Life expectancy of upper ball joints?

[FellowTraveler]

My Burb seems to go through upper balls rather quickly 'they are MOOG problem solvers too.' This has me wondering if it's the control arm angle causing the what I suspect is pre-mature wear...anyway the suspension is the 8.6k+ 'meaning the front torsion bars are one (1) step under the max bar capacity GM used in the GMT400 platform' the bars are not cranked and within GM spec for angle.

The big question; 'could the upper control arm angle at the ball joint mounting surface limit the amount of travel stressing the ball joint?' I see upper and lower travel limiters and bushing at top and suspect even though travel is restricted the angle of the upper control arm maybe too steep stressing the joint, 'just guessing here.'

This brings me to the aftermarket "anyone know of any after market tube type upper control arms that may have a better angle at the ball joint?"

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

I got over 240k miles out of my stockers, and they were still good(had 1 lower going bad agter that many miles with 70k on them after the swap). I do know if the suspension over extends, the bolts that hold the upper ball koints in will contact the knuckle, pry the joints up, and trashes them in short order.

 

[SnowDrift]

Wife's '94 K1500 went for +200,000 miles. Mine in my '95 K2500 are still stock and are tight (+170,000, I believe).

The roads a person drives affects it mostly, I think. We don't take railroad tracks fast, either. Both trucks have steering stabilizers, if it makes a difference.

If you're sitting at stock height and your torsion bars are not cranked up, then the only way you can bottom out the control arms is to have the front drop out, like hitting a dead-furrow fast, or large pothole. It's unlikely this bottoming out is going to happen on a normal road, although it can still happen. My point, though, is that if it does happen, it's probably rare and I doubt this is going to cause premature failure unless really abused.

Are you seeing strange tire wear along with this?

 

[FellowTraveler]

Wife's '94 K1500 went for +200,000 miles. Mine in my '95 K2500 are still stock and are tight (+170,000, I believe).

The roads a person drives affects it mostly, I think. We don't take railroad tracks fast, either. Both trucks have steering stabilizers, if it makes a difference.

If you're sitting at stock height and your torsion bars are not cranked up, then the only way you can bottom out the control arms is to have the front drop out, like hitting a dead-furrow fast, or large pothole. It's unlikely this bottoming out is going to happen on a normal road, although it can still happen. My point, though, is that if it does happen, it's probably rare and I doubt this is going to cause premature failure unless really abused.

Are you seeing strange tire wear along with this?

It developed cupping on one tire and both tires look to have inside tow wear. Come to think about it I did hit a few drop outs and many potholes....I ordered upper & lower ball joints (MOOG problem solvers) from the Rock, J-tool and plan on doing the R&R along with my changing out to my freshened up frt.diff. and motor mounts....

 

[Will L.]

Double check your bushings. Sounds like your whole set up needs going over.

 

[FellowTraveler]

Double check your bushings. Sounds like your whole set up needs going over.

They are all good 'energy suspension poly graphite' a few years old. I wonder if the larger tires are maybe causing the wear on the uppers the lowers surprise me because they are the larger ball joins found on the forged lower control arms. Anyway, I just ordered a new J-tool so I can get to doing the lowers, the uppers are a breeze as they are bolted on....