caught with ebay ball joints

fredsub · Post by **fredsub** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:22 pm

found an old one here. 35mm.
Found 2 new ones still in sealed bags, dunno what I'll do with em:???:
I've done it many times on my past L series. I recall always needing some effort to get the old out, and the new drops in with some lubing and method....
I use 2 jacks, one on the steering arm, then the other under the ball joint,
so push up against the weight of car and ball joint goes in. So much force is actually applied but gently.
Sounds a bit silly to me resorting to filing down the ball joint:eek:

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:25 pm

Jonno, the ball joints I just installed today were the same diametre top and bottom - slid in without a problem (the tension bolt gap was held open a little by a flat head screw driver - works a treat!). While the packaging box was the same for both items, the two ball joints were made differently. One was the usual shape at the top of it (the way its orientated when mounted), the other tapered off a little early for my liking. Both units were $26.95.

Also installed new tie rod ends at about $37 each. The old units didn't have any slop in them that I could find and they still felt firm when you moved them - either way I think that they were near the end of their serviceable life before some movement wore in...

Dunno if this helps you out Jonno.

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:44 pm

Yeah, I always expect to be able to shove new ball joints in each and every time with flat blade screw driver in the slot, piddle easy. Always undo the upper sway bars link bolt 12mm heads, before jacking up and removing wheel and nothing else required bar th pliers for the split pin, a 17 or 19mm spanner on ball joint nut, 14mm socket for the lock in clamp bolt, bit of scrawn strength to separate everything while lie on floor. This time i was peaced off. 35.2mm does not wanna go in a 35mm hole - simple. To press this in on a press may have led to the bolt not lining up for its clamping duties. Amazing what 0.2mm can do.

If it was a local purchase it is so easy to take bits in, demonstrate and go with either a refund or another brand. Ebay however gives seller a chance to misread, reply and still not get anywhere.

Figure if someone compares $80 at local parts store for pair of ball joints to his $40 delivered pair, soon work out a smidge off and they are done.In the past, insurance companies did not allow a business to acknowledge they have any other complaints - you are the only one, an isolated case - GO AWAY sort of thing......

Glad that yurs were a success Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:14 am

Introducing the aftermarket BJ257 ..after I ground it down to fit size - you should be able to see the careful grinding done with a fine stone on a bench grinder. Started out as a 35.2mm diameter TOO FAT TO FIT

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steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:15 am

Starting at zero on same calipers that gave up 35.20mm for the aftermarket ball joint upper-as-fitted end, and 34.97 at the bottom end

Have no issue with the 34.97mm measure - just the 35.20mm

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steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:16 am

This ball joint came out of the 4GLTA

Measuring the bottom end

Oh! Wassat? Subaru genuine article logo ?

This is the dimension I had issue with the aftermarket BJ257 made to OEM standard reading at 35.20mm

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steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:16 am

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steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:17 am

Here is the othr side ball joint , LOOK another genuine article logo 5 9 D ,and another way less than 35.20mm reading

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steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:18 am

0.00mm at the finish

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steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:36 am

only the left side displayed any noticeable slop, but good practice is to replace in pairs.
361.These were either the originals or replaced with genuine components at some stage between 000000.0 and 188,900km. I fitted the newies at 248,000 odd km. If I expected to get another 250,000 out of this body I would have gone genuine I am sure.

Cheap Grief is really only a test car for LPG turbo then scrap it for its turbo gear and brakes and reclaim the gearbox. Now I need to remember to keep the ball joints too

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:17 pm

OK, fair is fair. Got a reply today even though it is a public holiday. Pointed out that I need to measure a new genuine ball joint for equal comparison. Almost feel compelled to buy one to measure , sort of doubt spares would carry one - for me to measure seeing as though so many buy non genuine. Now, where is FROGs PM button ????

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:39 pm

steptoe wrote:Glad that yurs were a success Bennie

Me too! New tie rod ends and ball joints feel great!

Hope you have better luck with parts next time. I always allow time for stuff ups with parts I order in now as I've had issues with receiving liberty parts that are listed as L series parts

My local has no issue with sending them back for the correct parts, they are usually embarrassed that they've got the wrong parts in even though its through no fault of their own!

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:38 am

One reason is to know the part numbers to avoid issues. Still have BJ257 in permanent marker on underside of Brumby bonnet, Repco put an R in front to keep their identity on part numbers - become RBJ257

I really find it hard to swallow 'wear' on the surface of the ball joints spots I measured. If they can wear here - no visible signs, they, six or seven of them have all 'worn' to same dimensions, and clamp bolt is designed to keep things in nice and snug - no movement!

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu May 12, 2011 11:37 pm

Well, Christmas fell on today for me with a package of goodies from the Westport Export Centre in America. Among other things were a pair of ball joints for MY and L Series , boxed in a well respected brand or two - TRW and Federal Mogul. They both measure up as 34.90mmin the critical points

These pictured above ebay sourced babies continue to be singled out as different to other after market varieties in that 35.2mm don't go in a 35.00mm hole?!

The US sourced from rockauto at $11 each !! also come with the final stage of assembly up to the installer, fill with grease, shove boot on and go from there. Also never seen a new clamp bolt supplied with a ball joint either. Full sheet of instructions came with them

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Dec 21, 2015 9:59 pm

guess what I have done ???

bought another pair online, cheaper again

and when they arrived, omigosh, horrors, same packaging, now recal where I got them from - people who claimed they were a press fit ....

argh..... these are not 35.20 mm diameter thank Fuji, so they should just slip in as per usual

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Dec 21, 2015 10:23 pm

So you managed to get the right ones this time?

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Dec 22, 2015 7:09 am

both times boxed and each piece marked as BJ257 just last lot got a grinding to make them fit. Last lot were compared against old ball joints and other brand new ball joints and they were a greater measure - full stop. Have no explanation as to why other than the measures of those last ones. Hoping, trusting won't go through same crap,

The seller stated the ball joints were a press fit. I have problems with their suggestion as to why are they press fit if the expansion slot is there ?? And the factory manuals simply state to remove the ball joint from the housing and that "installtion" is reverse sequence - no press fit, no use press or special tool. Special tool may be the other party !

Yet to fit them though

may be worth getting some LCA bushes at same time - 435,000km on old ones I suspect !