Ball Joint/Knuckle Stuck

[Lunentucker]

@Metalcloak - How about giving this worthy contributor a discount code for some better baller joints?

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[WILDHOBO]

@Metalcloak - How about giving this worthy contributor a discount code for some better baller joints?

I’ve always wanted to ball better. This is my chance.

 

[Lunentucker]

 

[chorky]

I really don’t like the split ring failures. Two of them in exactly the same manner. Definitely a flawed batch. The black one in the pictures is hardwares store stuff. I bought and returned the spreader. No way to get it on the joint to do anything meaningful. But the pitman puller worked. It’s droving with the old knuckle and new ball joints on driver side only. I’m not leaving it like this. Those joints are dead to me. I don’t trust them, if for nothing else, for the split ring failures. I have an air hammer. I haven’t used it much, and thought about it, but didn’t want to destroy the ball joints. The old ones were toast and the only way I was going to get it back on the wheel was to preserve them.

Theres no way I would ever trust them either. it's a terrible enough failure to have no trust. In fact I would so far as to filing a complaint and sending them back to the manufacturer (probably China?). This could be a big enough of a problem that others who have installed them might be driving around with highly unsafe components.... That alone should be worth it to the conmpany to take them back and do some inspecting.

But, Metalcloak for the win anyway. I am probably going that route when my stock ones die.

 

[aFatBird]

First off, thanks to everyone that responded, and especially @HooliganActual for being kind enough to talk through the situation. Many things were at play, and some parts are trashed, but it’s driving again. I did try heat, and had zero movement. I ended up pulling the knuckle down off the top ball joint with a pitman puller. But the knuckle pulled the lower ball joint out as it lowered. That ball joint wasn’t coming out of the knuckle, but ended up coming out with enough force to destroy the threads. I installed another ball joint, as I had not yet touched the passenger side. The new steel knuckle is fine, but has a tapered bite for the tie rod end, which the aluminum knuckle does not. It’s straight. So after all this work, the old knuckle is back on for now. I’m very unhappy with the Dynatrac ball joints. Their external split ring design to hold the top joint in the C is lacking. But even better, both split rings they provided failed catastrophically. After installing them without issue, with a standard split ring pliars, they shattered off the joint with nothing touching the Jeep at all. All I heard was a couple pings, and it was on the ground in pieces. I had to get replacements at a local hardware store. In addition, only two of the four joints shipped had a spec of grease in them. They were dry metal on metal. Oh well. Live and learn.

The ultimate end to this project will be with different ball joints entirely. I think @Metalcloak ballers are the answer, as I want better security on the top joint, and still want greasable rebuildable joints. If there’s any way @Metalcloak could help me with super rush shipping, I’d be in your debt. I have a trip next week, and I just don’t trust these ball joints as far as I can throw them.

Thanks for everyone’s support. It was a tough weekend, but a valuable learning experience.

If you really want I have a set of new metalcloak ball joints that I can priority mail to you. I got them when they released but still haven't installed them.

 

[Metalcloak]

@Metalcloak - How about giving this worthy contributor a discount code for some better baller joints?

@WILDHOBO Send me a PM. - Matson

 

[aFatBird]

This is why metalcloak is top tier in customer support

 

[WILDHOBO]

@WILDHOBO Send me a PM. - Matson

Done. Thanks.

 

[WILDHOBO]

If you really want I have a set of new metalcloak ball joints that I can priority mail to you. I got them when they released but still haven't installed them.

That’s an amazing offer. You keep yours though. It’s rolling for the time being. I just won’t wheel it until the joints are swapped for good. Thanks!

 

[WILDHOBO]

This is why metalcloak is top tier in customer support

That they are.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Theres no way I would ever trust them either. it's a terrible enough failure to have no trust. In fact I would so far as to filing a complaint and sending them back to the manufacturer (probably China?). This could be a big enough of a problem that others who have installed them might be driving around with highly unsafe components.... That alone should be worth it to the conmpany to take them back and do some inspecting.

But, Metalcloak for the win anyway. I am probably going that route when my stock ones die.

The snap rings alone make it so I can’t trust the joints at all. Too much of a safety issue. I get it. On the highway the upward force should be enough to prevent them from dropping, but it’ll never be out of my head.

 

[Jaxmax]

Dan , have to say thanks for posting your debacle, a lot of us learned from you as usual , good or bad ! ……Jack

 

[HooliganActual]

@WILDHOBO Send me a PM. - Matson

This is why metalcloak is top tier in customer support

That they are.

I will second the sentiment about @Metalcloak customer support.

I currently have 3 built Jeeps with probably $100K in parts between them and MetalCloak is the only provider of all those parts that literally called me to make sure my ball joints arrived and said if I had any issues to just give them a call.

Just outstanding!!!

 

[WILDHOBO]

Dan , have to say thanks for posting your debacle, a lot of us learned from you as usual , good or bad ! ……Jack

Any time. I wouldn’t want anyone else having the same issue. I had really researched these parts, as usual for me. Oh well. Sometimes research isn’t accurate.

 

[PuddleJumper]

I haven’t tried that, but I think the lower one is free from the knuckle. Meaning I think the upper is the issue. The upper is seized onto the sleeve I’m almost positive. I’ve hit the knuckle with a mini sledge enough times that I’m not sure it’s ok. Thankfully it’s steel?

You can smack the piss out of the steel it'll be fine. I'm still trying to make heads of your originally statement. When i do I'll see if i got an old trick bouncing in my noodle somewhere.

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