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Dan The Gear Man Comparison:
Factory Lubed vs. Greaseable Ball Joints and Universal
Joints
One of the most common misconceptions people have
is an aftermarket greaseable part will outlast an original
equipment type factory lubed part. While theoretically this
should be true, in most cases it is not. In fact, since I
entered this business in the 1970's, I have seen countless
examples of factory lubed parts outlasting greaseable components
by as much as a 5:1 margin. There are several reasons why
this is true. One is quality, very few aftermarket
suppliers build components to anywhere close to original
equipment standards. Today, the vast majority of the ball
joints and u-joints being sold by parts stores are made in Asia
with the primary emphasis on price and not quality or
durability. These offshore components do not have to meet
ANY Federal motor vehicle safety standards.
The other big reason factory lubed parts generally outlast
greaseable parts is customer maintenance. The the best
quality greaseable component is only as a good as the
maintenance it gets. Greaseable parts should be lubed 3000
miles or every 4 months which ever is sooner), or after every
submersion. Only top quality, water resistant synthetic NLGI-2
grease should be used. Today, very few people perform
maintenance anywhere close to this standard. Even if they
do, there is another problem. In most cases, the upper
ball joint can not be greased unless the axle shaft is removed
due to space restrictions.
In our shop, we always install
factory lubed ball joints unless the customer has a solid
preventative maintenance program and/or the front axle is
regularly submerged in irrigation ditches or creeks. For those
of you in this category, we offer first class, American made
greaseable ball joints and universal joints for many
applications. |
