Cannot recommend Dynatrac Ball Joints
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Tuned
Joined: Feb 2007
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Cannot recommend Dynatrac Ball Joints
While it is a great product and I have received amazing customer service from them, and 10 years of service from the ball joints....I have been trying for 2 days to 'rebuild' them and have managed to get one single ball joint replaced. They are not worth the effort required to disassemble and reassemble; I could have pressed in and out 10 sets of normal ball joints in the time that I have been messing with these things.
Admittedly, I'm frustrated as all get out after 2 days of trying to make these work and spending a ton of money on the initial system, money on the rebuild kit, and then another full lower ball joint because the c-clip was frozen in the cup and can't be disassembled, I'm about a grand into these, which is not a great feeling.
Your mileage may vary, but this is my experience.
Admittedly, I'm frustrated as all get out after 2 days of trying to make these work and spending a ton of money on the initial system, money on the rebuild kit, and then another full lower ball joint because the c-clip was frozen in the cup and can't be disassembled, I'm about a grand into these, which is not a great feeling.
Your mileage may vary, but this is my experience.
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Tuned
Joined: Feb 2007
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Well, clearly i was having an emotional reaction last night....lol...and I’ll leave the post as historic record of my meltdown.
After sleeping on it I decided to give it another go this morning, but using my ball joint press In some different ways instead of hammering away at them more. the shaft and new bearings slid right in, no problem...so while they say you can install these without a press...my experience says that it helps tremendously
So....i will put these other ones in and see how it goes and report back but I am still of the opinion that these can’t be installed trial side
After sleeping on it I decided to give it another go this morning, but using my ball joint press In some different ways instead of hammering away at them more. the shaft and new bearings slid right in, no problem...so while they say you can install these without a press...my experience says that it helps tremendously
So....i will put these other ones in and see how it goes and report back but I am still of the opinion that these can’t be installed trial side
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Tuned
Joined: Feb 2007
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I had 75k on my factory ones when I got the excursion. They lasted another 25k before they needed to be replaced. 35’s and running around logging roads a decent amount really beats up on them. And truthfully, there wasn’t any slop in these joints I just was having really hard steering and had replaced everything but these and figured for the rebuild price, it was worth it to try before going the steering box route.
I bought into the Dynatrac system because of the ‘ease’ of rebuild, especially when/if they failed on a trip. THey are a great piece of precision manufacturing but I’m not 100% sure i could recommend these over OEM or Moog In either the longevity or the ‘replacement’ category.
The build kit was only $200 (less than buying new BJ’s all around) so I figured it was worth it. Had I gotten Moog’s at Oreilly’s with a lifetime warranty, I would not have had to spend a dime and the amount of work would have been the same.
Hopefully I’ll remember this thread when/if it becomes replacement time again in 10years.
I bought into the Dynatrac system because of the ‘ease’ of rebuild, especially when/if they failed on a trip. THey are a great piece of precision manufacturing but I’m not 100% sure i could recommend these over OEM or Moog In either the longevity or the ‘replacement’ category.
The build kit was only $200 (less than buying new BJ’s all around) so I figured it was worth it. Had I gotten Moog’s at Oreilly’s with a lifetime warranty, I would not have had to spend a dime and the amount of work would have been the same.
Hopefully I’ll remember this thread when/if it becomes replacement time again in 10years.
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Tuned
Joined: Feb 2007
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Update, I have everything assembled. Once I started using the press to get the studs and bearings back in, it went very smooth...and that is the rub....if I'm gonna have to breakout my balljoint press, I might as well press out the whole unit and not have to do any of the other work. And no way this is going to get done trailside.
Final conclusion, unless you are plowing or running 37+" tires...there's no desernable value to these over other, much cheaper, options.
Final conclusion, unless you are plowing or running 37+" tires...there's no desernable value to these over other, much cheaper, options.
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crashed13
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
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Feb 23, 2006 02:28 AM
