When to use MOOG® Oversized Ball Joints

From normal wear and tear to repeated ball joint replacement, the receptacle on a control arm can become enlarged. When this happens, it can cause problems when performing a ball joint replacement. The enlarged control arm receptacle makes it difficult to get the ball joint to fit tightly in the opening.

If a traditional ball joint is installed into a control arm with an enlarged opening, it can move and shift during operation. As a result, the ball joint can suffer premature failure and/or the control arm can become damaged. Both conditions can lead to unsafe handling issues.

To address this issue, MOOG offers oversized ball joints for many applications. Featuring a larger outer diameter than a standard ball joint, MOOG oversized ball joints are designed to fit in a worn control arm receptacle. They are available for vehicles that have been known to experience wear, especially when the ball joint has been replaced several times.

You can easily determine if a MOOG ball joint features an oversized design by looking at the qualifiers listed with the part number when searching by the application on the digital catalog. Another way to determine if the part is oversized is by the part number nomenclature: if T005 appears the end of a part number, the ball joint is .005" larger and if T006 appears at the end of the part number, it is .006" larger. Please note that not all oversized part numbers have this nomenclature, so best bet is to find the qualifier listed on the digital catalog.

*See drivparts.com for full list of specific applications