^ Okay, but ... you wouldn't be replacing the BJs if the original sealed ones lasted the life of the vehicle, unless of course, you noticed boot damage early on yet couldn't find a replacement boot.
100% disagree, I see Subaru, BMW, MB, VW/Audi, Toyota and others going going over 200K and 20-25 years on the original LFL joints and I have been doing this professionally for over 50 years and live in an area with some of the worst pot holes in the country.Disagree. Besides the brief, initial, break in period when they are a little stiffer, greaseable high quality ball joints are superior if only you DO, grease them.
To be sealed, a BJ usually uses a plastic bushing which deforms with road impacts. Potholes can ruin them much faster.
Sealed, plastic bushing BJs are just part of the disposable society mentality that thinks "I don't want to bother maintaining anything, just throw it away when it fails"... which in this case just means it lasts beyond the warranty period.
Granted, plastic tech is fairly mature and good lifespan can be had from these structurally weaker lubed-for-life BJs, but they are always a downgrade from hardened metal on metal, HQ, lubed as needed, BJs.
Kia's OE supplier isn't saying much. Kias are designed to self destruct around 150K mi. if not sooner. There will of course be people who get more mileage than that, but consider the topic, it needs new BJs which many *cars* don't need in their lifetime.
It does not take a rocket surgeon to recognize that metal on metal is better than plastic on metal for shock and wear, if only kept lubricated.
Do you have a part number for those?Come to think of it, I have the Moog greaseables on the rear end links too. They are holding up well. TRD sway bar. Supplied endlinks were short lived.
100% disagree, I see Subaru, BMW, MB, VW/Audi, Toyota and others going going over 200K and 20-25 years on the original LFL joints and I have been doing this professionally for over 50 years and live in an area with some of the worst pot holes in the country.
Everything has a finite life. IME, with sealed ball joints and tire rod ends, the boots rot out before the joints develop play. Out here they easily last 10 yrs/200K.Except, if the originals held up so good, they wouldn't need replaced, so either the particular design, or the particular environment, is creating a need to evaluate what would hold up longer.
It's not a rare part to replace. Popular vehicles are supported by a half dozen or more brands.
I don't understand where you are coming from with this, many cars go to the junk yard fore the age of 20 with the original LFL joints still in them. I recently did some lower joints on a 2004 Subaru, there was no play in them but the owner thought the boots looked flat so he stuck a lube needle in them to fill them up, they didn't last long after that.Except, if the originals held up so good, they wouldn't need replaced, so either the particular design, or the particular environment, is creating a need to evaluate what would hold up longer.
It's not a rare part to replace. Popular vehicles are supported by a half dozen or more brands.
Except, if the originals held up so good, they wouldn't need replaced, so either the particular design, or the particular environment, is creating a need to evaluate what would hold up longer.
It's not a rare part to replace. Popular vehicles are supported by a half dozen or more brands.
A lot of BITOG members are DIY's and would make sure they get greased though,I would guess that damaged boots letting in debris/water is the cause of most joint failures, which is not under your control anyways. If the boot is intact and the vehicle isn't abused, it's entirely reasonable for the joint to last the life of a vehicle which most do.
Greasable joints make almost no sense for 99% of people because the risk of them not being maintained is far too high. The only situations where I see them of value is maybe in abusive situations carrying heavy loads or offroading.
I don't understand where you are coming from with this, many cars go to the junk yard fore the age of 20 with the original LFL joints still in them.
I recently did some lower joints on a 2004 Subaru, there was no play in them but the owner thought the boots looked flat so he stuck a lube needle in them to fill them up, they didn't last long after that.
Same is true of u-joints.{snip}
Greasable joints make almost no sense for 99% of people because the risk of them not being maintained is far too high. The only situations where I see them of value is maybe in abusive situations carrying heavy loads or offroading.
What exactly is your problem? 100K and more out of ball joints on some pickups is pretty darn good, aftermarket greasable joints sometimes do not make it half that and rarely match what the OE does. It is a joint when it is worn out you change it, that simple.Yes, and we can ignore those because the replacements would be for vehicles that needed them. Look up BJs on a popular site, say Amazon, and they have thousands of sales per page of hits. That's only counting the DIYers who buy auto parts from amazon. It seems fairly clear that many cars do not go to the junk yard with the original BJs, if only they avoid other causes of premature demise like a collision that totals them.
This is where I suspect the low percentage is, people who use a lube needle. You previously stated it is not uncommon to get 100K mi out of heavier vehicles like trucks, but then what? Then you (may) need BJs, and hope to get another 200K mi out of the vehicle. Besides the line is blurring on "heavier vehicles" now that so many people are driving unibody SUVs which are engineered more like cars including weak suspension components.
I agree that a car is less likely to need BJs replaced, but I also wonder, how can you be certain these vehicles have their original ball joints? Doing surveys on them all? I never report to the official BJ census bureau when I replace them.
The Critic - the rear end links on a 2010-15 Prius TRD sway bar cross over to some Honda FRONT sway bar end links. 2000 Honda Accord, 2002 Acura CL. Of course other years of those body styles but I'm not familiar enough with them to know the ranges. I just know those cars work when looking them up on Rockauto. Wide selection to choose from. Don't forget you want the front ones from the Honda, they're real short and stubby - and different part numbers for right and left. Hope this helps.Do you have a part number for those?
That I disagree with this idea that non-greaseable BJs are anything other than a bad idea for proactive DIYers who would grease them.What exactly is your problem? .