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  1. #1

    Default How to Identify SN95 Low Friction Ball Joints?

    I bought some of the "original equipment" style ball joints from my Ford dealer. They are part # F4ZZ-3050-B. I'm trying to figure out of they are the "Low Friction" ones or not. When I ran a search, I got the idea the Low Friction ones are not available from Ford. Is that true? If it is, why does Ford distinguish between "OEM Style" and "for vehicles out of warranty"? There are two different ones for that year car. See if this link works:

    http://www.fordparts.com/Commerce/Pa...&model=Mustang

    My ball joints are fine. I don't want to replace them if I'm not going to gain anything. I'm looking to swap the store brand ones I have for Ford Low Friction ones to help with my harsh ride. I got a few ideas for how to identify the Low Friction ones from Jack Hidley. He said I should be able to move them by hand, and I can't. They DO have a clear boot, but I THINK he might have said they should have a green snap ring, and they don't. That may or may not be a problem because parts are updated all the time. I spent $170 on these things, so I'd like to know if they are the right thing.

    Thanks!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  2. #2

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    Took the other one out of the box and tried moving it by hand too. Gave it a pretty good shot, and no dice.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  3. #3
    FEP Senior Member
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    The only thing I know for sure is that the low friction ball joints don't have a grease fitting.
    Not much help I know

    OMR
    '86 Med.Canyon Red Met.(original paint) T-top,5 speed,3.55 rear,MAF conversion(A9L).MM adj. RLCAs,T/A,Panhard Bar,and adj MMRSB-3,rear T/A springs 375#-440#,MM C/C plates,MM 1.125" dia.swaybar,STB,4pt KMB,FLSFC's,'03 Cobra rack-n-pinion w/ Saginaw pump conversion.Bilstein MM coilover conversion and A-arms,front spring rate:250#.

  4. #4

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    Okay, so I've done a little more poking around. Found some dead ends and one possible light at the end of the tunnel.

    Ford Racing apparently used to offer a control arm for the Fox body that had the low friction ball joints in them... but they don't anymore. By all indications Ford does not manufacture them at all anymore.

    Maximum Motorsports uses them in their tubular control arms for coilover applications. They say right on their site they are the Ford ones. Where do they get them? Did they buy up the whole remaining supply? Who knows, but the point is moot because I'm not doing coilovers.

    HOWEVER, If you look on Rock Auto for SN95 ball joints, you will find Moog ones that look suspiciously like the OEM Low Friction Ford ones. Jack Hidley actually pointed this out to me, but I had always assumed until now that the picture was just a mistake. I was looking at it today and I see they list a Ford part number for them though. F4ZZ-3050-A. I emailed Rock Auto to see if they can verify for me the the ball joint pictured is the one you get if you order the Moog ones. They cost a fraction of the dealer price, so that was why I initially wrote them off. I might try emailing Moog too.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  5. #5

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    I've done a little more digging and I have a bunch of new info, along with some wild speculation.

    TRW was the original supplier to Ford for the SN95 Low Friction ball joints. Their part # is JBJ875. Ford also used these ball joints in the same-year Panther cars. Sometime between then and now TRW was bought out by... you guessed it, MOOG.

    My guess is Moog continued selling the better known TRW design under the Moog brand as the K8749, only to more recently replace it with their own greasable design, hence all the wrong as hell pictures. I found another one on American Muscle, by the way.

    From there, I think Moog sold the design to Lemfoerder. I heard 3rd hand that Lemfoerder is MM's supplier for Low Friction ball joints in their control arms. Check it out.

    http://www.carid.com/2004-ford-musta...m-8509554.html

    The current TRW JBJ875 looks similar, and costs about the same as the Lemfoerder. They could be either the same, or just as good. Check it out:

    https://www.trwaftermarket.com/us/Product-Data/JBJ875/
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  6. #6
    FEP Power Member mcb82gt's Avatar
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    Revive. Any update on confirming this information? I am thinking about switching to low fric ball joints, and would like to same some bucks, if this is true.

