What did you do with your GMT400 today...or yesterday....

[Will L.]

How many miles do you guys get out of them. I can’t remember any issues of them wearing out real soon so long as they get greased ok. I know a couple guys who used to pop off the boot, use a penetrating oil flush out any old grease then grease it &put boot back on. Doing that once each 50k miles. I never figured it really was worth all that but if you get one that doesn’t take grease well, using it with the hammer tool should do good.

 

[ak diesel driver]

I only get 30-50k, ball joints seem to be worse

 

[Will L.]

I only get 30-50k, ball joints seem to be worse

Have you tried both greasable and sealed?

 

[Will L.]

Something about Moog:

moog-k500247 | Ball Joint | AM General Hummer 1995-2001

Ball Joint AM General Hummer 1995-2001. Moogs quality ball joints offers easy installation and comprehensive coverage. Strong and durable to retore your ride and engineered to match or exceed OEM requirements. Backed by a limited lifetime warranty. | MOOG moog-k500247

www.moog-suspension-parts.com

It might be worth the lifetime warranty if you eat them every 30,000 miles regardless of mfr.
maybe get ahold of their engineering guys and chat about other options.


Something I learned in hummer world- all street driving wears them out faster than offroading because it gets a lot of motion in the suspension moves the grease around and keeps it all lubricated.

 

[ak diesel driver]

I have yet to find one that lasts like the original. Even AC Delco parts aren't as good as what came on the truck.

 

[ak diesel driver]

Haven't tried sealed everything I find is greasable

 

[Will L.]

I know the gmt 800 sealed ones lasted for ever. And yes in the fleet the original ones always lasted longer in the gmt400 than the replacements, idk why.

Makes me wonder if if it was different interior design or different grease or what…

Idk if the originals were Delco. Remember, they lake a lot of GM stuff but there are others who would get contracts on stuff too. Delco makes parts that fit Fords and Hondas but never came stock with Delco, so they are doing “equal to oem” stuff like all the others out there.

 

[ak diesel driver]

Obviously not very equal

 

[Big T]

While on the subject of ball joints….

2.1M views · 35K reactions | my mechanics on Reels

www.facebook.com

 

[Will L.]

While on the subject of ball joints….

2.1M views · 35K reactions | my mechanics on Reels

www.facebook.com

That guy comes to vegas for sand collection when he breaks a window…
Holy moly. At least improve the design

 

[Big T]

I know the gmt 800 sealed ones lasted for ever. And yes in the fleet the original ones always lasted longer in the gmt400 than the replacements, idk why.

Makes me wonder if if it was different interior design or different grease or what…

Idk if the originals were Delco. Remember, they lake a lot of GM stuff but there are others who would get contracts on stuff too. Delco makes parts that fit Fords and Hondas but never came stock with Delco, so they are doing “equal to oem” stuff like all the others out there.

FWIW I installed the Moog ball joints on the ‘99 and they had close to 70K miles on them. They moved freely in the socket, but there was no play from wear. I reworked a pair of forged LCAs which got the Energy Suspension Polyurethane bushings and new Moog ball joints. While I was in there, I ordered up new Moog upper ball joints.

The bushings on the upper control arms were fine with no play. I need to to pick up another set of uppers from salvage and install the Energy Suspension poly bushings I have from two separate kits. Never really understood the whole reuse the steel bushing shell process.