We have four main types of ball joint that each use slightly different design and materials. Here are what each of our ball joints are made of.
SuperATV’s threaded ball joints are designed to thread into your A-arms instead of pressing in. This makes them more secure in the A-arm and makes them easier to install and remove—you don’t need a big press, just a M36 socket.
They’re made just for SuperATV’s threaded A-arms (which come with threaded ball joints installed, by the way), and can’t be used on any other A-arms.
They use a similar construction to our heavy-duty ball joints:
Between the heavy-duty materials and the threaded housing, they are about three times stronger than a stock RZR 1000 ball joint.
Pressing in a ball joint can be a pain if you’re not prepared.
If you don’t have any kind of press tools, you can usually get away with using a socket or section of pipe and a hammer to get ball joints in or out. However, it’s not the best idea and can cause damage because of how imprecise it can be.
Instead, you can get a ball joint service kit for less than $100. These kits include a handheld mechanical press along with various fittings and adapters designed to fit whatever ball joints you have. These are easy to use and effective. They can even be used with your A-arms still installed.
If you want to run a serious garage and you need a press for a number of different reasons, you can invest in a hydraulic shop press. They can be had for as little as $200 but if you’re taking up the floor space, it’s worth investing in a high quality one.
With the right tool, pressing in a ball joint is as easy as lining it up, pressing it in as far as it will go, and securing it with a snap ring.
Your first clue that you have a bad ball joint on your side-by-side is that you’ll here it rattle. The rattle is caused by the stud bouncing around in the housing. This is a sure sign that the stud and housing are too worn down to continue to use.
You may also notice a catch when you turn the wheel as you have to overcome the excess suspension slop caused by the bad ball joint.
Once you know you have a bad ball joint, you just have to figure out which one it is. To do that, lift your vehicle and move your front wheels by hand. Look for any movement around the ball joint that doesn’t belong. Remember: the stud should pivot in the housing, not move side to side or up and down.
Our warranty specifically covers defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. That means if it falls apart because you hit a tree or after years of riding it in mud every day for years, it’s not covered.
If a ball joint falls apart for no obvious reason within the warranty period, then it may be covered.
The warranty duration varies depending on the ball joint:
SuperATV’s Heavy-Duty, Super-Duty, and Threaded Ball Joints are greasable and serviceable.
The bottom of each ball joint has a threaded cap that has a flat grease fitting in it. Even when they’re installed on an A-arm, they’re easily greasable with grease gun.
To dissassemble the ball joint for cleaning and servicing, the set screw on the side of the housing must first be removed. Then the entire cap can be unscrewed. This lets you clean out any dirty grease before repacking.
Only heavy-duty, super-duty, and threaded ball joints are adjustable.
The steel cap on the bottom of the housing can be threaded in or out to adjust the tension of the stud. After years of riding, the ball joint on the stud will naturally wear down, causing it to move more freely and potentially plunge in and out. All ball joints wear this way eventually.
To fix this, simply remove the set screw, then tighten the cap to return the ball joint to like-new levels of movement.
The difference between Heavy-Duty and Super-Duty ball joints is the stud material.
Heavy-duty ball joints use a 4340 chromoly steel stud while Super-Duty ball joints use a 300M stud. The Super-Duty ball joints are approximately 20% stronger than the Heavy-Duty ball joints on the same machine.
They both use the same housing including the grease fitting and adjustable cap, so you get the exact same usability and features.
The stud should be able to pivot in the housing. It should not be able to plunge in and out at all. If it does plunge, you need to tighten the housing until it doesn’t, even if that stiffens the studs movement.
We have replacement boots for Heavy-Duty and Super-Duty ball joints only.
If you would like to order replacement boots, give us a call at 855-743-3427.
3 Comments
You need to put info/video for replacing just the boot on one of your ball joints.
I purchased super atv forward a arms with the heavy duty ball joints pre installed. I installed it on my Teryx 4 but the hub assembly cannot turn left or right. I removed the tie rod to try and turn the hub left and right but it is really stiff. What could be the problem ?
Hey Benny, in order to answer your question, we’ll have to ask you for some further details. If you can give us a call at 855-743-3427, we should be able to help troubleshoot the issue. Thank you for the support!