Best heavy duty ball joint for wj knuckles?

[ljobbins]

What is everyone who has done the swap using for ball joints?
I did the wj knuckle/brake/steering swap and I have gone through 2 different lower ball joints with mainly normal driving on paved roads with potholes in less than 2 years. I heard adjustable terraflex are the strongest but I don’t see on their website anything for wj’s. The ones I’m running now are synergy heavy duty ball joints. My moog tie rod ends have been fine and everything is put together correct and tight. I’m on 35’s. I’ve read that jk and wj Dana 30 ball joints are the same but on a couple different websites they say not compatible with wj or have different part numbers for jk and wj.

 

[Ol Blue]

Damn are you taking the XJ off jumps? What is failing on the ball joints?

Yes JK and WJ ball joints are the same.

On my D30 with WJ Knuckles on 33s I used Synergy ball joints and had no issues.
On my D44 with WJ Knuckles on 35s I have OE Dana/Spicer ball joints and no issues.

In fact, when ECGS built my D44 they didn't know what WJ ball joints were so I told them to use JK ball joints, and the WJ knuckles bolt up and work great.

I've also heard Teraflex ball joints are good, but they stick up a lot and can't be used with RCVs. I wanted to use Teraflex on my D44 but ECGS advised against it with RCVs.

 

[Anak]

If you search around here you will find a number of folks have had a hard time trying to find a decent ball joint. It isn't just you.

Spicer seems to be the most reliable option. Particularly a reliable option which doesn't wallow out your knuckles with knurling. If you have already installed knurled ball joints you probably have no good options.

 

[Jeepedo129]

I used the teraflex JK ball joints on my WJ conversion. They were not much more than the Spicer ones so I decided to go with them. The lower ball joint has 2 grease zerks that do protrude from the head slightly, but with normal U joints it's not an issue. I could see maybe RCVs rubbing on them a little. I will say though, they are well built ball joints and seem like they should last a while. The lower has a slop adjustment that you can tighten if it ever develops play in it. Comes with a special wrench and everything.

 

[75SV1]

I've use Mevotech TTKs and FXR's (???). I liked the Mevotechs a bit better. I am only running highway miles. The FRCs, I had to use a low profile Zerk fitting. The Mevotechs they supply a plug.

 

[maxbraketorque]

cal has said that Teraflex XJ ball joints hold up the best to his prerunner activities. I would assume the Teraflex WJ/JK ball joints are equally good.

 

[ljobbins]

I talked to teraflex and they said their jk ball joints are not compatible with wj knuckles. They said they fit but the preload is wrong and they don’t work. So they are out.

 

[Ol Blue]

This explanation makes no sense to me since the Teraflex preload is...adjustable.

Interesting how Trail Forged, Spicer, Dynatrac, and Synergy all have cross compatible ball joints between JKs and WJs.

 

[Goose_XJ88]

Why not go with BJ eliminators? Call it done after that.

 

[ljobbins]

This explanation makes no sense to me since the Teraflex preload is...adjustable.

Interesting how Trail Forged, Spicer, Dynatrac, and Synergy all have cross compatible ball joints between JKs and WJs.

Doesn’t really make sense to me either but that was what their customer service/sales rep said. He said they are not cross compatible and teraflex does not make a ball joint for wj. He said when different people tested them, the ball joint fit but they couldn’t get the correct preload and it was always too tight on the knuckle and the steering wheel would not return to center like it should. He said you could turn it but it was too stiff and the car would stay in whatever turn angle you left the steering wheel. In other words if you hit a pot hole and it forced the tires to turn a little, a normal car would self centered but their test runs had the tires stay in a turn unless they manually put the steering wheel back to center. I’m just passing on what he said.

 

[ljobbins]

Why not go with BJ eliminators? Call it done after that.

Are there any side effects to daily driving it on the street? Does it perform different to a ball joint on the street? In other words could my wife jump in and not have it feel or act weird?

 

[Goose_XJ88]

Are there any side effects to daily driving it on the street? Does it perform different to a ball joint on the street? In other words could my wife jump in and not have it feel or act weird?

I honestly have no idea. I've never been willing to pony up the cash for a set.

 

[75SV1]

These are the low profile Zerk fitting I use. They use to come with U-joints. :

1/4-28 UNF Flush Dynaflo Zerk Grease Fitting 100 count box total Zerk Fittings | eBay

1/4-28 Straight Flush Dynaflo Zerk.

www.ebay.com

I still have to use a 90 degree grease gun fitting. Also, I'd have to check on the install of the XFR's. I remember having to add some washers to get the nuts to work.

 

[Jeepedo129]

Doesn’t really make sense to me either but that was what their customer service/sales rep said. He said they are not cross compatible and teraflex does not make a ball joint for wj. He said when different people tested them, the ball joint fit but they couldn’t get the correct preload and it was always too tight on the knuckle and the steering wheel would not return to center like it should. He said you could turn it but it was too stiff and the car would stay in whatever turn angle you left the steering wheel. In other words if you hit a pot hole and it forced the tires to turn a little, a normal car would self centered but their test runs had the tires stay in a turn unless they manually put the steering wheel back to center. I’m just passing on what he said.

I’ve been daily driving on mine for the last couple months with no issues. I have about 3500 miles on them. I torqued them to spec and the knuckles turn just as freely as the stock XJ ones did. I feel like you’d need A LoT of preload to effect the steering returning to center. But that’s just me.

On Teraflex’s site, if you put in a WJ in the filter and search their balljoints, that same kit shows up.

 

[Rockwood]

Doesn’t really make sense to me either but that was what their customer service/sales rep said. He said they are not cross compatible and teraflex does not make a ball joint for wj. He said when different people tested them, the ball joint fit but they couldn’t get the correct preload and it was always too tight on the knuckle and the steering wheel would not return to center like it should. He said you could turn it but it was too stiff and the car would stay in whatever turn angle you left the steering wheel. In other words if you hit a pot hole and it forced the tires to turn a little, a normal car would self centered but their test runs had the tires stay in a turn unless they manually put the steering wheel back to center. I’m just passing on what he said.

Not directed at you...

But preload? It's a ball joint...