MoparDan
Well-Known Member
What brand of ball joints are best to use in these cars?
Ball joint recommendations
- Thread starter MoparDan
- Start date
How much do you intend to drive it? If it is an occasional driver Autozone or O'reilly should be fine. If it is a daily driver step up to moog.
Also the upper ball joints are not a press in and out. They screw in with a special socket.
Dan...
Also the upper ball joints are not a press in and out. They screw in with a special socket.
Dan...
MoparDan
Well-Known Member
Yah, daily driver, ok I see on Rock Auto it says lower are press in type, uppers aren't they have Moog
MoparDan
Well-Known Member
Ordered, will be here around Friday, and installed shortly after thanks
79-Diplomat-guy
Active Member
Hope it all goes well for you Dan! Ill be doing a lot of the same you just did soon, might be asking you for some advice when I finally get to it. 
I put 4 sets of lowers, and 3 sets of uppers, in my Mirada in 8 years. Go for the Moogs. I finally did. You want to take the lowers and stick them in the freezer overnight. Then they will practically drop in. The uppers I couldn't find a socket for, so I used a pipe wrench. It works for putting them in.
LSM360
Well-Known Member
Although Moog are mostly foreign made now the joints themselves seem to hold up okay still, but guaranteed that the grease boot will crack and fall off within about a year. Just ask around.
MoparDan
Well-Known Member
The only time I ever had a ball joint replaced was on my '87 Diplomat: the upper control arm snapped because it was badly rusted...so I found a replacement and of course needed a ball joint it was VERY hard to find but eventually found one and when they went to install it the boot fell off! So I had to wait another week because that's how long it took for another one to arrive I had to buy the second one too, they didn't think the boot falling off was a good enough reason to refund me for the first one. I can't remember the brand but it was ordered though a friend's commercial account (I'm not sure what store)
The ball Joint tool looks like this:
Chrysler used three different sizes. FMJ's use the mid-size one (by far the most common size). Pickups and C-bodies use the large one and A-bodies with 9” brakes use the small one (which are not common – thank God)!
The actual square part is a smidge less than 2 inch (1.922” to be exact or 1-59/64”) – but a 2” open end wrench works great (if you can find one). I have used a giant crescent wrench before – but I don't recommend it.
The important part is to remove and install the upper joint while the arm is still attached to the car, otherwise you are looking at an almost impossible job to do on the bench.
BudW
Chrysler used three different sizes. FMJ's use the mid-size one (by far the most common size). Pickups and C-bodies use the large one and A-bodies with 9” brakes use the small one (which are not common – thank God)!
The actual square part is a smidge less than 2 inch (1.922” to be exact or 1-59/64”) – but a 2” open end wrench works great (if you can find one). I have used a giant crescent wrench before – but I don't recommend it.
The important part is to remove and install the upper joint while the arm is still attached to the car, otherwise you are looking at an almost impossible job to do on the bench.
BudW