    Thanks.
    Mike

    Now stang-less.

    88 Cougar 5.0

  7. #7
    FEP Power Member mcb82gt's Avatar
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    What do you all make of this? Legit??

    MEVOTECH GK8749 {#F4ZZ3050A, F4ZZ3050B} Original Grade Info

    Front Lower

    https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...ll+joint,10070
    Mike

    Now stang-less.

    88 Cougar 5.0

  8. #8
    FEP Power Member mcb82gt's Avatar
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    With me having a 88 Cougar, couldn't I just install sn95 pre loaded control arms? I know the ball joint threaded portion is shorter, but I think Jack H said it will engage and be safe.
    Mike

    Now stang-less.

    88 Cougar 5.0

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by mcb82gt View Post
    With me having a 88 Cougar, couldn't I just install sn95 pre loaded control arms? I know the ball joint threaded portion is shorter, but I think Jack H said it will engage and be safe.
    You mean the MM tubular ones? Those would be the only ones I would bother with if you're wanting the low friction thing. Other than that, the only place I would try to get the balljoints themselves is from Lemfoerder or Ford. Not Motorcraft, Ford OEM grade non-greasable.

    That's my take. It seems to me there's a lot of leeway allowed in aftermarket parts that will bolt in and do their job, but not necessarily the same way or designed with nearly the same amount of consideration as the OEM ones.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  10. #10
    FEP Senior Member Tigger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mcb82gt View Post
    What do you all make of this? Legit??

    MEVOTECH GK8749 {#F4ZZ3050A, F4ZZ3050B} Original Grade Info

    Front Lower

    https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...ll+joint,10070
    Stay away from these. They are garbage. I installed a set of the same part number on my wifes 96 GT vert a little over 2 years ago. Last October she was coming home from seeing her horse on some country back roads with our youngest son in the car and one of the ball joints broke. It just pulled straight out of the socket. Luckily the control arm fell on the wheel and she did not wreck. They were super lucky. Car maybe had 10-12K on them since I changed them. After getting it towed home, I replaced it with a Moog. There was no grease in that balljoint. The ball was all scored from the friction. I just scrapped it last weekend or I would take a picture. I replaced the other side a week later because I did not trust it. I will never buy those again.
    67 Mustang Coupe
    96 Tangerine GT
    86 Saleen #179

  11. #11
    FEP Power Member mcb82gt's Avatar
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    Wow! Thank tigger. Glad all were ok.
    Mike

    Now stang-less.

    88 Cougar 5.0

  12. #12
    FEP Power Member mcb82gt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZephyrEFI View Post
    You mean the MM tubular ones? .
    87-88 Cougars had the longer sn95 arms from the factory. I was thinking about the loaded arms on rockauto.
    Mike

    Now stang-less.

    88 Cougar 5.0

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by mcb82gt View Post
    87-88 Cougars had the longer sn95 arms from the factory. I was thinking about the loaded arms on rockauto.
    OOOhhhhhhh.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  14. #14

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    Brad, did you ever get your hands on a set of these ball joints? Did you ever install them and were you able to tell a difference?

    I had planned on ordering a pair to put in my stockpile for when the time comes I need to replace mine again, but hadn't got around to it yet. At one time MM was selling and planned to buy from them, but now I don't see them on their website. Hopefully they're not NLA.
    Thomas

    1985 Mustang GT - Build Thread
    347 (Stock Block, Scat Crank & Rods, Probe Pistons, 11:1 CR, AFR 185's, PP Crosswind Intake, Custom-ground Comp Hyd Roller Cam, Scorpion 1.6 Roller Rockers, Holley 3310-4), T-5, 8.8 w/3.55's, MM SFC's, T/A, PHB, LCA's, Strut Tower Brace, K-Member Brace, Bilstein HD Struts/Shocks, MM/H&R Springs, SN95 5-Lug, Cobra Brakes, '04 Mach 1 Steering Rack

  15. #15

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    I do have the Lemfoerders on mine. And my car does ride really nicely now, but I changed quite a variety of things. Springs, dampeners, new bushings... So I couldn't really say if I noticed an improvement just from the balljoints. I never could move them by hand like Mr. Hidley thought I should be able to, so it's still kind of ambiguous whether these are the correct low friction design or not.

