How good are suspension and steering parts by AC Delco or Raybestos?
My car was built with ball joints that have no grease fittings or holes for them, and the TRW and Moog replacements are also like that. But for the same price I can get AC Delco or Raybestos brand joints with fittings. How good are those brands? I've never used Raybestos parts that aren't for brakes.
Also what's the difference between regular Moog ball joints and Moog "Problem Solver" ball joints?
My memory says that the Problem Solver line is the better quality line, what all Moog used to be like, but confirm that before you take it to the bank. I may have it backwards.
nate
Most of those parts come in various quality levels even in the same brands. That makes it difficult to say that Brand X is better than Brand Y because these days a LOT of those parts are made in China and may even be the exact same part just sold under a different label.
Most of the vehicles out there are built with "lubed for life" parts. They work and on some vehicles are preferred simply because they don't have to be a maintenance item. IF you will actually lube them the greasable joints do have a couple advantages. New grease is a good thing, and it can drive out crud or contaminates if you needed to. BUT they are no good if you don't plan on regular service.
ACDelco pro level are good parts, as are the pro level Raybestos, at least the ones I've used were.
The problem solver parts were developed for just that reason. To solve an perceived issue with the OEM parts. For instance on the S Blazers, they are known for hub assembly, ball joint and idler arm wear. The PS idler arm uses a larger pair of pivots with a better bearing design to make it last longer. The ball joints use a different larger wear surface as well. Do they work YES, seen the difference on all the ones I've owned and worked on.
I am generally a big fan of the aftermarket greasable joints, if the joint is in a place where you can actually get to it. I had a rear-wheel drive car where the u-joint couldn't be got to without taking the muffler out to get behind the exhaust pipe. On that car, I put a lubed for life joint in as a replacement.
--scott
In the specific case of U-joints, most of the big power drag racers or off roaders that I know prefer the non-greasable ones as the spiders are stronger and therefore less likely to break under shock load or overload.
nate
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