Ball Joints WTF

I bought a set of ball joints of Rock auto. Moog off course, but look with what I ended up.








So now I'm in the process off getting the "right" ball joints. I think the right one is correct, it looks like the once I have laying around.

I look at those boxes, and wonder which one is really correctly MOOG, and not some China import knock off been repackaged into Moog looking boxes....

:crap::suicide:

This sucks so much. Again a delay, darn. I have a response from rock.


Thank you for contacting us. It is normal for there to be some variation in
ball joints stiffness. As long as the ball joint is not loose (flops side to
side or has play) it is normal for them to be very tight when new and loosen
up. Sometimes one will be tighter than other but still within spec.

But I can't make heads or tails of it. I included the picture, but my guess is they never looked at it.

What do you mean? That hat? That's what makes a moog ball joint a moog ball joint, there's a big spring under that hat that keeps the ball tight even after it wears, the ball will be tighter for many more miles. Hey, if you don't want them..say so, I'll gladly take them off your hands

They are both Moog (at least the carton) !!! Both same order, both same shipment. But they differ!!!

The left one with the big hat is the one you want. The right one is what you get at any part store for $15 or so... when you look at RockAuto's web catalog, they list several different quality (and price) ball joints. The one on the right looks like a cheap Raybestos 5001010B that they sell for $12 - email or PM them, they are pretty good to deal with. Maybe it somehow got in the wrong box.

MYBAD79 said:

The left one with the big hat is the one you want. The right one is what you get at any part store for $15 or so... when you look at RockAuto's web catalog, they list several different quality (and price) ball joints. The one on the right looks like a cheap Raybestos 5001010B that they sell for $12 - email or PM them, they are pretty good to deal with. Maybe it somehow got in the wrong box.

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Karsten....NOTE the difference in the boxes....one box is all printed at once, with made in USA on the thing, the other is a stickered box and I can't read any writing, hardly the Moog #.... I still suspect China crap....very highly...

:cussing:

Your right pic is the oem design.

It's hard to tell what you get these days. Always check the boxes, customer returns/exchanges. I've gotten wrong or used parts in new boxes many times.

Here are some lower I got last week, at least they aren't China :rain:

Yes I am contacting them. But I have the gut feeling this is not going to be smooth.

The left one is also the one with moog imprinted on the rubber, it was also complete. The one on the right missed a grease nipple and end nut

Close up.

Turkey!!! Was it wrapped in pita bread?

Just got of the phone with rock auto, they are shipping a new one on Monday. I have to hold on to the old one for 2 weeks just in case they want it back! Well I haven't got the part yet, but the initial service seems great. I'm amazed. . .

cajos1968 said:

Just got of the phone with rock auto, they are shipping a new one on Monday. I have to hold on to the old one for 2 weeks just in case they want it back! Well I haven't got the part yet, but the initial service seems great. I'm amazed. . .

Click to expand...

Wonder which one you wind up with, but gotta say, can't beat THAT service...

freeking shipping worth more than the damn joints....

:shocking:

Yes, lets hope it's the correct one. Maybe I pop an email to MOOG, let them know what's going on.

That's what I love about brand loyalty. You are loyal to the brand, the brand tells you to go have intercourse with yourself because they are purchasing and packaging KRAP from the cheapest source. I have seen this before with MOOG parts. One top hat, one flat top. Repackaged KRAP from Brazil. So now is EITHER of the parts genuine USA production? Who knows?

I buy my suspension stuff from VBP and have never had a problem or failure with anything as of yet (been over 15 years). I don't know where they are producing it or having it produced, but I am happy with it.

Rich

cajos1968 said:

Just got of the phone with rock auto, they are shipping a new one on Monday. I have to hold on to the old one for 2 weeks just in case they want it back! Well I haven't got the part yet, but the initial service seems great. I'm amazed. . .

Click to expand...

I returned a slave cylinder that was incorrect to Rock Auto. They sent me a replacement immediately.

The flat BJ in the picture is not a Moog K6034

Even if you are not going to use it right away, check the box. I do at the store. The "undocumented alliens" at our local Zone love to swap boxes before check out. Quite often I find a cheapo Fram oil filter in a HD Fram or Mobil 1 oil filter box. I get REALLY P.O.'d when I get all the way home and find this crap.

That's what I do next time, big2bird. I was counting on installing the front suspension tomorrow, but that will be next week I hope.

cajos1968 said:

That's what I do next time, big2bird. I was counting on installing the front suspension tomorrow, but that will be next week I hope.

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Don't feel like the long stranger there man, I remember some maybe 4 years ago having to change some 'lifetime warranty' lower ball joints...from Auto Zone sold under McQuay Norris brand...whoever they are....at any rate they exchange the BJ's no sweat....I get home and they do NOT FIT the control arm, not at ALL....I take them back, get a refund of the purchase price from 3-4 years earlier, and go to NAPA and buy good ones....

got NO clue where these NAPA joints actually came from, BUT they looked SO much finer made than the AutoZone junk....like someone actually gave a shit when assembling/packing them....

:clobbered:

oh well... AZ "zone" quality... the zone by my house is awesome, these guys really give a $hit about the customer, most 'Zones" don't..... go 6 miles down the road and you're not a "valued" customer anymore... LOL

shit happens, customers swap parts/boxes all the time.... that's why many parts are now behind the counter....

quiet a few times I've seen Fram filters in Mobil1 boxes... I've never been lucky to buy a $2 Fram filter to find a $14 Mobil filter in the box.... wonder why....:3rd:

lifetime warranty.... it's great, I just last year I got new brake pads from them, covered by LTW....

MYBAD79 said:

oh well... AZ "zone" quality... the zone by my house is awesome, these guys really give a about the customer, most 'Zones" don't..... go 6 miles down the road and you're not a "valued" customer anymore... LOL

shit happens, customers swap parts/boxes all the time.... that's why many parts are now behind the counter....

quiet a few times I've seen Fram filters in Mobil1 boxes... I've never been lucky to buy a $2 Fram filter to find a $14 Mobil filter in the box.... wonder why....:3rd:

lifetime warranty.... it's great, I just last year I got new brake pads from them, covered by LTW....

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Karsten, I guess I goofed a bit in my wording, they were supposed to fit, same design, looked right, but they were made rong, a cheeep casting that was not machined one bit, and would not allow any of the bolts/holes to line up and it just hung up in the pocket of the lower arm, no way in hell to fit down home and snug up....BOTH joints of same 'quality' China junk.....

going to NAPA the joints were more polished and machined, the way it looked assembled was with a swage? press then machined around the collar, and out the V on the two small bolts...

:skeptic::rain: