Tie Rod End Vs Ball Joint

Honestly a tie heh.

Tie rod end vs ball joint.

Ball joints and tie rod ends are vital to your steering system so you need to maintain them with the utmost care. Mevotech supreme rods are cheaper and do the job pretty fine. However the tie rod needs the ball joint to support the weight of the vehicle and at the same time allow the front wheels the ability to pivot left and right. I ll talk about these and more but let s first start with the ball joints.

Like tie rod ends all heim joints are not created equal. Inner tie rod ends found on steering racks should be tested for excess wear by listening. Providing an assistant is available to turn the steering wheel of the vehicle in a parked position the dry park testing method will indicate excessive wear in most tie rod ends. For eye candy purposes i dig acdelco s golden colored coating but functionally it doesn t change much.

The biggest win for moog this control arm assembly is a best seller with a reason. Use them for linear push applications that require movement along the length of the connecting rod. Self lubricating rod ends and stainless steel rod ends both can be ideal for low to moderate load applications where parts lubrication is not desirable. Spherical rod ends also known as heim joints from grainger allow pivoting in the housing to help compensate for misalignment in industrial applications.

Tie rod end ball joints on the other hand are more tolerant of wear. Proforged tall ball joints correct this issue reversing the camber curve to yield a night and day improvement in handling. The ball joint and suspension system can perform that function independently of the steering system and tie rod ends. Moog might be a better choice here read below why.

Proforged tall ball joints utilize forged sae4135 chromoly ball studs and forged sae1045 housings which feature a virtually rustproof black electrocoating e coating for durability and great looks. We have had good success with qa1 and fk rod ends and even within those brands there is a wide spectrum of features and prices. With a ball joint at the top of the shank these rod ends pivot in the middle of the body instead of in the eyelet. Your vehicle s ball joint allows for movement in every direction as your suspension compresses and rebounds while your tie rod ends essentially turn your wheels.