Ball joint extravaganza...the results will shock you!

[Trojan4x4]

I've recently installed some Mevotech X-Factor Supreme ball joints on my 99 4runner and got some heat for that. I've used the brand in the past in my shop without problems, but I decided to take the ball joints apart and compare for myself. I think you guys might enjoy the results.

The boot on the Mevotech is indeed much better.

Boots removed. Mevotech boot included a retaining spring on top and bottom.

Now this was an interesting design choice. Also we can see that Mevotech will have a greater non-binding angle of operation.

The narrowest diameter of the ball joints...negligible difference in my opinion.

Inner race diameter

Outer diameter

Actual ball joint. See the difference in polish. Two school of thought. One is that polished is better - another is that irregularities in finish will "store" grease and prolong life. Keep in mind that a used BJ will be more polished regardless.

Grease: I think that even after 80k miles, Toyota BJ does have a greater quality grease. However Mevotech ball joint does have grease zerks so lower quality grease can be replaced.

Draw your own conclusion...I will cut open the housings and try to take the actual ball joint out. If I get access to appropriate equipment I will test hardness and finish durability.





NOTE: There are different version of Mevotech ball joints. The ball joints that I've installed are MK90263 and MK90262. According to RockAuto They fit 00-02 4Runner, 01-02 Sequoias and 01-02 Tundras. They have a blue boot, 2 grease ports and 10.9 bolts. All hardware is heat treated and NOT painted.
There are other ball joints made by MevoTech GK90262 and GK90263 for 96-99 4Runners which are shitty and come with 8.8 Bolts.

 

[Acorn22]

This is pretty cool, you'll probably catch some heat but I'm interested in this! Let us know how they hold up

 

[Wedgy]

Are there frequent occurrences of non-OEM LBJ's failing ?
Thanks for you comparison, I'm interested in the results. Really hard to tell unless you can test shear and fatigue.

 

[marcus clarkus]

Very cool, thanks for posting this. I'm still gonna stick with OEM though -- the info you have is great but you really have to do destructive testing (and have an understanding of their quality control processes) to pick the winner. Based on that last picture I'd say the OEM design has a lower stress concentration where the stud meets the ball vs Mevotech design... although that's not the only location where these things fail.

 

[nobb]

Interested in seeing your analysis after they are cut open! Most aftermarket joints are Sankei 555 with different packaging, but in this case it appears Mevotech has engineered the joint inhouse. In this case, it appears the Mevotech uses the traditional metal on metal design which, if regularly greased, in theory should be sturdier than the sealed design with a teflon cup. However, there's more to a quality ball joint than just visual appearances because there's other considerations like metallurgy.

On another interesting note, it seems Rockauto has just started to stock the "TTX" sub-brand from Mevotech for the upper ball joints. TTX is their extreme heavy duty grade of ball joint and should be a very high quality part. Hopefully if Mevotech is making a TTX upper, then maybe a TTX lower joint will be in the works which would finally be a good (or better) alternative to the OEMs.

 

[pauldub]

Dimensions tell us nothing about the quality of the materials.

 

[nissanh]

Oh Yeah!

Are there frequent occurrences of non-OEM LBJ's failing ?
Thanks for you comparison, I'm interested in the results. Really hard to tell unless you can test shear and fatigue.

My friend used aftermarket Moog lower ball joints for his 03 tacoma and it failed in less than 20K miles. Glad he was turning slow and the front end collapsed!

OP: Good dimensional analysis, but let's encourage fellow 3rd gen 4runner and 1st gen tacoma users to use OEM lower ball joints.

 

[Mudeprived]

Dimensions tell us nothing about the quality of the materials.

This.

 

[Trojan4x4]

Are there frequent occurrences of non-OEM LBJ's failing ?

Yes, the general consensus is that yota ball joints are better and aftermarket fail prematurely.

I'm still gonna stick with OEM though -- the info you have is great but you really have to do destructive testing (and have an understanding of their quality control processes) to pick the winner. Based on that last picture I'd say the OEM design has a lower stress concentration where the stud meets the ball vs Mevotech design... although that's not the only location where these things fail.

I don't think so...since OEM has that metal collar and it doesn't allow the ball joint articulate fully. But at the same time I'm not too thrilled with that nylon "bump stop" that Mevotech has, it's going to get shredded.
However the ball joint "retaining" lip is thicker than OEM.

On another interesting note, it seems Rockauto has just started to stock the "TTX" sub-brand from Mevotech for the upper ball joints. TTX is their extreme heavy duty grade of ball joint and should be a very high quality part. Hopefully if Mevotech is making a TTX upper, then maybe a TTX lower joint will be in the works which would finally be a good (or better) alternative to the OEMs.

I saw those today when looking for a picture of Mevotech. I'll be curious to get my hands on those.

Dimensions tell us nothing about the quality of the materials.

This.

