ball joint question
 

I am changing out the ball joints in my 96 and noticed that the upper ball joints are different between manufacturers the difference is usually in length or where the taper is located in a side by side comparison. The reason I am changing them out is because one of my upper ball joints had a little bit of side to side movement while the other one was solid so I figured I would just change them all out. I found a Duralast brand that matches what I had and also a TTX brand that matches what I had. The reason why I don't have two Duralast Brands is because they only had one ball joint available so I went to Napa and picked up the TTX unit. I noticed that the TTX unit has some side to side movement both forward and backward on the upper ball joint and I wanted to know if this is normal? The Duralast brand is solid in all directions.

Ball joint I would just go Spicer , no names you get what you pay for.

Spicer 706944X Socket Assembly

The ball in the joint should only be able to pivot, no movement on the x, y or z axes. The shaft should be able to pivot with the ball in all directions, if that's what your'e asking. When the ball joints and knuckle are assembled there should be no linear movement, only rotating the knuckle about one axis. I agree, go spicer unless you need to get it done quickly and can't wait for shipping.

i talked to the manufacture and their response is due to wear on lower Cs on the jeeps and especially our older vehicles the upper joint needs that flexabillity. they went on to state that the lower supports the knuckle and the upper is only a locator.

The proper answer is that there is some give when you put the weight on the joints due to design. The lower is a true ball joint as described above. The upper is a half ball, or semi ball if you prefer. It is not tight in the bottom of the cup because there is no adjustment for length like on the D44 and D60 design. So this joint wears quickly due to less contact area inside the joint. It also is not as solid when you put the weight on it. But if you can move it sideways by hand, it is shot

thank you guys. i will double check once the knuckle is installed for any movement. another thing they told me is the joint is telescopic and should move in and out (up and down) since the bottom joint carries the load. the ttx joint does move in and out but i could not get the duralast joint to do so. this is a bit frustrating since it is a critical part.

That is right, the top one is telescopic. If the one you got is really tight, all the better

I installed the knuckle last night and there is some wiggle on the top where the TTX joint is. I'm going to swap it out for a spicer brand. Any recommendations on who to buy it from?

Amazon prime is a good source

thank you order placed!