Looking over the truck for our annual safety inspection I noticed my Spicer ball joints have enough play to make me want to replace them after a hard 12,000 yes 12,000 miles. I thought I was doing well by replacing with the originals with the same thing that served me well. Like some have said over the years Spicer is not what it used to be, or there are different grades. These where in Spicer boxes and looked to be as original as could be. I will never use or recommend another Spicer joint again . I'm going with either NAPA or AC Delco this time. Just an FYI for those who are looking at ball joints

Like saying Obama is better than Hillary.

Sorry, don't mean to miss lead but from personal experience Taiwan quality is better then China, but it's still a crap shoot ether way. 

Hope they last longer than 12k. 

Strange part I've learned a long time ago... "Don't chase name brands." If you find something that works use it. It doesn't mean it will be there in the future. You never know what company might be bought out by another and then quality falls off again. Like everyone chasing Moog and they got bought out and quality fell off too. Just buy something that is going to work and go for it. So far we know that Spicer and Moog are no-no's. 

I have MOOG on mine and they are approaching 210k. bought them before FM bought them out. This is why I get a headache every time this discussion comes up. 

25 minutes ago, dripley said:

I have MOOG on mine and they are approaching 210k. bought them before FM bought them out. This is why I get a headache every time this discussion comes up. 

 

Exactly my point. 

15 hours ago, dave110 said:

Got the Delco's put in over the weekend. Install was easy enough being it was apart not long ago. Recieved fro Rock Auto 24 hrs. after purchase. They're great to deal with. Was a little disappointed when I opened the box though.

 

What I wanted to see.

 

What I didn't want to see. Nothing more American than apple pie and Chevrolet they used to say. And yet Generous Motors signature brand is made in Taiwan. How sad. Below is a video of the 12k mile Spicer upped joint.

100_3431.MOV

Well anything is better than China. Unfortunately even with the trade war tariffs in full force I don't think we'll ever find a car part that is made in the USA. Parts are just a crap shoot now. GM vehicles are proudly assembled in the USA using parts not manufactured in the USA. 

 

Hopefully the AC Delco ball joints manufactured by Federal Mogul hold up longer than the Spicer's.

Hopefully. Seeing where they were made certainly gives me doubts. Time will tell.

I just bought a new SKF carrier bearing for a drive shaft rebuild. Made in China.

 

I have 3 new old stock u joints, sealed just like the originals. The boxes have stickers them showing who they were shipped to. 2 boxes have a 2001 ship date and one has 2003 ship date. Hope the boxes dont lie.

 

The Spicer ball joints from Denny's  Drive shafts  that I saw, and @Me78569 used  are not sealed and I could never believe they are the same as oe. That alone turned me off to them. My head is starting to hurt now and I give up.

Edited October 17, 20186 yr by dripley

I bought new Spicer axle joints (SPL55X?) to put in when I bought the other ball joints. All sealed which is what I wanted. Figured the originals had 135K so might as well replace. The were so good that I left them in. Really glad I didn't change them now. Might turn the new ones into paper weights.

When I got married 19 years ago the in laws offered up their old fridge. Wife declined because of color but I said I'll take it for the garage. To this day it's still chugging away keeping my beer cold while we're on the 3rd new one in the house, or 1 every 6-7 years which seems normal for TV and appliances nowadays. Like I said, what a shame.

We moved into our current house 27 years ago. I had to back to work and told the wife to buy a refridgerator. She called me and had bought one. $1200, I liked to had a heart attack. But we replaced that ice box about 5 years ago. Not because it quit doing its job, it was just beat to snot. Every thing worked fine. Never expected that longevity. I finally had to suck up to the wife and compliment her on the purchase.

13 hours ago, dave110 said:

When I got married 19 years ago the in laws offered up their old fridge. Wife declined because of color but I said I'll take it for the garage. To this day it's still chugging away keeping my beer cold

 

Might be true but I bet the power consumption is huge. When I upgrade the fridge in the house I went for the energy saving type without all the perks and accessories. Now with a freezer, fridge, light and two computers running the inverter reports...

 

 

The old fridge big double door with ice and water in the door I took to the guest house. Last year I unplug that beast because for a house that is not really lived in has a power bill rising up near the same cost as the main house something is wrong. Once unplugged the power bill sank to a mere $18 a month just for water heater and lights. 

 

Yeah since power outages are fairly common out here it nice to see the inverter capable of supplying power for days without requiring a generator to run. Funny to see the light flicker and our inverter pops on instantly quick enough the computer doesn't feel it not a sound made. The neighbor's propane generator comes on and runs the entire time Ugh...

38 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Might be true but I bet the power consumption is huge.

 

It's not huge but true it's more than energy star newer stuff. But it has not cost me $3600 in total electric let alone extra electric in 19 years. The 3 new ones at $1200 a pc. did however.

On 10/16/2018 at 8:00 PM, dripley said:

I just bought a new SKF carrier bearing for a drive shaft rebuild. Made in China.

 

I have 3 new old stock u joints, sealed just like the originals. The boxes have stickers them showing who they were shipped to. 2 boxes have a 2001 ship date and one has 2003 ship date. Hope the boxes dont lie.

 

The Spicer ball joints from Denny's  Drive shafts  that I saw, and @Me78569 used  are not sealed and I could never believe they are the same as oe. That alone turned me off to them. My head is starting to hurt now and I give up.

You just never know. The SKF industrial bearings we use at work are USA made. Maybe the automotive stuff gets farmed out?

Today my AC DElCO drag link showed up from Rock Auto. Unlike my ball joints it proudly says Made In USA on the sticker. I wish there was a way to know whats made here and whats not.

On 10/16/2018 at 1:03 AM, 04Mach1 said:

 I don't think we'll ever find a car part that is made in the USA.  

 

 

 

58 minutes ago, dave110 said:

You just never know. The SKF industrial bearings we use at work are USA made. Maybe the automotive stuff gets farmed out?

Today my AC DElCO drag link showed up from Rock Auto. Unlike my ball joints it proudly says Made In USA on the sticker. I wish there was a way to know whats made here and whats not.

 

Someone here the other day showed a picture of a front hub bearing from Timken with made in the usa sramped right on bearing. That still makes me wonder where the rest of it was made. Good to hear about the drag link though.

1 hour ago, dripley said:

Someone here the other day showed a picture of a front hub bearing from Timken with made in the usa sramped right on bearing. That still makes me wonder where the rest of it was made. Good to hear about the drag link though.

Me me 

6 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

Me me 

I was kinda thunkin that was you. You get a gold star by your name now.

And I can't even get a golden chicken nugget.  

1 hour ago, dripley said:

I was kinda thunkin that was you. You get a gold star by your name now.

My ABS light came back, so my original wheel bearings were probably still good, glad I kept them for spears. 

So yeah it basically went through the front end for no reason and probably put crappier parts in then before. Hope ball joints last longer than 12k 

2 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

My ABS light came back, so my original wheel bearings were probably still good, glad I kept them for spears. 

So yeah it basically went through the front end for no reason and probably put crappier parts in then before. Hope ball joints last longer than 12k 

So so I my friend, so do I.

 

My light stayed on after replacing the front and rear sensors for about 2 months and then went off 2 or 3 months ago. Hope they stay off.