duralast ball joints vs moog

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Explain what you are saying. The bolts shouldn't have a tapered area and if they do milling the spindles will do nothing.

sorry I meant lower ball joints will be milled flat so they go "flush" to the spindle. the lower ball joints where the bolt holes line up with the spindle have a taper to them and wehn you bolt them down there is a "gap" in the upper part of the bolt hole area.
 
all 4 holes are like this.... I'll get them corrected.


1mo_zps3f215b59.jpg
 
all 4 holes are like this.... I'll get them corrected.

I would send a picture of that to Moog. Were they USA parts?

What part numbers did they give you and what spindles are on your car. All four holes being like is horrible.

I just looked at all the modifications you have made on your front end and I am sure that you could fix this too but please think of the next guy that can't or won't and contact Moog.
 
I just bought Moog from Amazon. The boxes didn't say made in China.
Spend the extra money and get the best part. Don't be cheap on this one. PITA to do over again and it's a safety item.
Plus IF the part you buy is made in America, perhaps it will help keep the work here.
 
well I just went out to garage and checked all my stuff.... no crap the idler and pitman are USA and the lower ball joints are not and of course see pic above.... I had been jumping back and forth on projects and never noticed anything till final mock up on my front suspension. I don't think I am not gonna even have them corrected now jsut get the USA stuff.

73 up spindles and k781/783 lower ball joint assembly.
 
well I just went out to garage and checked all my stuff.... no crap the idler and pitman are USA and the lower ball joints are not and of course see pic above.... I had been jumping back and forth on projects and never noticed anything till final mock up on my front suspension. I don't think I am not gonna even have them corrected now jsut get the USA stuff.

73 up spindles and k781/783 lower ball joint assembly.

Man, I am glad I bought my parts long ago. Just picking up spare USA parts before they are long gone as back ups now for future projects.
 
TRW bought MOOG out about 10 year ago the quality went down some but still the best going.
You can get moog part cheaper by getting trw ,but open the box to make sure it a moog part before buying it..It will be stamped next to the grease fitting.You have 50/50 chance that it will be a moog part.
 
I put the reysbestos pro grade on my 96 1500 but only have about 300 miles on them yet. Seem to be better than the part store house brands but we will see. I got one of the cheap A body idler arems from rock auto and it had 3/4" of slop built in new. LOL. wasnt worth sending back.
 
I hope spending money on your car isn't going to be an issue like you are having buying USA quality ball joints that are going to be cheap compared to most of the rest of the parts. Your car is going to be a cash cow and about everything about a Barracuda other then suspension or drive train costs more money than other cars. I have a feeling you are in for a serious reality check.
 
i am very well aware of the expenses involved in rebuilding a classic car. I posed the question, because i have not been involved in the hobby for 15 years while buying a home and raising a family. You know actually living life as most folks do. Things sure have changed in 20 years. It used to be years ago you went into the auto parts store for parts 20 to 25 years ago and never had to question if the parts you got were good or junk.

Apparantly the brand names i trusted years ago are not the same as they once were. This is why i asked the question about store brand vs moog in the first place. I do what i can myself to save costs, and because i enjoy working on the cars. I get it, and got it the first few reply posts. Store brand is chinese junk. Was looking to explore alternatives. Like the raybestos pro line, or the speedway motors upper balljoints, which a lot of guys use on dirt track. I have a friend who converted his chevy upper arms to run K772 joints on his dirt car.

Yes the costs of restoring a classic mopar have gone up. So has everything else for that matter. after being out of the hobby for 20 years and trusting brands that were made in the USA that includes store brands back then, i find it troubling that i cant find decent quality new parts for my current project like i could years ago. Can you understand my fustration?

Its not a matter of being cheap, i am far from that, but i do prefer to spend my money wisely, which is why i asked the question, store brand or name brand were both good back then.
 
Why the hell would you want Duracrap anything?! This coming from someone that worked for autozone mind you...
 
Never had problems with their alternators, starters, brakes , batteries, etc. damn just asked the question. Dont kill the messenger guys.
 
Never had problems with their alternators, starters, brakes , batteries, etc. damn just asked the question. Dont kill the messenger guys.

Not gonna kill the messenger, but autozone parts have gone downhill drastically. It's gotten to where the only places I will get parts is napa, oriellys, and some parts from pep boys and carquest
 
I have had nothing but problems from Autozone's altenators and starters. I won't put one on if you give it to me. The hosue brands from most part stores aren't any better either. AutoZone's batteries are made by Johnson Controls which happens to also make WalMart's batteries and many, many other brands.

