Lower Ball Joint Surprise

The lower ball joints have graduated the Carli R&D process and are already getting miles on Sage's truck. It started on Wednesday with the driver's side which brought a new feel back into the front end of his truck. As of yesterday, both sides were done, more measurements taken and parts inspected - then the road report comes in. The front end of the truck feels so tight, it's almost foreign.

So much mico chatter comes through the steering column that you simply get used to it. That movement is coming from the lower ball joints. The OEM parts were fully inspected, on and off the vehicle and were found to be within factory specs and otherwise appeared to be normal, so you would never be able to trace that last "loose" feeling down. After riding around, installing and assisting with the final test installations, the amount of feel is dramatic. At least 50% improvement from the driver's seat is immediately recognized.

We didn't expect this to happen either, the goal was to improve on the design and strength of the lower ball joints, just as we did with the uppers. Creating a two-piece assembly that is hardened beyond that of the upper ball joints was performed right off the bat. The tolerances were closed tightly through the machining process and installation is done with Redline CV2 high performance grease. A zirc fitting is included in the unit that is appropriately located and positioned for easy maintenance.

We are working up a satisfaction guarantee behind these components that simply throws it out there, if you're not satisfied, we'll buy them back from you. There might be a couple of minor revisions to the clocking of the assembly for easier installation, but other than that, it's time to have another release party at the shop.