[black07]

Well, after a week of not having my speed, I finally got it going again today. I had a mishap with my dealership - they put a hole in the boot and stripped my passenger side ball joint. Since finding a new one and getting it shipped for an install before Labor Day Monday was almost impossible, I had to go with a Moog Problem Solver adjustable ball joint. It's adjustment range is -1 degree to +1 degree. It adjusts by rotation which means it also adjusts caster either positive or negative. The unfortunate thing is there are some ratios that you have to deal with because of it's circular motion. I put them on and adjusted them with less caster - which allows a little bit better turn-in in corners. I still need a final alignment, but so far I like it. You may ask why then did I not get it fixed until today? The instructions that came with the ball joint said to torque the bottom stud nut to 121 ft pds of torque. Seemed excessive to me, but it was in the instructions. Needles to say the ball joint was ruined. After reordering the ball joint to get it replaced under warranty - with an extra to replace the drivers side one - Advanced Auto's computer system screwed up and I did not get them until today. I know I could have gotten another SPC by this point, but after seeing it in my hand, I was interested to see this different ball joint in action. After taking off the driver's side ball joint, I'm glad i did order 2 because the threads were starting to round on that one as well. Never have a tech align your car and tighten the ball joints with the biggest guy with the biggest breaker bar he can find!:huh:

 

[TiGraySpeed6]

Congrats on that battle!
I feel compelled to add- Stupidbastardcamelhumpingdealertechs!
I hope they contributed financially to your cause!

That aside, (and knowing I'm way tickled with my SPC's) How were the Moog's to work with, and what is the cost of those things?

For those not interested in the more radical alignments like mine (-2/-1.5 f/r) these might be a more cost effective option?

 

[black07]

I hope they contribute financially as well, but I'm not counting on it.
The cost was $127 a piece. You can find them cheaper on line, ie Amazon, etc. As far as working with them, I would suggest that they would make it easier to align the car than the SPCs. They use a "cup" on top just like the SPCs with a groove that goes into the side of the stud. To adjust, you insert a 3/8 allen into the end of the stud to rotate. Just seems easier in my head, but maybe not. I did have to make some adjustments to the cup that I shouldn't have had to. The cup goes down over the press in flange just like with the SPC. But the problem is the cup was very slightly too small. May have gone on with pressing it on, but the cup has to rotate around the flange as you rotate the ball joint. So I cleaned the flange up and ground down the inside edge of the cup very slightly to allow it to sit on snug but also to still allow it to rotate. I threw in a little Amsoil grease to assure it's proper rotation. Top bolt snugs to 100 ft Lbs, bottom to 35. DO NOT follow the instructions that come in the box for torque. Also, the bolts can be a little bit of a hassle to start. They use pinch threads to assure they don't rotate back off which can make it tricky to get them started.
When all is said and done a person should be able to get over -1 camber especially if they are lowered but definitely nothing like your adjusted to. Plus this can help with caster issues if they have any.

 

[dougefresh_]

Those cost more than the SPCs... SU sells the SPCs for $101/each shipped. I'm interested in how your new ones compare.

 

[black07]

There are places on line that you can get these for cheaper. Amazon has them for $87 with free shipping. It takes a little while to get them through Amazon though. It says ships within 1-2 months. So far I am liking them. I have them rotated forward which adds negative caster which I believe puts me in the upper 3's for caster. I still need an alignment, but right now the car drives great. I feel more of the road which can be good and bad. It can tend to feel a little skwermy over uneven road surfaces. Not sure if this is contributed to less caster or what. The car also feels a little lighter on it's toes compared to before. I know this is all because of the alignment and not the ball joints. The front end does feel tighter. Not sure if this is all in my head or not. This could be attributed to the lack of a final alignment as well. Pulling in and out of my parents drive way I used to get a loose feeling in the suspension. I do not get that now.

 

[Dephect]

I have to replace my front wheel bearings and hubs and was planning on getting SPC's and have the shop go ahead and put them on while they had everything torn apart, but these sound like I might have another option. Thanks for shedding some light on the Moog's

 

[p057]

Those cost more than the SPCs... SU sells the SPCs for $101/each shipped. I'm interested in how your new ones compare.

SPCs go for 179 on RPMstore. I prefer them for everything... but if i want koni yellows -- get em at SU.


I just got SPCs installed. they look beefy and well built for chinese parts. I saw the stock BJs that came out of my car and they looked like squished preserved whole figs.:mellow:



with stems.

 

[hamletbilbo]

Hi,

seems like a good solution to the problem of the steering pulll

The car do you stay well? Did settings get the miles?

a greeting