Zone HD control arms install

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2014greatwhite

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So bare with me this might be a little long winded or typed I guess. This is my horror story with my install. I purchased the new Zone off-road heavy duty control arms from a shop in my town here Massachusetts. I installed the passenger side and filled it with grease. I noticed grease coming out of the side of the boot of the brand new ball joint. I installed the driver side with no issues. I call Zone and they tell me I have to have the shop that sold me the arms contact them as it was the whole sale side that they order from and I didn't have the order number. So far no problem. They over nighted me a new boot for the ball joint. Awesome right. Well this is where it goes off the rails. The boot they sent requires a special tool to go on the ball joint that is part of the zone arms. I googled how to change the boot and it suggested using a socket to tap it on the ball joint. Well it ripped the boot. So I call Zone back and ask if I can buy another boot. They suggest that because I'm trying to get it done fast because I am going on vacation in a few days, to go get another ball joint and swap it out. I go buy a new moog ball joint which is what zone said they use. I also rent a ball joint press. Never having used one it took me a bit to figure it out but I eventually got the ball joint out. I go to press the new one in and the press doesn't open far enough with the adapters. I try using a cap that fits nice against the top of the ball joint. I didn't think about how the inside of the a-arm narrows and well I got the cap stuck. So inorder for me to get the cap out I had to press the ball joint back out which ripped the boot on the new ball joint. Luckily for me the guy at advance auto parts said he would defect out the ball joint and give me a new one. Pressing the new ball joint in took ever bit of ass and leg power I have. I'm an avid weight lifter bench about 330 and let me tell you this was brutal pressing it in. After about 2 hours fighting with it I got it in and all set. A long story I know and I'm sorry but the moral is take your truck to a shop and let them do it. I'm done doing **** myself haha
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12sportmc

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Lmao. Geez man sounds like you are new to using tools [emoji23][emoji23]. Glad you got it figured out but yes, sounds like maybe wrench turning isn't for you.


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transam210

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Reasons like that are exactly why I pay people to do **** on my truck


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R@mCat

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That sucks they leaked, my zones have blue boots on the mooge ball joints and no issues yet.

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808ram1500

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Doesn't Zone sell replacement ball joints for their UCA's?
I installed a set of ZONE uca's on my truck yesterday, luckily didn't have the problem you mentioned.
 
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2014greatwhite

2014greatwhite

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Doesn't Zone sell replacement ball joints for their UCA's?
I installed a set of ZONE uca's on my truck yesterday, luckily didn't have the problem you mentioned.



Yes they do. They are also moog. I was in a rush to get this done as I'm heading on vacation Saturday. Zone tech support gave me the ball joint part number they use and told me to find it local. So the one I used was the same part number just a different boot design on he ball joint. The older style has a metal ring on the top and bottom. The next style has a pressed on boot and the brand new moog ball joints have an integrated boot.


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JB1

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what was the part# for the replacement ball joint?
 

mohemipar

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The most nerve racking thing to me is doing stuff you arent 100% sure of on your daily driver. So much more relaxing when it is your fun car LOL. So props on getting a tough job done with a lot of set backs.
 

Csanders1992

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I would have just rode with the leaky bj boot temporarily. Wouldn't have hurt nothing and you wouldn't have been in a rush lol


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2014greatwhite

2014greatwhite

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I would have just rode with the leaky bj boot temporarily. Wouldn't have hurt nothing and you wouldn't have been in a rush lol


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I would have too but....my stock ball joint boot was ripped and that's how I sold it to the wife that I needed the new Zone control arms and well she wasn't letting the leaky boot slide haha. Live and learn. Just another thing I won't be doing on my own in the driveway again without proper tools. I enjoy doing my own upgrades/repairs but the more I get into it it's easier to just pay someone.


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808ram1500

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Yes they do. They are also moog. I was in a rush to get this done as I'm heading on vacation Saturday. Zone tech support gave me the ball joint part number they use and told me to find it local. So the one I used was the same part number just a different boot design on he ball joint. The older style has a metal ring on the top and bottom. The next style has a pressed on boot and the brand new moog ball joints have an integrated boot.


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Oh, I see. Question, did you tighten the the nut the holds the ball joint to the knuckle until it was snug or enough so the castle nit aligns with the hole for the cotter pin? I did mine till it was snug, which was well pass the cotter pin hole. Don't know what the right way was cause I threw out the instructons. Lol. Have a good vacation .
 
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2014greatwhite

2014greatwhite

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Oh, I see. Question, did you tighten the the nut the holds the ball joint to the knuckle until it was snug or enough so the castle nit aligns with the hole for the cotter pin? I did mine till it was snug, which was well pass the cotter pin hole. Don't know what the right way was cause I threw out the instructons. Lol. Have a good vacation .



I tightened until it was snug. Then put the cotter pin in.


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