Ball Joints & Parts

Ball joints and bushings enable suspension motion in response to the tires’ contact with bumps, the springs’ corresponding reaction, and your steering input. But where bushings only allow control arm movement in one plane, swinging up and down at the frame, ball joints enable the control arm and knuckle to move vertically and the spindle to move horizontally. A typical ball joint consists of a ball stud in a socket housing mounted to the control arm, with a rubber boot enclosing the socket to protect it from dirt and retain lubricant. The stud attaches to the knuckle/spindle and the ball allows it to both pivot and rotate as the vehicle is steered and the suspension reacts to the road.

It is common to refer to ball joints as uppers or lowers according to their mounting location, but a more important distinction that alludes to their function and construction is whether they are load bearing (loaded) or non-load bearing (unloaded) or “follower” ball joints. Loaded ball joints support the weight of the vehicle like the lower ball joints on rear-wheel drive vehicles with Short & Long Arm (SLA) suspension. Unloaded, or follower joints keep parts in alignment but do not support weight. The upper ball joints on SLA suspension vehicles and the lower ball joints on front-wheel drive vehicles with MacPherson struts are follower ball joints.

Ball joints wear from use, lack of lubrication, and boot failure that allows contamination into the joint. Common symptoms of worn ball joints are noise, abnormal tire wear, misalignment and steering problems like pull. Some load carrying joints have built-in wear indicators - replacement is necessary when the indicator is flush with or has receded into the base of the joint. In addition to providing a complete line of direct fit replacement ball joints that meet or exceed OE quality, we also offer ball joints designed to solve particular vehicle problems.

For example, if you’ve modified your suspension for greater travel, such as with a lift kit, we offer ball joints with greater stud articulation to prevent failure, and if your vehicle has no provisions for camber or caster adjustment and you’re experiencing abnormal tire wear and/or poor handling, we offer adjustable ball joints that can bring alignment within specifications. And if your ball joints cannot be serviced separately, we also offer complete control arm assemblies that come fitted with new ball joints.

A performance ball joint must have several important qualities. It should have the strength and premium features to reliably perform under severe operating conditions, and maintain precise operating clearances without causing excessive friction that could affect steering and suspension response. And because the ride height of performance vehicles is frequently altered, some applications must have adjustable features to accommodate the change in suspension geometry. All of these advantages can be found in the performance ball joints on our digital shelves.

In addition to the above, we offer much more to satisfy your performance ball joint needs. If not so equipped you can upgrade your ball joints with durable, wear-resistant polyurethane boots, some available in your choice of red or black. Our performance ball joints come with bolt-on, screw-in, and press-in housings, for upper and lower, and front and rear installations, but for custom fitments we also have adapters, holders, and weld-on sleeves. We also carry ball joint installation kits, and removal, installation and inspection tools. And along with replacement ball studs and housings, of course we have the rebuild kits needed for rebuildable ball joints that include wear components like bearings and seals, as well as commonly replaced parts like castle nuts, retaining clips and cotter pins.