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Suspension, Steering, Brakes, Wheels & Tires / Re: Front Lower Ball Joints -Ludworks is thinking of making and selling them
« Last post by Ludworks on July 15, 2024, 06:33:45 PM »Well hello there.
Thank you both for the kind words and watching my video.
Lower ball joint conversion kits will be available very shortly; by the end of July at the latest. I've already produced 50 kits with more on the way, I'm simply waiting on one final part to add to the kits. I've setup a business and website dedicated to replacement and reproduction Eagle parts and I'm currently working on several more items which I think will be of interest to the community. I'll make an announcement post when everything is ready to go live. Ball joint kits will start in the $30 dollar range, and one kit takes care of both sides.
The conversion kits consist of a cutting template, two reinforcement plates, ball joint fasteners, and strut rod fasteners. All fasteners are produced domestically (i.e. made in America, not imported), are zinc plated, and are Grade 8 (or better). Welding is not required, but the first kits will have bare steel reinforcement plates for those who do with to spot weld them. Later on plated/coated plates will be available for those who don't want to weld and want a nice corrosion-resistant finish.
The conversion kits do require control arm modification. The large center hole at the end of the control arm needs to be enlarged and 4 new 5/16 holes need to be drilled. With practice each arm can be done in about 10 minutes, but for the first time it'll take maybe 45 minutes per arm.
The new ball joints are Jaguar lower ball joints. They are bolt-in and have the same stud size as the factory joints so no reaming or other knuckle modification is necessary. They're readily available from a number of manufacturers, including Lemforder, who originally made them for Jaguar. They are sealed-for-life, like the original Eagle joints, and according to the Jaguar guys they have an incredibly long lifespan. Cost in 2024 for the Lemforders ranges, but they're about $35-$40 each, however Mevotech (among others) makes their own version for about $15. I hope to have Lemforders available on the website to accompany the conversion kits in the near future.
It's important to mention that there is a design defect with the original joints, and all aftermarket ones patterned after them. In the original configuration the steering arm on the knuckle smacks into the lower control arm at some suspension heights. The more compressed the front suspension is, the worse the contact. This not only damages the control arm, but it acts like an early steering stop, preventing full-lock turning and increasing the turning radius. In addition to that, it puts a tremendous side-load on the ball joint which it's not designed for. The conversion kits fix that completely by slightly lowering the control arm relative to the knuckle and eliminating the unwanted contact.
Let me know if you guys have any questions.
Oh, I almost forgot. I'll be at the AMC show in Ridgefield, WA on the 20th. I'll be wandering around admiring the Eagles, handing out business cards, and who knows, I might take along a few ball joints kits and give some out.
Thank you both for the kind words and watching my video.
Lower ball joint conversion kits will be available very shortly; by the end of July at the latest. I've already produced 50 kits with more on the way, I'm simply waiting on one final part to add to the kits. I've setup a business and website dedicated to replacement and reproduction Eagle parts and I'm currently working on several more items which I think will be of interest to the community. I'll make an announcement post when everything is ready to go live. Ball joint kits will start in the $30 dollar range, and one kit takes care of both sides.
The conversion kits consist of a cutting template, two reinforcement plates, ball joint fasteners, and strut rod fasteners. All fasteners are produced domestically (i.e. made in America, not imported), are zinc plated, and are Grade 8 (or better). Welding is not required, but the first kits will have bare steel reinforcement plates for those who do with to spot weld them. Later on plated/coated plates will be available for those who don't want to weld and want a nice corrosion-resistant finish.
The conversion kits do require control arm modification. The large center hole at the end of the control arm needs to be enlarged and 4 new 5/16 holes need to be drilled. With practice each arm can be done in about 10 minutes, but for the first time it'll take maybe 45 minutes per arm.
The new ball joints are Jaguar lower ball joints. They are bolt-in and have the same stud size as the factory joints so no reaming or other knuckle modification is necessary. They're readily available from a number of manufacturers, including Lemforder, who originally made them for Jaguar. They are sealed-for-life, like the original Eagle joints, and according to the Jaguar guys they have an incredibly long lifespan. Cost in 2024 for the Lemforders ranges, but they're about $35-$40 each, however Mevotech (among others) makes their own version for about $15. I hope to have Lemforders available on the website to accompany the conversion kits in the near future.
It's important to mention that there is a design defect with the original joints, and all aftermarket ones patterned after them. In the original configuration the steering arm on the knuckle smacks into the lower control arm at some suspension heights. The more compressed the front suspension is, the worse the contact. This not only damages the control arm, but it acts like an early steering stop, preventing full-lock turning and increasing the turning radius. In addition to that, it puts a tremendous side-load on the ball joint which it's not designed for. The conversion kits fix that completely by slightly lowering the control arm relative to the knuckle and eliminating the unwanted contact.
Let me know if you guys have any questions.
Oh, I almost forgot. I'll be at the AMC show in Ridgefield, WA on the 20th. I'll be wandering around admiring the Eagles, handing out business cards, and who knows, I might take along a few ball joints kits and give some out.
