3rd Gen Engine and Drivetrain -> 2003-2007 5.9 liter Engine and drivetrain discussion only. PLEASE, NO HIGH PERFORMANCE DISCUSSION!

What's the bottom line on XRF balljoints?

Old 10-13-2011, 01:15 PM
  #16  
Registered User
 
cletus's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: van isle canada
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by jhenson
So.....the XRF's arrived yesterday morning.....still waiting for the steering linkages to show up. Did some searching last night for a friend of mine and low and behold, under the search I was doing for him, Moog chassis parts show up, why I don't know.

Here's the kicker....the Moog upper and lower b-joints have the exact same part number as the XRF's!!!!!!!!!! Who makes these darn things anyways?? I'm guessing Moog makes them and labels them under a different entity...who knows. I was a little disheartened to find this out but like I stated in a previous post, the Moog b-joints I currently have have been great for the last 6 years. No problems at all with them until just recently. I guess with other parts wearing out the promblems tend to compound themselves.

Anywho, thought I'd share this info with anyone looking into buying the XRF's......they are more than likely re-branded Moog parts. Oh well, they were still cheaper than paying $500 for Moogs from the local parts store.
I thought they were the same also,so i called Xrf and they assured me the engineer and manufacture all their parts in house.
Old 10-13-2011, 02:40 PM
  #17  
Registered User
 
AH64ID's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Kuna, Idaho
Posts: 4,737
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Last time I did a google search with the XRF number I got moog parts to come up...
Old 10-13-2011, 07:18 PM
  #18  
Just a plain ole guy
 
1-2-3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Carlos, Texas
Posts: 2,537
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes on 11 Posts
Make sure you let them sit in the freezer for a few hours, overnight if possible. it'll make a world of easy on the install process.
Old 10-14-2011, 12:00 PM
  #19  
Registered User
 
torquefan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 4,449
Received 44 Likes on 39 Posts
I have also noticed that XRF uses the same part numbers as Moog. I believe XRF just decided to "borrow" the same part numbers to make it easier than creating a complete parts catalog on their own. I have noticed this similarity with some seal and bearing part numbers too. Several manufacturers will use the same basic part number, but may add a different prefix to it.
Old 10-14-2011, 12:03 PM
  #20  
Admin Team Leader
 
Lary Ellis (Top)'s Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 15,514
Received 207 Likes on 158 Posts
Originally Posted by 1-2-3
Make sure you let them sit in the freezer for a few hours, overnight if possible. it'll make a world of easy on the install process.
Might want to let your Wife know you are doing this.....mine gives me the strangest looks when she finds parts in her Oven or Freezer
Old 10-14-2011, 12:22 PM
  #21  
"How in the heck do I change the phrase in between my user name and avatar?"
Thread Starter
 
jhenson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Waco, Texas
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Torquefan, I thought about this as well. The XRF part numbers do have a "K" prefix with them.....maybe thats the difference.

Top, you hit the nail on the head brother. My wife has to question everything I do...."Why are you doing that? Why is this crap in the deep freeze? Why do have (u-joint) boxes and tubes of grease in our bedroom .....doesn't that mess belong in your shed?" Trust me sir, I'm waayyyy ahead of her on this project. Took the box of ball joints to dads shop last night and gave him the rundown. Just waiting for my steering setup to arrive and then for payday so I can go get my axle joints and get r' done!!!
Old 10-14-2011, 05:26 PM
  #22  
Registered User
 
torquefan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 4,449
Received 44 Likes on 39 Posts
Originally Posted by Lary Ellis (Top)
Might want to let your Wife know you are doing this.....mine gives me the strangest looks when she finds parts in her Oven or Freezer
"Honey, can you move that transmission, I'd like to take a bath."
Old 10-14-2011, 09:11 PM
  #23  
"How in the heck do I change the phrase in between my user name and avatar?"
Thread Starter
 
jhenson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Waco, Texas
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
^^^^wow....your wife actually asked you that? I can only imagine what some of our spouses have asked over the years as to what we were doing with our parts!!!!
Old 10-14-2011, 09:15 PM
  #24  
"How in the heck do I change the phrase in between my user name and avatar?"
Thread Starter
 
jhenson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Waco, Texas
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I swear honey....they're only ball joints!!!!

