Moog or Spicer ball joints

[mortimersnerd]

Any functional differences other than cost? The Moogs run $47 for uppers and $42 for lowers, Bronco Hut carries the Spicers for $42 for one of each. I'm steering away from generic China made junk, but have always heard good stuff about Spicer parts so I'm not sure if this is a good option. Also, the 78-79 ball joints are the same as the earlier D44 ones, correct? Any advice appreciated.

 

[kyle]

I have always used Spicer in the past, but I recently used Moog to stay away from the Chinese stuff (it's probably all chinese stuff any more).

The only thing I found with the Moogs is you have to be careful how you orient the top ball joint because the grease zerk is on the side. I think the spicers are on the bottom.

 

[ransil]

JBG show an upper & lower kit for $55

http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/i-12204-dana-44-ball-joints-pair.html

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

JBG show an upper & lower kit for $55

http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/i-12204-dana-44-ball-joints-pair.html

I used Spicer and they don't have zerk fittings. I was told Moog have plastic parts in them and to avoid them. Then I was told by Chuck at BCB that the Moog held up better on their racers, where the Spicers needed replacing after every race. I guess it depends on how much you want to spend.

 

[kyle]

It's been 4-5 years since I ran spicers but I could have sworn they had grease port where you could run a zerk or a plug on the lower ball joint for sure.

They probably cut cost and cut the zerk.

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

Not the ones I bought from BCB.

 

[needabronco]

I bought a set of 'Moogs' at Napa and was surprised that there were Spicers in the box? They were cheaper than the 'Spicer' boxed spicers also...

 

[NicksTrix]

i get my moogs from advance. have had good luck with them

 

[mortimersnerd]

Having done a little more research it looks like the NAPA premium are made by Affinia. Guess who owns Spicer? It looks like that the NAPA, Spicer and Raybestos ball joints are all the same part. They've got 2 grades and I'm guessing the Bronco Hut joints are the lower grade, given the money they're asking. Looks like NAPA has the higher end ones for a little less than Moog, may be the better way to go. I'm seeing increasing reports of problems with the Moog parts over the past year or two.

 

[kyle]

I guess memories get fuzzy after awhile, my spicers don't have zerks.

I just did a set of Moogs a month ago though and the zerk is on the side of the upper ball joint. So just a watch out.

 

[TN1776]

I bought a full set of spicer joints and returned them when I found they were not grease-able. I've heard all the stories about how the spicers are built to a tighter tolerance and don't "need" to be greased, but my front end was so loose with spicer joints (that had been replaced by the PO before) that it couldn't be properly aligned. I'm over 2 years into running the Moog joints (and I grease them before every 4-wheeling excursion) and they are still nice and tight.

I should qualify my Spicer bashing with the fact that I have no idea how the PO treated his rig (I bought his roller axle with the joints) and I have no idea how big his tires were or how much wheel offset he ran.

 

[dave67fd]

I have always favored Spicers. I think the "zerkless" overall are a stronger joint. A fellow longtime Bronco owner/off-roader who owns his own shop swears by them for the same reason.

 

[mortimersnerd]

I don't know how well this translates to ball joints, but my driveline shop swears that the zerkless Spicer U-joints hold up better.

 

[Nobody]

Watch out for the knurled surface on the moog joints. They will start tearing up bores in the C. I've always had good luck with Spicers. Not into greasing :-X