Ball Joints/Tie Rod Ends What Brand????

[OkieFishMan]

So I need to replace my ball joints and tie rod ends, but there are so many damn options. I hear MOOG is a good one, but I've also read some that say they too have gone to chinese ****. Rare Parts has good reviews but I think is new to the game. I want quality, as my truck is used to tow 10k, so cost doesn't really matter. I want to do this once and not have to worry for a while. So what's my best option?

 

[Honky Kong jr]

So I need to replace my ball joints and tie rod ends, but there are so many damn options. I hear MOOG is a good one, but I've also read some that say they too have gone to chinese ****. Rare Parts has good reviews but I think is new to the game. I want quality, as my truck is used to tow 10k, so cost doesn't really matter. I want to do this once and not have to worry for a while. So what's my best option?

Check with CPP but I think the use MOOG if you go with them get poly dust boots I’ve heard the ones they use now suck

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

@CSFJ mentioned a bad experience with Moog so I'd be hesitant. What about AC Delco professional?

 

[CSFJ]

Yeah, I would look into oem if it were me. I'm really tired of seeing the grease I put onto the Moog units oozing out and getting all over everything because of their cheap, ****** grease boot design. I've started looking at the high end stuff marketed to the extreme off-road vehicles, which might pan out for 4x4s, but not sure what they might offer for 2wd trucks. I keep hoping I can find someone that has a wider catalog of good parts versus a narrow selection for a single application.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Yeah, I would look into oem if it were me. I'm really tired of seeing the grease I put onto the Moog units oozing out and getting all over everything because of their cheap, ****** grease boot design. I've started looking at the high end stuff marketed to the extreme off-road vehicles, which might pan out for 4x4s, but not sure what they might offer for 2wd trucks. I keep hoping I can find someone that has a wider catalog of good parts versus a narrow selection for a single application.

Pre runners are 2wd and there is a market out there for 2wd off road parts I would think.

 

[74 Shortbed]

MOOG is junk?????????????.

 

[CSFJ]

Pre runners are 2wd and there is a market out there for 2wd off road parts I would think.

Excellent point. I forgot all about the pre-runner style trucks.

 

[spanky55amg]

http://proforged.com/

Have you checked them out. I know we were talking in the rant forum about them. I know it sounds bad in the rant forum, but we werent bitching about them.

Start here http://www.gmsquarebody.com/posts/371674/ but like I said, we werent bitching about them, but we all dont know much about them. At least the boot has a ring on it.

 

[MikeB]

Here's the deal: Name brand parts made in Chinese factories are still much better than generic parts made by low bidders. I just rebuilt my C10's entire front end using Moog parts made in France and some other Euro country, which I forget. Also used Timken bearings and National seals that were made overseas, including China.

Surprisingly my tie rod ends from Autozone are made in the USA by Federal Mogul. (They were probably new old stock.)

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I'd stay away from the no-name parts with super low prices. There's a big difference between $17 and $3 tie rod ends (as shown for 82 C10 at Rock Auto). Examples of issues I've had with the generic, no-name, low-bidder parts are: CPP ball joints for 55-57 Chevy had split dust boots right out of the package -- and one of the two free replacements had the very same problem! Also Elgin (that used to be a good brand) ball joints that creaked, and a tie rod end that wouldn't take grease.

 

[MikeB]

MOOG is junk?????????????.

I'm surprised at that statement, too. I have never seen a Moog boot leak unless I pumped in too much grease. I've never seen one split, either. They must use some seriously good rubber that's unaffected by lubricants.

 

[74 Shortbed]

I'm surprised at that statement, too. I have never seen a Moog boot leak unless I pumped in too much grease. I've never seen one split, either. They must use some seriously good rubber that's unaffected by lubricants.

Yep same here, I just put new ones on my Nova no problems, any boot will blow off if you try to pump the whole tube in there, lol..

 

[MikeB]

... any boot will blow off if you try to pump the whole tube in there, lol..

BTW, I'm not trying to dis CFSJ here, but just saying I have personally seen zero problems with Moog parts over the years.

 

[Craig 85]

I just did a bunch of research on-line for tie rods and drag links for my truck. I first looked at Rock Auto to get some part numbers and then started to look at local parts places. O'Reillys, Autozone and Napa all had the same part number as the Moog parts on Rock Auto. They were all branded under their inhouse names. I ended up ordering the parts at Napa due to price. They should be ready for pick up today. I advise if they are actually reboxed Moog parts.

 

[CSFJ]

I don't think it's asking a lot to have a grease boot seal in a factory manner. As to the amount of grease added, I typically stop as soon as I see the boot begin to swell. If, it swells at all. Most of the time, it doesn't seal tight enough to hold any grease in. And whatever amount does stay in, usually gets squeezed out with the first turn of the wheel. Those are my points of contention with moog. One of the guys I worked next to at the dealer opened his own brake and front end shop when he left. He just about greets the moog rep at his door with gun in hand. He's got many stories where he'll be doing a front end job, have 2 parts of the exact same number, and have 2 different boxes, with parts made from different materials in each. Especially handy when the TREs have different length threaded tails. Moog may have been the go to brand for quality, but that was about 25 years ago. Now like many other examples, it's simply a name owned by a larger company that doesn't give 2 ***** about what goes in the box, as long as the brand loyalists keep drinking the kool-ade.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

I just did a bunch of research on-line for tie rods and drag links for my truck. I first looked at Rock Auto to get some part numbers and then started to look at local parts places. O'Reillys, Autozone and Napa all had the same part number as the Moog parts on Rock Auto. They were all branded under their inhouse names. I ended up ordering the parts at Napa due to price. They should be ready for pick up today. I advise if they are actually reboxed Moog parts.

Post up pics so we can see the boot retention method.