wd build from napa prem line
A few years ago the Napa rep came in and showed us the difference between moog and napa. The Napa was a better redesign (IMO) compared to the moog that were just a thicker than stock setup.
Ruh Roh, I got the Autozone special BJs a few years ago. They are still tight, hopefully I won't have to get more BJs. hey wait a minute 
While we're on topic of BJ's, tie rod ends, etc... etc.. What do you guys think of the Raybestos Professional grade stuff? Seems like a high quality joint to me, I almost used some last time I was doing front end service work on my Honda...
I think there just a standard out the top zerk
Well, out the bottom is more accurate.
That's an issue, same with the cheap ones. The grease zerk occupies the same real estate as the axle u-joint in the upper ball joints. All you are left with is plugging it and never greasing it again unless you take the whole front end apart to pull the axle.
With the Moog uppers the grease fitting is off to the side and fully serviceable once installed.
Ooo that sounds nice
chulisohombre
1/2 ton status
Moog must of changed their design in the last few years. Mine came with the center zerk and plug on the upper bj. I use moog when I do and chassis fixes. Never had a problem with anything from them. I don't buy autozone anything except oil if i can helP it. Just because they have a lifetime warrantee on most things don't mean I want to change that part a 100 times because it fell apart...again.
