Thread: Ball Joint Options

just an option :

LOWER CONTROL ARM OEM FRONT NISSAN SENTRA 1991-1994 - eBay (item 280624363805 end time Apr-02-11 18:47:42 PDT)

I would recomend spicer dana over moogs as I see alot of comebacks at my shop from people using moogs especialy when they dont grease them on a regular bassis . On moog tie rods I can vouch for that having gone threw two sets of moogs within 15k miles and yes i allways greased them ! After that i went back to nissan oem . But moog ball joints you have to costantly grease them or the go to crap .Spicer has zurk fitting I think ?

This is just my opinion

Zerk fitting.

There are a lot of different ball joints. You can get them starting at $6.xx from Rockauto.

Moog K9949 are what I use, cleanable and re-greasable. However, because they can be easily disassembled, they can get messed up easier in assembly, and are more prone to getting dirt inside them over time. For a fix and forget replacement, I'd look at a different joint, one that has the boot permanently sealed to the unit.

Worth remembering that, as with most "wear" items on cars, there are different grades of replacement parts "service" and "premium." "Service" grade parts are the cheaper parts that typically get used by auto repair shops doing cosumer level work. Premium parts typically will use better materials (e.g. neoprene boots vs. plastic, or chromoly wear surfaces vs hardened steel, things like that).


Premium: $35 Raybestos 505-1149 s: Parts Detail

vs.
Service: $15 Raybestos 505-1149B: Parts Detail


The most obvious difference here is plated hardware vs. black oxide coating, which makes a huge difference regarding rust, but if you look closer there's a different grade of rubber and a more precise finish to the boot. There's likely to be different materials in the actual joint, as well.

Gotta say, that for $75 a pair shipped, those e-bay arms, while not likely as strong or as durable as stock, sure do make for a strong argument for a DD that doesn't get tracked or driven really hard.

Stay away. I put those on my DD 20k miles ago and they are garbage already.

I have a set of OEM arms with ES and Raybestos Premium ball joints pressed in ready to go on as soon as I can get some time.

agreed with vector. the autozone ones look like the bottom cheap ones. people seemed happy with them however. you get what you pay for. the autozone ones would come back after about a year or two. then again i have no idea if that was build quality on the parts, or people being idiots when installing them. do it once, and do it correctly.

Anybody know where those Raybestos units are made?

I'm going to go with some ball joints that are available at NAPA. Part number ATMSB4742. They are Sankei 555 brand. Made in Japan so thats why I decided to give them a try. Two year/24000 mile warranty. What is interesting is that NAPAs own premium ball joints have 555 , made in japan stamped on them. I wonder if NAPA is just super marking up Sankei units. The ball joints I'm picking up are $28.69 each.

I'll report back on how they work out for me.

The Raybestos Premiums from Autozone have a lifetime warranty and are only a couple bucks more. I would highly encourage you to look at those instead based on warranty factor alone.

Blair, quick question for you.

Do the ES bushings for the front control arms get teflon tape? I remember reading something about teflon tape on some of the bushings. I can't remember which bushings actually get the tape though.

See that ATM at the start of the P/N? That means it is an Altrom part and is made by an "OEM" manufacturer. Napa's premium ball joints carry a limited lifetime guarantee.

Napa is buying parts from the Altrom group and then reselling them. The Altrom group goes to Sankei 555 and says we want this many, to this specification, and this is how much I want to pay. They are supposed to be OEM equivalent. So if you order an Altrom part lets say a clutch it should be made by Exedy.

Good to know. Can you describe what's happened to them? Ball joints fail? Bushings fail? Actual breakage or deformation of the arm?

I've considered getting a set just to weld up some reinforcing plates and toss them in the spare parts collection for the rally car. Seems like a cheap way to make the difference between finishing a rally and DNF-ing.