Moog Ball Joint Question

playbass

playbass

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Joined
Apr 25, 2023
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Salt Lake City, UT
I am replacing the ball joints on my 98 TJ (among other things) and bought 2 Moog K3161T Premium Lower Ball joints. I did this job 2 years ago on my 98 XJ and they use the same parts, but this time the Moog Ball Joints I received were different. Instead of a flattop the new ball joints have a rounded head. When installed completely flush around the bottom, the head doesn't poke through the gusset completely like the flat top version did.

It's hard to tell in the second photo, but this ball joint is seated fully flush with the cap along the bottom, it's just that the head is tilted like this. There's no more I can push up on this joint at this point.

Does anyone know if Moog changed their part like this in the past few years, photos online still show the flat top version? What I received was marked K3161T but it looks more like photos I've seen of K3161T005, which is the oversized variant of this part.

Should I scrap this install? I already scrapped 1 thinking the part was defective, but the second seated just like this too.

IMG_0112.jpeg


IMG_0113.jpeg
 
Thanks. I think it’s ok. I think they just rounded the top and now fits like this. I guess this is a chamfer top?

Point taken about the zerk. That’s actually how their instructions say it should be placed although I could have gotten it a few more degrees counter clockwise.
 
Pretty sure what’s installed is the oversized model. Got a 3rd Moog ball joint and its flattop, so thinking the previous two were packaged wrong. Just going to leave this in there, it’s likely stretched out the hole if it’s .005 oversized anyway.
 
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