Ball Joints RA Bushings, recommendations

[jtb1689]

Getting ready to replace the long overdue ball joints and radius arm bushings in the '93 explorer. I've done some searching around and found that many people prefer the poly radius arm bushings for a "stiffer" responsive ride. Also I've found that it seems moog ball joints have mixed feelings recently but raybestos and mcquay-norris seem to be getting the job done. (found here: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=268420 and in various online reviews)

All in all I suppose I've decided to go with poly bushings and mcquay-norris joints. The snag I've run into though, is on a website such as rockauto.com there are 8,000 different options (ok maybe 4 is a more reasonable number) for mcquay-norris ball joints and all sorts of different RA bushings from raybestos, moog, and others.

So I guess my question is what exactly am I looking to order? I find my way to some dirt and trails every now and again and though she rides stock height and tire size now I expect a 2-3" lift with 32's by next winter.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide, it's much appreciated. Just a little lost given so many options even after I thought I had narrowed it down to what I needed. Hopefully this will clear up confusion for future new-buyers of bushings and joints as well.

 

[unclemeat]

I choose rubber bushings for my radius arm bushings. My mechanic recommended them for better flex. Make sure your ball joints are servicable (grease fittings).

 

[Anime]

The McQuay-Norris ball joints that you might want are the Extreme Duty, which rockauto doesn't carry. The M-N joints they have on closeout are still good, especially for the price, but not the same as the Extreme Duty. For the price, you could buy 3 sets of the ones on rockauto and still be ahead of what the Extreme Duty cost, too.

For the RA bushings, I suggest getting some Energy Suspension ones. Not only are they black, but they are impregnated with graphite to minimize squeaks. You could pick up a closeout RA bushing kit (or more than one) on rockauto and again, be ahead of what a full priced ES bushing set costs, but it's not the same.

My suggestion is to buy the entire Energy Suspension Hyper-Flex bushing kit for 91-94 Explorers. It's just over $100 online, and has all the bushings for the suspension. GREAT upgrade.

 

[jtb1689]

Awesome thanks for that. That should help me figure out what I'm really trying to get here, thank you much.