Ball Joints '74

[Don Wojciechowski]

I'm looking to replace the upper & lower front ball joints on my '74 and would like to know where to get 'original' 'original' units these days.

I see ads all over the internet for OEM,replacement, or original 'style' ball joints, but the don't look exactly like what is now on the '74. They look exactly like the ones on my '63.

Lots of ball joints for sale may have the same 'shape', but I notice a 'cut line' in the top of the upper's retaining plate, and the grease retaining boots are different on some replacement units.

This is going to be a one-time (in my lifetime anyway) replacement process and I want to make sure it's correct.
Thanks in advance,
Don

[Mark #28455]

Real NOS vs repro

The "Real" NOS ball joints are slightly different than the "correct" repros as you have found. There is currently no "exactly correct" repro, you have to buy the real deal NOS ones for about $800 a set and hope the seller isn't just pawning off a set of the repros at the NOS price.

Good luck,
Mark

[Joe L.]

Re: Ball Joints '74

Don-----

The original ball joints used on 1963 and, perhaps, 1964, I believe may have been different than those used for later years. I've never been able to confirm this, though. If I'm correct, this style ball joint used a "coullee hat" style seal which was not affixed to the joint body with a steel band.

1965-82 style ball joints, upper and lower, used a black rubber seal which was fastened to the joint body by a circumferential steel band. There were 3 sets of part numbers for these joints used over the years of their availablility. 2 sets of these were used in PRODUCTION and SERVICE, although the SERVICE and PRODUCTION part numbers were different. This is for 2 reasons: first, SERVICE joint part numbers are for the KIT which includeds hardware. Second, the size of the holes for the retaining fastners for the UPPER joints were different for PRODUCTION and SERVICE. PRODUCTION upper joints had 9/32" holes for the 1/4" rivets: SERVICE ball joints had 11/32" holes for the 5/16" bolts. Otherwise, the joints were the same. All 3 sets of 65-82 ball joints available over the years were absolutely identical.

It is these "captured seal" style ball joints that are the ones that have most recently come on the market as "exact reproductions". As I say, I don't think that these are correct for 63-64, but they are very close for 65-82. They are not "exact", though.

[Alan Drake]

Re: Ball Joints 64 Joe !

Joe,
Do you want a picture of an original Mar 64 ball joint?
Send me an email and I will take a picture and send to you along with the spring detail.
Alan