For the most part import parts will never hold up to what was made here in the USA. Every good company that goes to China seems to have quality issues from the time production starts. Once a companies USA made products have been depleted you will be buying China or import parts from another country whether you like it or not. Everyday there is a few less in the market. Be cheap now and pay out the nose later if you can still even get USA made parts, do the labor twice and pay for another alignment.

It is like Vice Grips, I bought up enough of the 5WRs that were in the yellow and black boxes to hopefully last me the rest of my life. I even have at least one in the orange and black box. Try taping a China made pair of Vice Grips with an American made pair, you will be shocked at the tinny sound that the China one will make.

There is a reason that these two pair of Vice Grips with some rust on them brought $99.00 on eBay, quality that is no longer there in the new import ones.
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Used American made Vice Grips are selling for more counting shipping than what you can buy China Vice Grips for new at a retail store.
 
There is a reason that these two pair of Vice Grips with some rust on them brought $99.00 on eBay, quality that is no longer there in the new import ones.

HOLY CRAP!!! I knew vise grips went to hell, but had no idea they were worth THAT!!
 
oklacarcollecto

i completely understand what your saying, i didnt originally start this thread to say i was cheap, im far from it, and dont mind spending my money on well made parts. 20 years ago there never used to be a difference in the store brand, or name brand on most auto parts. i didnt realize how badly this had changed.

once i realized from what everybody was saying about the old made in USA stuff being better, i started to try to find it here local. i found a set of K772 moog upper ball joints made in USA local and was quoted $8.49 each, then i go down there to get them, and they get rang em up for $44 total with tax. pretty screwed up if you ask me.

does that mean im going to buy these parts from china, absolutely not. i dont like doing the same job twice, and dont want these parts failing on me heaven forbid while im driving the car.

i may be a bit tight with my cash, a family of 6 forces me to be, but im no fool. i am still going to look for the made in USA front end parts, but will go somewhere else for them. tell me why i should patronize a parts house who misquoted me on a price even though in our conversation we were talking about moog parts, and not their house brand when he priced them for me.

i know restoring cars causes a giant sucking sound from my wallet, restored several old mopars prior to marriage, a house, and kids. now i have the time to get back into it, but wow how some things have changed.

i do most of my own work, with the exception of machine shop work to engine parts, chroming, and upholstery work for several reasons,
1 i enjoy doing it
2 i know its done right
3 i can do it
4 it saves me money i could spend on other items i need.

in the recent past i have bought autozone parts and never had any problems with them. i have 100K plus on a duralast alternator on my chevy truck, 4 years on 2 duralast batteries 1 in my truck and 1 in my wifes suburban, a starter motor in my chevy truck 50K miles ago. i put brakes on both of these vehicles from autozone, never had any problems with these either. maybe i just got lucky.

im not rolling the dice with chinese suspension parts. the consensus is they suck, i believe it. maybe this thread can help some other people who may have been thinking about the questions i asked about the store brand vs name brand but were afraid to ask. i still believe theres no such thing as a stupid question so i had to ask

BTW i have old made in USA visegrips myself, wouldent trade em for anything. also have US made channellocks too. ever try knipex plyers made in germany. i use these at work, they are really good too.
 
HOLY CRAP!!! I knew vise grips went to hell, but had no idea they were worth THAT!!

I have been watching for some new larger vintage USA Peterson Vice Grips to add to my war chest and they are all going pretty high. Even the USA Irwin Vice Grips are climbing in price. People are learning fast that the China made ones are lacking the quality that we have always enjoyed.
 
good maybe when irwin finally starts losing money on the visegrip brand they polluted they will bring the manufacturing of them back to the USA. i really dont like made in china stuff.

yes i have harbor freight wrenches at home. i dont use them to make my living. at work i have older USA made craftsman, snap on, mac, and SK. the china freight are just fine for junkyarding in case you break or lose one, i have also modified them into other tools, makes em perfect for that.
 
ever try knipex plyers made in germany. i use these at work, they are really good too.

Yes, and I love them.

I do save a dollar where I cann and that is why I search part numbers on eBay and watch the boxes of Moog parts. The early one have no UPC symbols on them. I put together all the parts execpt one tie rod sleeve for my 1968 Barracuda by locationg all NOS Moog parts off eBay for under $130.00. I have now completed a second set less tie rod sleeves for less than that.
 
im going to use the 11/16" tie rod ends, and solid sleeves. the originality doesnt concern me. the heavy duty ones are what i want, glad you could find all original stuff. i will be looking as well.
 
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