Lower Ball Joints Recommendation

[OR VietVet]

What @Doubeleive said. Where the control arms bolt in to the frame cradle, use a pry bar and check for abnormal play where the arm bolts in at. Also, lift/jack up the lower arm close to ball joint and get tire about 1" to 2" off ground and get a long pry bar under there and rock everything as much as you can.

A small amount of surface cracking on the bushings is allowable but large cracks/chunks, "isa no goood".

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@Doubeleive I hear you, my current arms are only 3-4 years old so I was going to just try and do the ball joints. Now that I'm thinking about it if I did the whole control arm I could leave everything else connected to knuckle without the need to fit a ball joint press in there I can just slide the lower control arm out and leave the upper ball joints and tie rods connected. I just did the upper control arms a few weeks ago and don't feel good about whacking them out of the knuckle

 

[swathdiver]

...my current arms are only 3-4 years old

What brand again and how many miles since?

I seem to remember you going through this but don't remember the details anymore.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@swathdiver I used the Moog CK control arms, the $120 ones from Rock Auto. Same with the rest of my suspension I used the “good” Moog parts and have to replace most of it already. So far the tie rods seems fine.

 

[swathdiver]

@swathdiver I used the Moog CK control arms, the $120 ones from Rock Auto. Same with the rest of my suspension I used the “good” Moog parts and have to replace most of it already. So far the tie rods seems fine.

Those are the same as ACDelco Professional/Gold. So that's another real world review of those things. They aren't lasting as long as we initially thought they would. How many miles since?

 

[Dustin Jackson]

Those are the same as ACDelco Professional/Gold. So that's another real world review of those things. They aren't lasting as long as we initially thought they would. How many miles since?

@swathdiver About 40k

 

[swathdiver]

@swathdiver About 40k

Hey Chris and Ken, how long did your Moog/ACDelco control arms last? Who else on here had to replace them?

@iamdub @kbuskill

 

[kbuskill]

Hey Chris and Ken, how long did your Moog/ACDelco control arms last? Who else on here had to replace them?

@iamdub @kbuskill

I installed New Moog CK upper, lower control arms up front on 12/11/20 at 261,241 miles.

The truck still has them on it today with approximately 325K miles. No issues that I am aware of.

 

[2 liter beater]

I chose the TTX arm assembly. I don’t have much in the way of mileage but the ball joint had a grease fitting and the whole arm is powder coated. Just do the whole arm and that’s 3 potential problems gone in probably less time.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

@Doubeleive I hear you, my current arms are only 3-4 years old so I was going to just try and do the ball joints. Now that I'm thinking about it if I did the whole control arm I could leave everything else connected to knuckle without the need to fit a ball joint press in there I can just slide the lower control arm out and leave the upper ball joints and tie rods connected. I just did the upper control arms a few weeks ago and don't feel good about whacking them out of the knuckle

Now, you are catching on.