Originally Posted By: eagle23
Originally Posted By: Trav
Moog inner are a good joint for rack and pinion but their outers suck. Pi$$ poor boots and grease fittings.
Unless you have an off road, construction equipment or over the road truck leave the zerk fittings alone.
Trav, from your experience is greasable vs. nongreasable on a ball joint a consideration?
I would have assumed a greasable joint was preferred but realistically may not make much difference.
In pricing for all 4 joints on Amazon (the free shipping usually beats Rock Auto), the OEMs are about $45 more than the Moogs.
I never buy joints with grease fittings unless there is no other option. They are okay if you maintain them religiously but in the real world they get neglected.
The boots are purposely made looser to allow old grease to escape but they also let water and dirt in causing wear.
Moog has tried to make sort of a hybrid boot that is pressed on the joint with a small escapement passage but these have proven problematic, many are almost cut right through by the machine that presses them on causing a weak spot in the boot.
If they would have used a more conventional spiral ring on the bottom instead it might have better and definitely more durable, Moog is well aware of this issue yet continues to make them, 4 years ago they claimed they were working on a new design.
It seems they have implemented it on some new joints.
https://summitracing.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4583/~/why-is-the-moog-ball-joint-i-purchased-missing-its-dust-boot%3F
LFL joints have been used for decades and its not uncommon to see 20 year old cars with the original joints still doing okay.
I looked at an old car the other day with its 20 yr old joints still in serviceable condition. Its not uncommon to see cars of all makes with old joints that are still okay.
The fact you install and forget them and get the same life span or better makes them a no brainer IMO.
Moog fan will never admit they should be avoided if possible, they still recommend them even when they can get the friggin boots on as in this thread.
http://www.lincolnsonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56495