Technical > Chassis & Suspension Forum

Lowered ball joints vs. stock ball joints?

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Buggytime:
If I install lowered drop spindles with an adjustable ball joint front beam, should I be using new lowered ball joints instead of keeping my stock ball joints?  What is the difference?
Thanks

Bruce:
A stock ball joint has a plastic sleeve around the steel stud at the slot.  When you reach the end of travel of the BJ, this plastic sleeve acts as a bumper to soften the hard stop.
A lowered BJ is exactly the same as the stock one, but with this plastic sleeve removed.
Get stock ones. Then if you are so low that you hit the sleeve, take it out.

FYI, it is possible to set the front beam on the ground and still not reach the end of travel of a stock BJ, depending on the diameter of your front tires.

jim martin:
bruce i thought the original lowered BJoints  were stock units  taken apart and the groove/slot  the post rides in was milled out allowing a larger range of movement and down the road aftermarket just made them that way ?

Bruce:
I had a BJ that I removed a while ago.  This is an original one that VW installed 40+ yrs ago.
I don't see how you could lengthen the slot since it already goes all the way to the edge.
I also don't see how you could take it apart to modify it.

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