Length: 3:37
Published: August 3rd, 2022
Hello, I’m Todd Keller. Today we’ll talk about the Keller Performance ball joint, its benefits, and a quick overview of an installation.
We have an A-arm that already has the base installed. The one we’re using has already been pressed, but this is what it looks like. This part is pressed into the A-arm.
Once that’s pressed into the A-arm, you’ll use the pin and a spherical cup. The pin drops into the body of the joint, and the spherical cup drops on top of the pin.
Then you install the cap. One of the biggest benefits of the Keller Ball Joint is that we’ve eliminated the snap ring. We have a screw-together design that captures the ball joint in the A-arm. We can guarantee 100% that you won’t have a snap ring failure with a ball joint like this.
After you’ve screwed the cap all the way down and tightened it to 150 ft-lb. of torque, it’s not coming out. Once it’s set, you’ll take a torque wrench and torque the cap to 150 ft-lb. and then you’re ready to begin the adjustment process.
You’ll use an allen wrench to tighten the upper screw until it stops and then you’ll unscrew it about 1/16th of a turn. While holding the allen wrench in position, use a 3/4” combination wrench and snug the jam nut down to about 45 ft-lb.
After you’ve done that, you should check for movement. You want to make sure the ball joint is free and you don’t want any binding. If so, you need to back it off and readjust.
Now that you have this properly adjusted and everything has been tightened to proper torque specs, it’s time to start greasing.
This is called a “flush type grease circuit.” It requires a grease fitting for a flush-type zerk. So, if you’re at a local parts store, ask for a fitting for a “flush-type zerk.” A flush-type zerk looks like the end of a ball-point pen, or sharpened like a pencil.
Once you have one, snap it on your grease gun and put it right on the center. Press down it it and give it a few pumps. Move the pin around to get the grease moved around in the joint.
After the joint is greased, then it’s time to put the boot on. Once you have the boot in position, take the grease needle again and shoot 2-4 pumps of grease in the boot. This helps lube and protect the joint from dirt and other contaminants into the ball joint.
Once you’ve got some grease in the boot, you can snap it in position and secure it with zip ties. Then you’re ready to put the knuckle on and put the whole thing back together and go beat the BLEEP out of it.
