The Ultimate Ball Joint Comparison!!!

[Zandcwhite]

It is not common for most vehicle to reach 250,000 miles, yet it is common for the XJ and the ones do get wheeled often get wheeled hard. After all, I have more into my wheels and tires than the total cost of my XJ that I wheeled while I had my JLUR. It is not difficult to find a 30 year old XJ being beat on YouTube. With that said for every old Toyota being wheeled hard, you can find a thousand old Jeeps being wheeled even harder.

But again you're ignoring the metal fatigue issue that's very common. Those 30 year old rigs being wheeled hard were not wheeled hard for 30 years in my experience. The unibody doesn't hold up. They were driven to church by an old lady for 200k miles, bought dirt cheap and then wheeled hard until they were scraped for the next one. I'm still waiting for 1 example of a vehicle on it's 5th set of ball joints. That's just not reality. If you're talking stock xj on small tires that 200k mile rig probably has the OEM ball joints.

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[DanW]

Can you honestly say that xj was wheeled hard for 275k though? I agree they are (or at least were) dirt cheap and ran forever, which is why high mileage ones are everywhere. The problem is unibody related. The flexing literally leads to it cracking and ripping itself apart. Add in the weak Dana 30 front axle and on 33s or bigger you were bound to break ujoints and shafts regularly if wheeling in the rocks. Buying a rig with 150-200k miles on it and wheeling it hard for 50k is not even close to the same as wheeling it hard for 250-300k. I've yet to see 1 vehicle of any kind that held up to that without a whole bunch of rebuilding.

I can show you a 2008 JK with about 220k on it now that has wheeled extensively. It is in remarkably good shape and not only survived wheeling, but also Indiana winters and the accompanying road salt. No major failures related to wear and tear. It towed boats and campers much of its life, too. It was mine.

Here´s a pic right before I sold it with 193k on it. The new owner wheels it mainly on his ranch but also takes trips and has put 27k on it since buying it. It is all about how you take care of them. And I did not abuse it off-road, either. No jumps or stupidity. It also had 33 inch tires most of its life, so no broken suspension components. Just normal wear....like ball joints.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I can show you a 2008 JK with about 220k on it now that has wheeled extensively. It is in remarkably good shape and not only survived wheeling, but also Indiana winters and the accompanying road salt. No major failures related to wear and tear. It towed boats and campers much of its life, too. It was mine.

Here´s a pic right before I sold it with 193k on it. The new owner wheels it mainly on his ranch but also takes trips and has put 27k on it since buying it. It is all about how you take care of them. And I did not abuse it off-road, either. No jumps or stupidity. It also had 33 inch tires most of its life, so no broken suspension components. Just normal wear....like ball joints.

How many sets of ball joints? I'm guessing not 5? Body on frame holds up much better to being wheeled extensively. Run a unibody rig through trails like the Rubicon for a couple years and then look at all the cracks developed around the steering box, track bar mount, leaf spring mounts, etc. I've done it on multiple rigs. They don't like it. All the xjs and grand cherokees we wheeled over the years lasted 200k+, but none of them were bought with less than 150k or were wheeled before that. All started developing cracks if they didn't get to the point of full failures.

 

[ASSFROW]

How many sets of ball joints? I'm guessing not 5? Body on frame holds up much better to being wheeled extensively. Run a unibody rig through trails like the Rubicon for a couple years and then look at all the cracks developed around the steering box, track bar mount, leaf spring mounts, etc. I've done it on multiple rigs. They don't like it. All the xjs and grand cherokees we wheeled over the years lasted 200k+, but none of them were bought with less than 150k or were wheeled before that. All started developing cracks if they didn't get to the point of full failures.

My JK has 90k and on it's 3rd set of ball joints the lower passenger side needed knurled. I replaced them with greaseable off the shelf joints, because the only better option at the time were Synergy and they had a bad run of BJs. Just because you believe what you chose is the bestest thing ever under the sun for everybody always and you're absolutely sure no one could ever need to replace them enough times to need knurled or that it's worth it for someone to need something rebuildable doesn't make it true. Yours work for you, good for you, but no one needs to prove to you that they need or want something else. It is a fact that rebuilding is far easier AND A GUARANTEE YOU WON'T EVER NEED TO WORRY ABOUT KNURLED OR REPLACING AN AXLE DUE TO BALL JOINTS.

