Are Ball Joint Deletes OK for a Daily Driver? Honest Answer from the Shop

Ball Joint Delete, Daily Driver, Tech -

Are Ball Joint Deletes OK for a Daily Driver? Honest Answer from the Shop

We hear this one constantly. "Deletes are only for rock crawlers, right?" or "Aren't they loud?" or "Don't you have to rebuild them every other year?" Fair questions. We'd rather answer them straight than have you find out after you've already installed something that doesn't fit how you use your rig.

To understand this better our origin story is somewhat important. We "cut our teeth" in offroad motorsports to make the strongest, most reliable, and safest joint we could possibly make. It quickly escalated, almost imploding the company shortly after starting. Josh learned the intricacies of what the offroad driver expects versus the soccer mom daily driving the kids and just wanting something that lasted. He sat out to combine strength with better road characteristics at 80mph which is what positions American Iron Offroad™ exactly where it is today.

Can you daily drive an American Iron Ball Joint Delete™ System?

Yes. Plenty of rigs running our systems double-duty, driving to & from the trail and doing street miles in between. Remember how American Iron started- Josh was wearing out ball joints on a rig he was driving 4+ hours each way to the parks. A lot of what tears up front ends isn't the trail, it's the miles getting there.

And it's not just Jeeps. Here's how one of our Ram 2500/3500 customers put it:

"These are by far the best upgrade I have done to my ram. If your tired of having your ram drive like a ram, these are the fix your looking for ! The truck drive like new again!" -Mathias

Are ball joint deletes loud?

Let's not dodge it. A spherical bearing isn't a rubber-booted ball joint and it doesn't act exactly like one. Josh answers "Are all sphericals noisy?" head on in our FAQ video, along with "Can I use the system on salty or snowy roads?" and "Can ball joint deletes be used on the street?" We'd rather you hear it from him than from a forum post by a guy who's never run them.

Watch: Ultimate Ball Joint Delete™ FAQ | American Iron Offroad Tech & Troubleshooting

How does it feel to drive?

Firmer and more direct. A traditional ball joint has misalignment and accessory movement the knuckle doesn't need, and you feel that as slop. Clamping force takes that out. Instead of steering input feeling like a suggestion, it feels like a command.

The nice part for a daily is that steering feel is adjustable through the torque settings. You can set it up for how you drive instead of living with whatever the press fit gave you. Follow the instructions on that, don't freelance it.

What about maintenance?

Here's how we look at it. A traditional joint wears out, gets pressed out, gets thrown away, and a new one gets pressed in. Every press can take material out of the bore, so each set has a harder time lasting. On our system, the body stays put in the axle and you only replace the spherical bearings when it's time. That's a rebuild kit and some hand tools, not a ball joint press and a lost Saturday.

How often? Depends on your tires, miles and how hard you are on it, so we're not going to make up a number. Josh covers "how do you know when to rebuild your kit?" and "how many miles can you expect?" in the FAQ video above.

When is an HD ball joint enough?

Honest answer from the counter:

  • Stock or close to stock tire size
  • Pavement 99% of the time
  • Haven't been eating through ball joints
  • No front end issues right now

If that's you, a quality heavy-duty ball joint may be all you need, and we'd tell you that over the phone. If you're on bigger tires, towing heavy, putting real miles on, or replacing joints over & over, that's where a delete pays for itself in not doing the job twice. We compared them side by side in our Ball Joint Delete vs Dynatrac / Synergy / TeraFlex post.

Will it fix my wobble on the highway?

Only if the ball joints are a worn link. Check your track bar, tie rods, drag link, control arms, wheel bearings & steering box first- our death wobble checklist has it all. If those are worn, fix them too, or you'll still be shaking.

Which kit fits my daily?

Bottom line

Deletes aren't just for crawlers. They're for anybody tired of replacing ball joints. Be honest about how you drive, check the whole front end, and fix what needs fixed the best way possible because fixing it twice ends up being more expensive. If you need us, you know exactly where to find us!

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