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Ball Joints

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I need to replace the Ball Joints on the XJ. Is it worth spending the extra money for the heavy duty ones or will the standard auto parts store ones be ok?
 
you can replace all 4 ball joints with Spicers for about $80. I think that's a good value compared to Duralast etc.
 
i'd have to get out a mag mount dial indicator and a big hammer to find any play in them at all.

we've had a few go out, but it was always under extreme circumstances (like when we got hit by another car and broke the knuckle in two..).
 
Omix-Ada (parent co. of AlloyUSA) is really cracking down on anyone selling below their MAP price, especially Amazon and ebay sellers. They WILL NOT fulfill orders from those vendors if they are found advertising below MAP. This why I had to raise the prices on my site, still working on some of their product lines as well.

Same goes for RE, Smittybilt, G2...any of of the brands from Transamerica (aka - 4Wheel Parts/4WD hardware).
 
Ultra4 mod class (top 5 every year since started mod class) ran Spicers for KOH races, and they were replaced each year. Jeep only runs KOH, glen helen, and then Johnson valley regularly during the year for fun.

He switched over to Synergy before this past Glen Helen race. Just for initial shock testing (car was significantly redone) they had so much play they had to be replaced. Went back to Synergy for the race... After glen helen they had to be replaced again. He went back to Spicers, and after running KOH this year, still seem fine.

This is a ball joint unitbearing 1ton outer assembly though. Not a D30/44. But if they cant hang with 1 ton stuff, I am leery on smaller jeep stuff.
 
I'm in the same predicament, have a hp 44 with d30 outers and I'm debating spicer vs synergy. I know cal is running the same basic setup, but then I here others say synergy go bad really quickly......

I already have some spicers so I may run them and see how it goes
 
If you have the spicers, run them.
 
I've never had any BJ's survive more than 2-3 years of wheeling. Synergy's have done the best so far, but right now I'm trying out the Alloys, and they definitely LOOKED well constructed and the tolerances were deadly. I've only got 1 season of relatively hard wheeling on them (locked 30/44 on 35's), but absolutely no slop in'm yet and this was by far my hardest wheeling season yet. I probably put more strain on this set this season, than I've put any others in 3 years.
 
I'm running spicers and after 2 or 3 seasons they're shot. I don't wheel often either.

So now I'm looking at a viable alternative and there doesn't appear to be one brand with overwhelmingly better reviews than another. And I've heard nothing about dynatrac stuff and if it's even remotely worth the price tag. Keep in mind I would use WJ/JK joints
 
1990JEEPXJ said:
I'm running spicers and after 2 or 3 seasons they're shot. I don't wheel often either.

So now I'm looking at a viable alternative and there doesn't appear to be one brand with overwhelmingly better reviews than another. And I've heard nothing about dynatrac stuff and if it's even remotely worth the price tag. Keep in mind I would use WJ/JK joints
Click to expand...

Same here with the WJ BJ's.
I figure since you revived the thread, I'd post an update.
The AlloyUSA's I feel are holding up better than most, but I'm still only getting a season to a set. That's with a 5000lbs XJ on 35's. My street/wheeling ratio is about 50/50 as I really only drive to get to the trail, and I beat on it pretty hard, but I also don't drive like an idiot most of the time.

Ultimately, I think I've tried BJ's from every major manufacturer, and haven't found anything that'll last more than a season. I just threw on some new AlloyUSA's about 3 months ago, and they've already got some play. I'm giving up and going to tonnes. I don't think there's anything that can be done to a d30, to survive 35+.
 
The dynatrac ones are nice, I have some dana 60 ones here. They do still break, but under king of the hammers environment.

The next set of WJ joints I install will be the Teraflex ones. I don't know how good they are, but i know how good evrything else is not. ;)
 
I have had really good luck with the NAPA blue boot ball joints. Much more expensive than Spicers, but they have lasted at least 5 seasons for me, three of which were a lot of wheeling. I know many of the pre-runner guys run them and they definitely take a beating.
 
That's what makes me insane about the D30. For all the shit people talk about it, my only pre-mature failures have been BJ's and uni's. Locked 35's driven by 350hp, pushing 5000lbs of Jeep, and everything else is still tip top. A decent set of chromolys seems to solve the u-joint and shaft issues, and if you keep the gear ratio 4.56 or higher, your R&P should hold up just fine. I really don't understand what guys are doing to blow up a d30 with 4.0L power, other than driving like idiots.
 
stockerwithalocker said:
I have had really good luck with the NAPA blue boot ball joints. Much more expensive than Spicers, but they have lasted at least 5 seasons for me, three of which were a lot of wheeling. I know many of the pre-runner guys run them and they definitely take a beating.
Click to expand...

What size is your rig though? Weight/tire diameter/hp, and what kind of wheeling do you do?
 
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