 

[Zandcwhite]

My JK has 90k and on it's 3rd set of ball joints the lower passenger side needed knurled. I replaced them with greaseable off the shelf joints, because the only better option at the time were Synergy and they had a bad run of BJs. Just because you believe what you chose is the bestest thing ever under the sun for everybody always and you're absolutely sure no one could ever need to replace them enough times to need knurled or that it's worth it for someone to need something rebuildable doesn't make it true. Yours work for you, good for you, but no one needs to prove to you that they need or want something else. It is a fact that rebuilding is far easier AND A GUARANTEE YOU WON'T EVER NEED TO WORRY ABOUT KNURLED OR REPLACING AN AXLE DUE TO BALL JOINTS.

I don't think I said (or even implied) pretty much any of that? Knurled exist for a reason. The potential to need them exist. My point was I've never seen anyone on the 4th or 5th set of ball joints. I personally don't see the value of spending more than double because you can't press out a set of ball joints every 60-100k miles. If you do by all means run them. There's plenty of people that do. There's also plenty of people that run any one of the competitors non-rebuildable options without issues or concern. Personally I don't think it's any easier to rebuild, glue the boots, and put back together than it is to just press them out and press a fresh set in. You obviously feel it's much easier, but I'd be willing to bet if you time both processes the replacement option would be quicker.

 

[ASSFROW]

I don't think I said (or even implied) pretty much any of that? Knurled exist for a reason. The potential to need them exist. My point was I've never seen anyone on the 4th or 5th set of ball joints. I personally don't see the value of spending more than double because you can't press out a set of ball joints every 60-100k miles. If you do by all means run them. There's plenty of people that do. There's also plenty of people that run any one of the competitors non-rebuildable options without issues or concern. Personally I don't think it's any easier to rebuild, glue the boots, and put back together than it is to just press them out and press a fresh set in. You obviously feel it's much easier, but I'd be willing to bet if you time both processes the replacement option would be quicker.

Nope.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Nope.

Nope to what? I guarantee you can press a ball joint out and press one in faster than removing the boot, cleaning the grease, and gluing the new boot on even if you don't rebuild the thing.

 

[ASSFROW]

Nope to what? I guarantee you can press a ball joint out and press one in faster than removing the boot, cleaning the grease, and gluing the new boot on even if you don't rebuild the thing.

Good for you.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Good for you.

You good bro? People disagreeing with get you all upset? Facts > feelings.

 

[wibornz]

But again you're ignoring the metal fatigue issue that's very common. Those 30 year old rigs being wheeled hard were not wheeled hard for 30 years in my experience. The unibody doesn't hold up. They were driven to church by an old lady for 200k miles, bought dirt cheap and then wheeled hard until they were scraped for the next one. I'm still waiting for 1 example of a vehicle on it's 5th set of ball joints. That's just not reality. If you're talking stock xj on small tires that 200k mile rig probably has the OEM ball joints.

You are right, there is probably not a vehicle being driven on its 5th set of ball joints. I am on my third set and the new axle with be the 4th set.........

 

[c20040215]

My thinking is simple. Its a $2500 axle assembly.
Is $800 ball joints set better than $250 set? I would agree with that. Spending $800 on ball joints alone on a $2500 axle assembly is where I don't agree with the math.

Or I should say... my OE balljoints were replaced with around 50,000 miles on them. They were still good. Conservatively estimate they could go another 20,000 miles. Its safe to assume the new units (in my case they are Teraflex. greaseable and preload adjustable) last for 100,000 miles. By the time I need a 3rd set, my Jeep will have 250,000 miles. By then, balljoints are my least worry. Right now, I put around 5k miles a year on my Jeep and it has 80,000 so far. To get to that, that's problem I have to worry 34 years down the road.

As for the rebuild or replace, we dont do it because its easy. We do it because its fun.

Another thing about ball joints, if you have crazy negative offset wheels(either want or need), you are doing it wrong. You need wider axle not more negative offset wheels.
Rolling on -44 mm wheels and complaining balljoints don't last is a conundrum for me.

 

[Zandcwhite]

You are right, there is probably not a vehicle being driven on its 5th set of ball joints. I am on my third set and the new axle with be the 4th set.........

As you stated they didn't need the last rebuild and you're only on your now 4th set because your swapping axles. In reality your be on your 2nd set at 139k hard use miles. That's the more realistic math. And the new $800 set for the new axle further proves my point about rebuildable ball joints. In reality just replacing the stockers with teraflex would have gotten you exactly to where you are with a new axle and new ball joints to go with it. $300 vs $1,000 between the ball joints, the unneeded rebuild, and glue. I'm not convinced dynatrac will last any longer so I don't see the value. Others might.