Indeed. But consider this, most of the ball joint failures is actually the ball separating from the cup (source: googled images of 3rd gen 4runner ball joint failure). Majority of those time we can see corrosion and rust on on the upper portion of the ball. The grease eventually breaks down and "leaks" downward, exposing top of the ball unprotected. the grease-able design negates that issue in particular. In addition the ball joint housing on top of the assembly, and the "retaining" metal lip is sticker. The ball joint itself is bigger than OEM.

(X factor stamp on the ball joint cap)

I'm not a Mevotech advocate, but rather the devil's advocate.:target:

 

[lext4r]

I'm curious to see what comes of this. I think we can all agree it would be great to have a cheaper alternative to OEM with the same or greater quality ****if it ends up being possible****

 

[LittleCaesar]

Here bigger may not be better.

I have used some Mevotech parts on other cars and trucks with mostly positive results. The only part that comes to mind that was bad was an outer tie rod for a truck in which the grease fitting threads weren't machined correctly and the fitting continued to fall out even with loctite.

 

[thegipper]

I commend the OP for his efforts and the information is definitely interesting.

From a "quality" standpoint though, these measurements really do nothing to support or deny the general consensus on this forum in regards to OEM vs aftermarket LBJ's.

Without destructive testing and metallurgical testing, simply taking measurements won't do much good.

The OEM ball joint may have "smaller" dimensions on certain items but in reality, the quality of the material and the design have proven to be superior in all real world testing that has been observed on this forum.

Does that mean that no aftermarket company is capable of making a LBJ as good as the OEM one? Of course not.

Does that mean that Mevotech LBJ is a bad one? I personally don't know. I can't think of anyone actually using any or any posts I've read about them specifically breaking.

But what we do know is that the vast majority (maybe all of them?) of aftermarket LBJ's for these trucks do fail in a shorty amount of time compared to the OEM LBJ.

Again, I commend your work and was glad to see it. I just hope people under stand that , to quote [MENTION=69868]LittleCaesar[/MENTION] "bigger isn't always better".

 

[00Spork]

I'll buy OEM ball joints and tie rod ends until the day my truck dies.

 

[Ryance39]

Pretty interesting to see some of this.
Like others have mentioned, measurements only mean so much, but they do mean something.

I'll be interested to see how long they last and how they hold up. There is no reason another manufacturer shouldn't be able to create something comparable or better than the OEM option.

 

[Horsethief]

Just wondering, does anyone know who actually manufactures the OEM part? I don't imagine Toyota has a ball joint factory somewhere.

With my Volvo for instance, people on the Volvo board have compiled a list of who makes which part. So, for instance, instead of paying $250 for the OEM "blue box" Volvo branded unit bearing, I paid $150 for the FAG (actual name of the company) unit bearing which is the same part just in a different box.

 

[nobb]

My friend used aftermarket Moog lower ball joints for his 03 tacoma and it failed in less than 20K miles. Glad he was turning slow and the front end collapsed!

So many reported failures of the Moog (Sankei 555) which is troubling because Sankei is known to be a quality manufacturer. Do you know if your friend greased the part periodically? In principle, a metal on metal joint is much sturdier than a sealed teflon joint but only if it's maintained.

Was the failure due to a broken stud (bad metallurgy on the stud) or ball came loose in the socket (bad metallurgy in the body)?

 

[T4R2014]

About as shocking as when people thought Tacoma ball joints were the end all solution because it was cast thicker in some areas than others but still fail in the same way.

 

[ZionXIX]

Just wondering, does anyone know who actually manufactures the OEM part? I don't imagine Toyota has a ball joint factory somewhere.

With my Volvo for instance, people on the Volvo board have compiled a list of who makes which part. So, for instance, instead of paying $250 for the OEM "blue box" Volvo branded unit bearing, I paid $150 for the FAG (actual name of the company) unit bearing which is the same part just in a different box.

I too have seen this on the Volvo forums. People have done a lot of leg work to find out the various part manufactures and compare the parts side by side with the OEM brand. I was pleased to find DENSO ignition coils for my 4runner for a fraction of the OEM price. Purchased directly from DENSO.

 

[Trojan4x4]

Took the time today to cut open the ball joints...the results will shock you!
Will do dimensional analysis later. Maybe if someone has access to microscope or rockwell hardness tester I can send you the samples

 

[Tyler James Inc]

I don't think so...since OEM has that metal collar and it doesn't allow the ball joint articulate fully. But at the same time I'm not too thrilled with that nylon "bump stop" that Mevotech has, it's going to get shredded.

Just FYI: If your LBJ is limiting your suspension travel, your suspension is not setup properly. The "articulation" of the balljoint is really a moot point.
On compression, your LCA bumpstops should limit travel well before BJ end-travel. On droop, your shocks' internal bump stop should limit travel before BJ end-travel again.
If planning on adding droop- or abusing your suspension- limit straps should be added. Either way- the ball joints should NEVER be used as limiting points in your suspension.