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Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:59 pm

I am going to be installing a adjustable raised beam in my bug and figure since I have to tear everything apart it would be a good time to replace ball joints, so my question is does the benefits of radiused ball joints out weight the down sides of them.

Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:16 pm

Don't bother with clearanced ball joints on an off road car. Save them for the lowered street car guys. Removing material to create more clearance for the ball stud just makes them that much weaker.

original vw ball joints are actually quite durable. The killer is over articulating them. Your best buy for a ball joint front end is a set of hook and rod stops to limit travel instead of your ball joints. :wink:

Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:55 pm

I had clearanced ball joints on my car last summer and they seemed okay. Granted, I only got to run them through the summer, but I slammed them through some whoop sections pretty hard....

I dunno... its your car just my 2 cents...

Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:35 pm

I think we need to have some class 9 guys comment on this. They have mastered the ball joints front ends.

Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:28 pm

Theoretically if one was to use clearanced ball joints for extra travel AND set up travel limiters (hook and rod) correctly would there be any worry of damage/failure from overextension? The limiters would soak up all the damage and leave the ball joints unharmed correct?

Along with the OP's question does anyone know how much extra travel these clearanced ball joints offer?

Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:11 pm

You won't really gain that much usable travel. Even if you use hook and rod stops, the lower joint is still under a lot of stress and is more likely to pop out of its socket than the original design. There is a reason that class 9 guys don't use clearanced ball joints on their race cars.

Fri Feb 28, 2014 10:00 am

I have heard of some of the people I have raced with that tried then and said they are junk (at least for a 9 car). Stick with some nice quality ball joints with the proper stops put in place and you will be fine.