Moog, Poor quality ball joints

To say the least, I am quite surprised at just how poor quality Moog ball joints are. My Avalanche is back in the shop again for the 3rd time within a month since having the ball joints replaced, because another Moog joint is seizing up. 3 Moog ball joints seized up within one month. This time they are replacing both with Spicer ball joints, lets hope they are of better quality.

To say the least, I am quite surprised at just how poor quality Moog ball joints are. My Avalanche is back in the shop again for the 3rd time within a month since having the ball joints replaced, because another Moog joint is seizing up. 3 Moog ball joints seized up within one month. This time they are replacing both with Spicer ball joints, lets hope they are of better quality.

ya think the height your running has something to do with the front end parts having a problem?

never had a problem with moog. lifetime warrantee. never used it!

They way this lift is designed everything is at factory specs and geometry, and besides, the rep from Moog was to the shop I had the work done at and told them that they have been having some "issues" lately with that particular part number.

They way this lift is designed everything is at factory specs and geometry, and besides, the rep from Moog was to the shop I had the work done at and told them that they have been having some "issues" lately with that particular part number.

what is the part number with your vehicle that MOOG has high failures ?

I havent had any probs, we use moog in our shop. The only thing we warranty is stab bar bushings on caravans but those go bad no matter what.

As far as the part number, I don't know. All I know is that there has been 3 of them that have failed within the last month. Each time that they changed out the one that was seizing up, everything was great for a matter of sometimes days to simply a few hours before another one started to seize up. I have spoke with the owner of the shop and as I had thought, there is nothing that could really be wrong with the lift or something else on the truck that would cause the ball joints to seize. If anything premature wear would happen, not seizing. They finally decided to switch to a different brand after the third Moog joint seized but again, these lasted a matter of approximately 40 kilometers before the steering started to stiffen up, the truck would feel as if it was being nudged from side to side a bit and also wander a bit with absolutely no feel in the steering wheel except for it feeling like the power steering fluid was as thick as molasses on a -40c day. It is back with the shop and they are going to keep it a few days and firstly check into what the issue is again, which will be another ball joint. Then they will decide where to go from there. The owner has again assured me that he believes this to be a ball joint issue alone and that it is a matter of getting a bad batch of joints which is what the Moog rep had told him especially with that specific part number, and as for the different brand he believes it to be a Moog manufactured joint sold under a different name. Either way so far to date none of this has cost me a cent except for time and fuel driving it back and forth from the shop. The owner has stated several times that he will not leave me hanging and will do what it takes to make it right. I can not say enough good about the owner and his company, Extreme Performance Automotive in Winnipeg. Keith is the owner and is one hell of a stand up guy, and hopefully they will figure this out by the time I get back from out of town. I will keep you all updated as this goes along.

As far as the part number, I don't know. All I know is that there has been 3 of them that have failed within the last month. Each time that they changed out the one that was seizing up, everything was great for a matter of sometimes days to simply a few hours before another one started to seize up. I have spoke with the owner of the shop and as I had thought, there is nothing that could really be wrong with the lift or something else on the truck that would cause the ball joints to seize. If anything premature wear would happen, not seizing. They finally decided to switch to a different brand after the third Moog joint seized but again, these lasted a matter of approximately 40 kilometers before the steering started to stiffen up, the truck would feel as if it was being nudged from side to side a bit and also wander a bit with absolutely no feel in the steering wheel except for it feeling like the power steering fluid was as thick as molasses on a -40c day. It is back with the shop and they are going to keep it a few days and firstly check into what the issue is again, which will be another ball joint. Then they will decide where to go from there. The owner has again assured me that he believes this to be a ball joint issue alone and that it is a matter of getting a bad batch of joints which is what the Moog rep had told him especially with that specific part number, and as for the different brand he believes it to be a Moog manufactured joint sold under a different name. Either way so far to date none of this has cost me a cent except for time and fuel driving it back and forth from the shop. The owner has stated several times that he will not leave me hanging and will do what it takes to make it right. I can not say enough good about the owner and his company, Extreme Performance Automotive in Winnipeg. Keith is the owner and is one hell of a stand up guy, and hopefully they will figure this out by the time I get back from out of town. I will keep you all updated as this goes along.


it is not often that I require replacing front end steering components. I use a lithium grease , and over the years never any ball joints failed..idler arms and tie rods sometimes..

any lime based grease should not be used..

the moog ball joints on my 01 were directional, if you put them in say the 3'oclock position they would sieze. Do you have any pics of the bad ones?

the moog ball joints on my 01 were directional, if you put them in say the 3'oclock position they would sieze. Do you have any pics of the bad ones?


No i don't, they were replaced on warranty so in order to get the new ones plus get paid for the labor to change them, the shop has to keep them for return.

it is not often that I require replacing front end steering components. I use a lithium grease , and over the years never any ball joints failed..idler arms and tie rods sometimes..

any lime based grease should not be used..


