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Delphi Ball Joints?

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 4:51 am
by vwlover77
Advance Auto Parts offers Delphi brand ball joints. It's not clear whether they actually manufacture these themselves or not. Their web site at least acknowledges the need to control tightness in the joint. I don't know what OE application was tested, but still....

"The rotational test measures the force required to rotate the ball-pin within the housing and validates the smooth movement of the steering joint. The break-away test measures the force required to move the ball-pin when the steering wheel turns. Delphi matched the OE part in both torque tests. The competitors ranged from below the accepted range to four times the torque required. With higher torque values than the OE, steering could be stiff and difficult to self center after turning, rendering the vehicle unpredictable. If lower than the OE, the steering could feel loose and unstable."

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/delp ... fragment-1

Thoughts???

Re: Delphi Ball Joints?

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 5:45 am
by wcfvw69
vwlover77 wrote:Advance Auto Parts offers Delphi brand ball joints. It's not clear whether they actually manufacture these themselves or not. Their web site at least acknowledges the need to control tightness in the joint. I don't know what OE application was tested, but still....

"The rotational test measures the force required to rotate the ball-pin within the housing and validates the smooth movement of the steering joint. The break-away test measures the force required to move the ball-pin when the steering wheel turns. Delphi matched the OE part in both torque tests. The competitors ranged from below the accepted range to four times the torque required. With higher torque values than the OE, steering could be stiff and difficult to self center after turning, rendering the vehicle unpredictable. If lower than the OE, the steering could feel loose and unstable."

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/delp ... fragment-1

Thoughts???
Where did you find the highlighted information from? I didn't see it on the Advance site. I like what it says in that it acknowledges what many folks have suffered with.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php ... 43&jsn=343

AC Delco has always made very good, quality parts but these days, who knows where they're made and to what quality standard. I also noticed on Advance Auto's site that they are listing the Beck/arnley ball joints for $67 dollars each. Beck is also known for highly quality suspension parts. It's kind of interesting that Advance is listing an "economy" level ball joint (Delphi) vs. the professional one (Beck) w/such a large spread in pricing.

I know when I did my ball joints, I would of paid $100 each for a ball joint of the same VW quality that was originally installed in these buses when they were new. When I received my Nakata ball joints in the mail, I took all four of them to the garage. I held each in a vise and then installed the nut on the stud. With a wrench on the stud's nut, I turned the stud in the joint to see how tight it was in the joint. Many "new" ball joints have been reported to be so tight out of the box that it was hard to spin the ball joint stud, even with a wrench on the nut of the stud. These Nakata ball joints all were similar in the effort required to spin the stud which I felt was not tight but not super loose either.

What we won't know for a long time is how well these $25 dollar each Nakata ball joints will hold up. How long will the ball joint boots last before they split? How long until they show measurable wear in the joint? Not many folks are driving these old buses more than a couple thousand miles a year except for Colin.

So, it makes you wonder why one ball joint is $25 each and the other is $65 each. Is the quality that much better between the two?

Re: Delphi Ball Joints?

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 8:22 am
by vwlover77
The info I found was on the Delphi web site.

Here is the info on joint tightness was found here:
https://www.delphiautoparts.com/en/tool ... -tech-tip/

And they have this to say about their rubber boots:
"Delphi’s improved dust cover helps address one of the most common reasons for premature steering part failure, splitting of the rubber boot. Typically when a dust cover splits, it allows salt and dirt to access the internal part components. This typically results in corrosion and prevents free movement of the ball joint. Delphi’s new dust cover design features an improved Chloroprene Rubber (CR) formula that maintains its durability even in extreme temperatures, helping protect the internal components and continued free movement of the ball joint."
https://www.delphiautoparts.com/en/tool ... tech-tips/

Re: Delphi Ball Joints?

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 9:38 am
by wcfvw69
vwlover77 wrote:The info I found was on the Delphi web site.

Here is the info on joint tightness was found here:
https://www.delphiautoparts.com/en/tool ... -tech-tip/

And they have this to say about their rubber boots:
"Delphi’s improved dust cover helps address one of the most common reasons for premature steering part failure, splitting of the rubber boot. Typically when a dust cover splits, it allows salt and dirt to access the internal part components. This typically results in corrosion and prevents free movement of the ball joint. Delphi’s new dust cover design features an improved Chloroprene Rubber (CR) formula that maintains its durability even in extreme temperatures, helping protect the internal components and continued free movement of the ball joint."
https://www.delphiautoparts.com/en/tool ... tech-tips/
Well, their marketing department is sure saying all the right things about them. At that price point, it may be worth buying them and giving each one the spin the ball stud in the joint test.

I will say, I haven't heard of this brand being discussed on this site or The Samba. Maybe you've found a great new ball joint for our buses.