 

[ASSFROW]

My thinking is simple. Its a $2500 axle assembly.
Is $800 ball joints set better than $250 set? I would agree with that. Spending $800 on ball joints alone on a $2500 axle assembly is where I don't agree with the math.

Or I should say... my OE balljoints were replaced with around 50,000 miles on them. They were still good. Conservatively estimate they could go another 20,000 miles. Its safe to assume the new units (in my case they are Teraflex. greaseable and preload adjustable) last for 100,000 miles. By the time I need a 3rd set, my Jeep will have 250,000 miles. By then, balljoints are my least worry. Right now, I put around 5k miles a year on my Jeep and it has 80,000 so far. To get to that, that's problem I have to worry 34 years down the road.

As for the rebuild or replace, we dont do it because its easy. We do it because its fun.

Another thing about ball joints, if you have crazy negative offset wheels(either want or need), you are doing it wrong. You need wider axle not more negative offset wheels.
Rolling on -44 mm wheels and complaining balljoints don't last is a conundrum for me.

Where are you getting 2024/25 Rubicon axle assemblies for $2500? And then there's the install. I prefer spending my time doing things other than swapping axles, pressing ball joints(I've had enough of that fun in my lifetime) and spending $5000 on an axle instead of $500 rebuildable ball joints that will likely never have to be rebuilt in that 250,000 miles that no one's ever going to achieve. Even if they have to be rebuilt once, the small cost over 2 sets of TeraFlex joints is worth not pressing the old ones out and new ones in to me. This is why we have choices. I won't tell you your choice is wrong like some other people. I won't tell you my opinions are fact like some other people. I also don't believe the Teraflex joints will last me 100,000 miles. Could I be wrong, sure. Will it matter, no cuz I probably won't be buying them.

Instead of buying a $5000 or more axle to solve your conundrum, there are $500 ball joints or $650 ball joint deletes that will do it lol. And I don't see anyone complaining about having to replace them, just pointing out a solution to that problem. Again there is more than one way to skin a rocket surgeon.

 

[3TV]

As you stated they didn't need the last rebuild and you're only on your now 4th set because your swapping axles. In reality your be on your 2nd set at 139k hard use miles. That's the more realistic math. And the new $800 set for the new axle further proves my point about rebuildable ball joints. In reality just replacing the stockers with teraflex would have gotten you exactly to where you are with a new axle and new ball joints to go with it. $300 vs $1,000 between the ball joints, the unneeded rebuild, and glue. I'm not convinced dynatrac will last any longer so I don't see the value. Others might.

I've lost track with all the back and forth, or maybe it was never said. ZandC, do you have OEM ball joints on your Jeeps? Have you run the aftermarket ball joints in the video above?

 

[c20040215]

Where are you getting 2024/25 Rubicon axle assemblies for $2500? And then there's the install. I prefer spending my time doing things other than swapping axles, pressing ball joints(I've had enough of that fun in my lifetime) and spending $5000 on an axle instead of $500 rebuildable ball joints that will likely never have to be rebuilt in that 250,000 miles that no one's ever going to achieve. Even if they have to be rebuilt once, the small cost over 2 sets of TeraFlex joints is worth not pressing the old ones out and new ones in to me. This is why we have choices. I won't tell you your choice is wrong like some other people. I won't tell you my opinions are fact like some other people. I also don't believe the Teraflex joints will last me 100,000 miles. Could I be wrong, sure. Will it matter, no cuz I probably won't be buying them.

Instead of buying a $5000 or more axle to solve your conundrum, there are $500 ball joints or $650 ball joint deletes that will do it lol. And I don't see anyone complaining about having to replace them, just pointing out a solution to that problem. Again there is more than one way to skin a rocket surgeon.

1. Attached is the receipt. Granted, it was pre Covid pricing.
2. Nowhere did I say you shouldnt buy any brand or type of balljoints. I was simply telling you my opinion. Your user case may be different. You make the best decision on your Jeep.
3. What you believe or do not believe is irrelevant to me. I make my assumption. You make yours.
4. Actually, I paid less than $4,000 for a set delivered, as you can see. Again thats pre covid. And we only talk about front, arent we?
5. Appreciate you pointed out the solution to the problem, that, I do not have. Or would have in 30+ year. I cant guarantee I will still be around.
6. You are right, there is more than one way to skin a rocket surgeon.


edit: By the way, its a great thing that you want to remove all the parts that needed to be removed, as if you were replace the ball joints, to rebuild the ball joints. I am no pro, I really cant tell you if that is significantly easier.

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