I need to buy new ball joints and unit hub bearings. Which brands do you recommend? I want the best.

 

"The best" is highly subjective. "The best" of anything is what meets your needs and expectations. What is your XJ primarily used for?

Many of us believe the oe Spicers are "the best" and use them.

Make sure you check for smooth turning/ no binding of hubs before installing.

 

I just bought Spicer ball joints and Timken unit bearings after doing my research to determine the best brands to buy.

 

I used Spicer ball joints and Timken unit bearings as well. No complaints so far. I have Amazon Prime so I ordered from them and they got here super fast.

 

Thx for mentioning the Timkens; that was an oversight on my part.

OP,

I also purchased mine from Amazon, and, as I said, be sure to check for binding before installing no matter which brand you go with or who you purchase from.

One of the Timkens I purchased had binding in it. Contacted Amazon and they immediately shipped out a replacement without requiring the return of the defective unit first. That was/is exceptional customer service.

 

Spicer and timkens no contest.

 

Anybody ever use Moog, XRF, or Synergy?

 

Moog good also and over counter at Advanced.

 

I went with XRF ball joints with a million mile warranty and with zerk fittings on both the uppers and lowers.
Only have a few thousand miles on them so far and no, nada, any play what so ever.
Checked them the other day when rotating the tires.

For the hubs, i went Timkens. Again, so far, so good.

 

I went with Synergy HD ball joints. Very nice quality, but maybe too spendy for most. If they hold up as long as I think they should, they're worth it.

Went with SKF for the hubs. Pretty sure they are made in the exact same factory as Timkens as they look identical other than the packaging.

 

i installed moog front hubs and spicer ujoints about 40k ago. no issues.

 

I first encountered Moog suspension parts & springs while working in my uncle's shop (1963), and have used them ever since. (Ditto for Timken bearings.) Like everything else, they will eventually wear out, but all in all they have been very high quality. Spicer makes top shelf parts (Spicer is Dana - the OEM for the Jeep axles) & Timken has been making excellent bearings since the beginning of automotive production (1899). All three are very high quality, and worth the money.

Buddha - very nice photos. What BJ press did you use? (just curious - always looking for a good tool)

 

I just used the loaner ball joint press from O'Reilly's with 4x4 adapter. It helped I had the axle out when I changed mine.