Moog lower ball joints not machined right???

[oliver]

I'm rebuilding the front suspension on my 66 belvy and i noticed that the ball joint to knuckle mounting surface on the ball joints are not machined like the original ones. This does not seem right to me, anyone notice this? Should i try to look for another pair? These were around 55 bucks a piece, and even the cheap ones were not machined on that surface. It just aint right. Heres a pic of what i mean. (yes i know the pic shows opposite sides, but both are the the surface that mounts to the knuckle.) Oh, and yes, they say made in USA.

 

[D575]

did you get 2 left side ball joints K-781 and k783

 

[oliver]

No, I didn't. Both are not machined on the knuckle mounting surface. I was just showing what i had not installed.

 

[snakeoil24]

The surface needs to be flush and milled flat or it will stress and crack.

 

[oliver]

The surface needs to be flush and milled flat or it will stress and crack.

I know... what am i supposed to do? I got orielly cheapies and they were exactly the same as the moog ones. If the moog ones are bad, then what choice do i have left?

 

[oliver]

Got my hands on a set of spicer ones... The exact same way, if not even worse.

 

[Cranky]

Neither side of the joint are machined? Take em to a machine shop is all I know. If they are being supplied that way to the locals, they are probably going to be like that to the on line companies too....?

 

[oliver]

Neither side of the joint are machined? Take em to a machine shop is all I know. If they are being supplied that way to the locals, they are probably going to be like that to the on line companies too....?

the side with the crown nut is machined, but the knuckle side is not... the old one had both sides with a very nice finish. This is slightly crazy...

 

[oliver]

Well i bit the bullet at went at it with a large flat bastard file. I think this will work. I'll probably email moog to tell them what a crummy job they did with these ball joints.

 

[Cranky]

An SOB file will finish em off just nicely

 

[oliver]

An SOB file will finish em off just nicely

haha, i used a MF'er file to finish em. :laughing6:

 

[67 coronet]

not sure why everybody is worried about a machined suface.the ball joint is held in place by the machined holes through the casting,not by the tortional pinch on the edges.its all about the bolt,not the mating suface.thats why all the companys leave them as cast.hopefully you didnt take too much off of them and cause a distortion of the lower arm.

 

[Cranky]

not sure why everybody is worried about a machined suface.the ball joint is held in place by the machined holes through the casting,not by the tortional pinch on the edges.its all about the bolt,not the mating suface.thats why all the companys leave them as cast.hopefully you didnt take too much off of them and cause a distortion of the lower arm.

If two flat surfaces mate together, shouldn't they both be flat? The bolts are supposed to hold them together and if they don't mate flatly, then the bolts will have uneven stress on them instead of straight shear.....

 

[dangina]

this thread is very interesting - I bought some ones from moog awhile back (about a year) and now I'll be putting together my front suspension this week - I'll check how mine are and i'll post pics of the ball joints

 

[Coronet 14]

I bought these from Summit Racing They are machined. Slowly rebuilding front end on my 72 Coronet.

 

[oliver]

View attachment 122843I bought these from Summit Racing They are machined. Slowly rebuilding front end on my 72 Coronet.

Not that side, thats the castle nut side, the other side os the one that mounts to the knuckle. i believe you will find that it will be the raw forging.

 

[67 coronet]

If two flat surfaces mate together, shouldn't they both be flat? The bolts are supposed to hold them together and if they don't mate flatly, then the bolts will have uneven stress on them instead of straight shear.....

you are talking about staped steel againts a cast surface.common sence would say it needs to be flat,but that is not where the stress is being applied to it.if it was the bolt would tear the stamped steel part.

 

[rsd859]

haha, i used a MF'er file to finish em. :laughing6:

I havent laughed that hard in a while!!!