Network
The abuse that Jeep owners put their vehicle through can be a little more than what the manufacturer anticipated. One of the first things that any off-roader upgrades are the tire size, but that places more stress on other components of the drivetrain.
The folks over at Quadratec showcased the installation of Skyjacker Suspensions Rock Ready ball joints (PN JK2717B). These direct-fit replacement ball joints are an upgrade over the OEM ones.
The key features of the Rock Ready upper ball joint (left) and lower ball joint (right).
“The Skyjacker Rock Ready ball joint design shares the load between both the lower and upper ball joints,” Rob Jarrell of Quadratec explained. “The OE ball joint design consists of a weight carrying lower ball joint and a follower upper ball joint. In this design, the lower ball joint carries the full weight and road force of the Jeep and the upper ball joint is only a pivot point that controls lateral movement.”
Once the knuckle is removed the old ball joints are pressed out before the Rock Ready joints are installed.
Installation starts by removing the factory joints with a ball joint removal tool. With the old joints out the only difference on the install is the way that the Rock Ready upper joint goes in. Instead of being pressed in the from the top, it is pressed in from the bottom and has a retaining nut to make sure the joint does not go anywhere.
The ball joints will fit the XJ, TJ, ZJ, YJ, and JK, and are all made in the USA. For more information, be sure to visit Quadratec and Skyjacker Suspension‘s website.