I changed a ball joint on a 96 Sierra that I used to own, I changed it myself after about 2 years of owning the truck and got rid of it about 5 years later and had no problems with the joint. I owned a 2000 Silverado for 6 years and it was 9 years old and had almost 200,000 Kilometers on it when I got rid of it and If I remember correct, they were still the factory ball joints in it. Like I said in my earlier post, the shop believes this to be a ball joint issue. If I had it my way I would by now just replace with GM joints but who knows, they may be made by Moog lol.

If I had it my way I would by now just replace with GM joints but who knows, they may be made by Moog lol.[/QUOTE]
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Well the GM parts might be made by the same Chinese company that makes the Moog parts too.
Bob B

If I had it my way I would by now just replace with GM joints but who knows, they may be made by Moog lol.
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Well the GM parts might be made by the same Chinese company that makes the Moog parts too.
Bob B[/quote]

you have to grease the ball joints...if they are seizing I would say the metal has galled up because of a lack of lubrication...

no comments on what grease was used if any ....

Well I am back from my vacation and they had it at the shop the 2 weeks I was away. They said that they did not have to do anything to it and it appears that the Spicer ball joints had to simply "break in" which I have seen on some other forums, but never have experienced. Maybe it was just me being over cautious due to the previous problems of the others seizing up, any yes they were seized, they could not turn the one wheel after they disconnected the tie rod ends. As far as greasing the other ones, they were greased because I like to check that the work they said was done, was actually done. What type of grease I don't know, but it was sorta the color of caramel, just a bit darker. At least for now it seems to be ok and I have put on a couple a hundred kilometers so we'll see after a few hundred more. Thanks for all the questions and input.

Well I am back from my vacation and they had it at the shop the 2 weeks I was away. They said that they did not have to do anything to it and it appears that the Spicer ball joints had to simply "break in" which I have seen on some other forums, but never have experienced. Maybe it was just me being over cautious due to the previous problems of the others seizing up, any yes they were seized, they could not turn the one wheel after they disconnected the tie rod ends. As far as greasing the other ones, they were greased because I like to check that the work they said was done, was actually done. What type of grease I don't know, but it was sorta the color of caramel, just a bit darker. At least for now it seems to be ok and I have put on a couple a hundred kilometers so we'll see after a few hundred more. Thanks for all the questions and input.

sounds like you will believe anything !

Ball joints have to breakin ????? this is a joke right ?

I believe the new joints were not greased . then they seized. this is what hapens when these parts are installed with no lube.

some believe these ball joints are greased at the factory..

sounds like you will believe anything !

Ball joints have to breakin ????? this is a joke right ?

I believe the new joints were not greased . then they seized. this is what hapens when these parts are installed with no lube.

some believe these ball joints are greased at the factory..

There is a need for a sarcasm font lol. That is why I put "break in" in quotation marks. Also if you read my last post, I did not say that this is what they told me, I simply threw that in there for lack of some other reason as to them "not having to do anything", but now it drives fine. I have been around long enough to know better and have had a couple of other vehicles that have had ball joints replaced and you would never know the difference except for the lack of clunking on corners etc. There is not a lot as a customer that you can do when you take your vehicle in for a repair and they tell you that something has or has not been done, other than to "believe" them obviously within reason. The ball joints that were installed when I dropped it off with them were greased and the ones that are currently installed also have been greased, now this is not to say that they are still the same joints especially when I do not recall the castle nuts being black. Like I said, all I can go by is what they tell me, I didn't say I believed them.

thank you for that clarification on the need for these ball joints to require a break in time period when first placed into use. we would not want some to believe this is true

ball joints can be defective true. ball joints can be damaged by not greasing. ball joints can be damaged if they are forced into a hole damaged by improper removal .. this can distort the control arm to squeeze the ball causing a binding condition...some have found the need to file/grind the hole socket slightly to remove distorted metal caused by removal of the old ball joints.

I should have just had my regular mechanic change the ball joints then take it in for the lift, but I figured that they would have to have the entire front taken apart for the lift installation, they could kill 2 birds with one stone. In hindsight I should have spent the $100 deductible and had them replaced prior to the lift...... but if that were the case, there would not be hindsight lol :banghead:

I should have just had my regular mechanic change the ball joints then take it in for the lift, but I figured that they would have to have the entire front taken apart for the lift installation, they could kill 2 birds with one stone. In hindsight I should have spent the $100 deductible and had them replaced prior to the lift...... but if that were the case, there would not be hindsight lol :banghead:

these installers most likely figured out how they screwed this up. corrected the problem, then told you some story...


you should be good if you put a few hundred miles on it and the steering is not binding.

with lifted vehicles you need to grease these components more often. also do not grease if it is below 30 deg f out. too cold for grease to flow can damage the joints..

good luck ..

Does anybody know where to get the moog database of products?

Try googling for the info?

Does anybody know where to get the moog database of products?

most part stores have this info . call them in your area after you look up on the internet what you need.