My '91 ate another front lower ball joint today. This is its second in a year. I had to replace the passenger side one, too, within the last 8 months or so.
I am running 14" all season tires. Koni STR.Ts, FM sways, RB springs. Maybe it's lowered too much? I don't know.
I've gone through two also this year. What brand were they? I wonder if they had a bad batch. Mine were Deez something.
I usually get mine from Mazda Motorsports. Haven't heard of too many people complaining about the OEM parts fwiw.
amg_rx7 wrote: I usually get mine from Mazda Motorsports. Haven't heard of too many people complaining about the OEM parts fwiw.
I usually go OEM also. I just couldn't wait this time.
How low is your car exactly?
Most (if not all) Moog suspension parts have a lifetime warranty. When I worked for a driving school, we'd go through tie rods like most people go through socks with all the off-track excursions those cars went through, and the local parts store was always happy to honor the warranty, and I was completely honest with them about what we were doing to them all the time.
On the Locost forum people are having the same problem with nonOEM ball joints.
Yeah, I've never had a problem with a Mazda OEM Ball Joint. Aftermarket ball joints, on the other hand, I've had nothing BUT problems with.
WOW I hope your outcome was better than mine! I usually purchase OEM but also couldn't wait and just bought what the local foriegn auto place had on the shelf. That was a HUGE mistake. My steering was horribly stiff and when the ball joint popped it punched through my enkie rpf1 wheel and bent and twisted a few other things. I will never buy anything but oem again.
A good friend of mine called me two weeks ago and asked my experience with lower ball joints, as he had a bad one on his civic. I told him about my bad luck and warned him. He went to pep boyzzz anyway and had them press in a new ball joint. Then he put the car back together and guess what it was super tight. So he called and they told him to just drive it, it will loosen up. Two weeks go buy and I get another call, the ball joint was so loose now that the wheel wobbled when driving.
I don't know whats going on with the after market parts, all they ALL being manufactured to the lowest possible penny in china now? That scares the E36 M3 out of me, as I was registered for a time trial at Mid-Ohio a few weeks after mine broke. Imagine if that would have happened at 100+ instead of 25mph.
Good luck with getting your fixed, and I would ONLY buy OEM.
Paul
paulmpetrun wrote: I don't know whats going on with the after market parts, all they ALL being manufactured to the lowest possible penny in china now?
Yes, because that's how people choose. They go to RockAuto or some other discount parts store and, in the absence of any other information, selecting the part simply on price.
We haven't had any trouble with lower ball joints, but we only use Mazda ball joints.
To be fair to Rockauto...they offer quality parts and crappy ones. Choose wisely and you'll be fine. I've been happy with RA, but I don't shop the bottom of the barrel parts there.
Tyler H wrote: To be fair to Rockauto...they offer quality parts and crappy ones. Choose wisely and you'll be fine. I've been happy with RA, but I don't shop the bottom of the barrel parts there.
+1. You CAN buy junk or quality at RA. Same with NAPA or any parts house.
And that's why I said, "in the absence of any other information". When you choose wisely, what criteria do you use? Do you simply discount the least expensive? Do you have a favorite brand?
I suspect that most people will simply shrug their shoulders and say "I don't see a difference, but this one's $10 cheaper".
RA has BJs for my Jeep ranging in price from $7 each to close to $100. The decent stuff starts out around $60.
That $7 part is good if you need to drive on it for a week until the good part comes in, otherwise don't bother.
I've yet to have a single problem with any of the USA built or Japanese built parts from parts stores. The Chinese, Taiwanese, and Mexican parts have been hit or miss with me.
I try to research for the specific vehicle. Failing that, when it comes to suspension or steering joints, I'll buy the most expensive one they've got.
Luckily there are good marque-specific vendors for some of my favorite brands, and OEM is my first choice. Www.partznet.com for Nissan/Honda/Toyota, for example.
triumph5 wrote:Tyler H wrote: To be fair to Rockauto...they offer quality parts and crappy ones. Choose wisely and you'll be fine. I've been happy with RA, but I don't shop the bottom of the barrel parts there.+1. You CAN buy junk or quality at RA. Same with NAPA or any parts house.
I buy the premium stuff from RockAuto and still save enough to justify mail order. Stay away from the cheap Chinese wheel bearings too, you'll be replacing them in a year.
I went with the Beck-Arnley part from RA. I heard tell those were supposed to be adequate. I say they are not.
The Mazda place down the street from work (where the car broke) doesn't have any in stock. The Mazda dealer up the street from home does. So I'll shell out the extra dough and buy it and fix it in the lot at work tomorrow. At least this time I won't be doing a ball joint road-side with cars zooming past!
Ok, one new lower ball joint is on! The steering is VASTLY improved. Now, my dealer hit me for $100.65 for this part - where can I order an OEM part for less than that?
I haven't raced my Miata, just the M3, so I don't yet qualify for Mazda Motorsports parts. In the past I've ordered parts for my Miata from at Autohaus AZ, which has this part at $55. Have any idea who the OE supplier for NA Miata ball joints is supposed to be?
Tyler H wrote: To be fair to Rockauto...they offer quality parts and crappy ones. Choose wisely and you'll be fine. I've been happy with RA, but I don't shop the bottom of the barrel parts there.
I refreshed all wheelbearings, balljoints, hubs, tie rods, etc. in my car in the last month. All except for the front hubs was bought from Rock Auto. I bought Timken for the rolly bits and Moog for the swively bits.
Lugnut wrote: Now, my dealer hit me for $100.65 for this part - where can I order an OEM part for less than that?
I'm surprised every Miata owner on this forum isn't a part of Mazda Motorsports aka MazdaSpeed. All you need to do is run 2 timed "races" or events (such as autox) per year and submit a link to your results. For that you get STEEP discounts on OEM quality Mazda parts.
http://mazdamotorsports.com/
Sign up now and submit 2 results over the course of the year and you are good to go. Call them if the application process takes too long as they are busy guys.
Alternatively, finishline (miata.net sponsor) seems to be a decent alternative.
I did go to a few autocrosses last year, and I'm DEing and TTing the car for '11. I just applied!
amg_rx7 wrote: I'm surprised every Miata owner on this forum isn't a part of Mazda Motorsports aka MazdaSpeed. All you need to do is run 2 timed "races" or events (such as autox) per year and submit a link to your results. For that you get STEEP discounts on OEM quality Mazda parts.
That was the second or third thing I did after buying my Miata. You can even start the process immediately and tell them you are building the car for future competition, then send them the results when you run it.
It did take about 3 months for them to approve my account (and at least month after I submitted my event results) but I've ordered small OEM parts from them at approximately 50% off list. I will undoubtedly order more.
Mazda Competition (Mazda Motorsports, Mazdaspeed, whatever they're calling themselves this year) is a kick-ass deal. If you're not plugged in there, try mazdaparts.org or finishline.
Derick Freese wrote: RA has BJs for my Jeep ranging in price from $7 each to close to $100.
This made me giggle.
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