    It's hard to say what I would do if I were to set out on this journey today. Part of me says I wouldn't bother, but the other part knows how stubborn I can be when I decide I need something no matter how much others tell me it's not worth the trouble.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  16. #16

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    Thanks for sharing your findings.

    Do you still happen to know the part number for the Lemfoerder ball joints for future reference? I saw the Moog and TRW numbers listed above, but not that one.
    Thomas

    1985 Mustang GT - Build Thread
    347 (Stock Block, Scat Crank & Rods, Probe Pistons, 11:1 CR, AFR 185's, PP Crosswind Intake, Custom-ground Comp Hyd Roller Cam, Scorpion 1.6 Roller Rockers, Holley 3310-4), T-5, 8.8 w/3.55's, MM SFC's, T/A, PHB, LCA's, Strut Tower Brace, K-Member Brace, Bilstein HD Struts/Shocks, MM/H&R Springs, SN95 5-Lug, Cobra Brakes, '04 Mach 1 Steering Rack

  17. #17
    FEP Super Member
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    I have a set of control arms off a Bullitt , that had 20k miles . For some reason the boots dry rotted virtually completely off .
    I am trying to find replacement boots , even good used ones , if anyone has any let me know .
    clowns to the left of me , Jokers to the right

  18. #18

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    Both Ford and Lemforder refuse to sell dust boots for the ball joints.
    Jack Hidley
    Maximum Motorsports Tech Support

  19. #19
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    Yes Jack , i am aware .
    I just can not justify buying new ball joints , when these low friction joints are in perfect order .
    I am sure the boots rotted , because the car was parked in grass for several years .
    clowns to the left of me , Jokers to the right

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by 85MUSTANGTGT View Post
    Thanks for sharing your findings.

    Do you still happen to know the part number for the Lemfoerder ball joints for future reference? I saw the Moog and TRW numbers listed above, but not that one.
    Found it.

    W0133-1627287
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  21. #21

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    Thanks, Brad. That will help me and anyone else that might be looking for these.
    Thomas

    1985 Mustang GT - Build Thread
    347 (Stock Block, Scat Crank & Rods, Probe Pistons, 11:1 CR, AFR 185's, PP Crosswind Intake, Custom-ground Comp Hyd Roller Cam, Scorpion 1.6 Roller Rockers, Holley 3310-4), T-5, 8.8 w/3.55's, MM SFC's, T/A, PHB, LCA's, Strut Tower Brace, K-Member Brace, Bilstein HD Struts/Shocks, MM/H&R Springs, SN95 5-Lug, Cobra Brakes, '04 Mach 1 Steering Rack

  22. #22
    FEP Power Member mcb82gt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Hidley View Post
    Both Ford and Lemforder refuse to sell dust boots for the ball joints.
    Question Jack, can I safely use these TRW ball joints with my Fox Mustang 87+ GT spindles? I know they are shorter threaded than Fox joints.
    Mike

    Now stang-less.

    88 Cougar 5.0

  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by 85MUSTANGTGT View Post
    Thanks, Brad. That will help me and anyone else that might be looking for these.
    Glad I could help. I hope it works out for you!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  24. #24
    FEP Power Member mcb82gt's Avatar
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    https://www.trwaftermarket.com/en/ca...tNumber=jbj875

    Looking for confirmation that these truly are low friction joints? Thanks
    Mike

    Now stang-less.

    88 Cougar 5.0

  25. #25
    FEP Power Member mcb82gt's Avatar
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    Emailed TRW not much help really. JBJ875 and JBJ869 (Fox style).

    Basically said "no grease zerk = low friction design"
    Last edited by mcb82gt; 09-10-2020 at 08:43 AM.
    Mike

    Now stang-less.

    88 Cougar 5.0

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