Honestly....the ol' gal needed them!!

Honey, haven't you ever wanted to put some of your $$$$$ into my thing(s)?

Can the phrases get any better?
Old 10-15-2011, 11:49 AM
  #25  
Registered User
 
AH64ID's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Kuna, Idaho
Posts: 4,737
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by Lary Ellis (Top)
Might want to let your Wife know you are doing this.....mine gives me the strangest looks when she finds parts in her Oven or Freezer
Yep.. I got a strange look when she opened the oven to find an exhaust manifold earlier this year!
Old 10-20-2011, 02:17 PM
  #26  
"How in the heck do I change the phrase in between my user name and avatar?"
Thread Starter
 
jhenson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Waco, Texas
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Had a heck of a time locating the right u-joint for the diff end of the front driveshaft. Took the shaft to the local driveline shop only to find that my slip shaft was worn out....oh well, what can you expect when you get parts from a wrecking yard. That's a long story, as the factory shaft was stolen. Supposed new (to me) shaft was out of an '05 but nothing matched up u-joint wise. New slip shaft, u-joint, and new Spicer axle joints was $200. Hey, if it needed to be done you just have to pay .

Going to try and tear the front-end down next week some time and will keep you posted of how all the parts worked out.....at this point THEY BETTER ALL WORK !!!!
Old 11-04-2011, 12:41 PM
  #27  
"How in the heck do I change the phrase in between my user name and avatar?"
Thread Starter
 
jhenson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Waco, Texas
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Finally got around to re-building my front end this week. Very tiring job but well worth it in the end. The XRF's went in without a hitch. As tight as the fit was on the lower "splined" joints, I almost think the "splines" would deform and contour to the knuckle bore as thin as they were. No worries there about needing an oversized joint if the need ever arises....if there is even such a thing as an oversized ball joint. Ended up going with Neapco axle-shaft joints.....half the price of the Spicers and the local parts store had them in stock. Every other driveline shop I called said they had to order them and would be several days out. They did however have better prices than some "known" reputable websites....but still would have to have been ordered and shipped.

The new steering setup.....WOW !!!!! Made a huge difference in the way the front end handles. Feels much more solid than when it was new. Way beefier than the factory garbage....even though that garbage held up for me for 300k miles . I would do it all over again....well worth the $600 it cost me to have a new front end.
Old 06-21-2012, 04:11 PM
  #28  
Registered User
 
kris55's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Hibbing,MN
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by jhenson
Finally got around to re-building my front end this week. Very tiring job but well worth it in the end. The XRF's went in without a hitch. As tight as the fit was on the lower "splined" joints, I almost think the "splines" would deform and contour to the knuckle bore as thin as they were. No worries there about needing an oversized joint if the need ever arises....if there is even such a thing as an oversized ball joint. Ended up going with Neapco axle-shaft joints.....half the price of the Spicers and the local parts store had them in stock. Every other driveline shop I called said they had to order them and would be several days out. They did however have better prices than some "known" reputable websites....but still would have to have been ordered and shipped.

The new steering setup.....WOW !!!!! Made a huge difference in the way the front end handles. Feels much more solid than when it was new. Way beefier than the factory garbage....even though that garbage held up for me for 300k miles . I would do it all over again....well worth the $600 it cost me to have a new front end.

So now that it has been a few months since you put the XRF's in, what is the report so far, any issues, etc. ???
Old 06-21-2012, 09:07 PM
  #29  
Registered User
 
cletus's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: van isle canada
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I did mine in oct and have put about 12k on them and the uppers already have some play in them.
Old 06-22-2012, 08:31 AM
  #30  
"How in the heck do I change the phrase in between my user name and avatar?"
Thread Starter
 
jhenson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Waco, Texas
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
So far so good. No complaints yet except for the fact that the place that did my front end alignment didn't get it quite right and I had 2 horribly worn front tires (my fault for not getting it corrected). Got the alignment re-done about a month ago, rotated the tires and all is well.

Overall, I'm still quite satisfied with the upgrades.

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Quick Reply: What's the bottom line on XRF balljoints?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:33 AM.