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Howe Precision Ball Joints For Superformance
Anyone using Howe ball joints to replace the stock Chrysler ball joints?
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Ousted the cobra valley custom ball joints. Big difference in feel.
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I swapped out the originals for the cobra country custom ball joints. Big improvement. |
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Don't know about Cobra Country, but Cobra Valley sells some improved ball joints for SPFs. Cobra Valley's R/T Super High Performance Ball Joints
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I installed them over the winter and turned out to be one of the best mods so far. |
For what it's worth I replaced the stock Superformance ball joints with the CV Ultras (pronounced bump-steer and front end shimmy at ~60 - 65 mph). Noticeable improvement in bump steer and shimmy - and also some reduction in steering effort. They seem fine to me.
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I will be installing the Howe ball joints and will report back on them. I first saw these on Shelby built Mustangs , 2005 and up. When I visited Shelbys facility, the techs there said they are the best money can buy. Howe joints are also used thru out circle track racing, including Nascar. They do require a bit more maintenance.....grease every 3000 miles of street use with low friction grease. Use of standard grease will ruin them. Lash should be reset every 10000 miles of street use or annually. Cost is $70 per ball joint. They are available in OEM lengths plus lengths longer and shorter.
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The Howe ball joint is the highest quality ball joint on the market. The part number that fits our Superformance cars is 22320.. It will not require any more maintenance the the QA1 ball joint from Randall Thomas and does not require the special tools that the QA1 ball joint needs for adjustment. It is also available with a steel cap ( add "S" too the part number). The thought process around here is that the steel cap expands less than the aluminum cap and the adjustment remains more constant. I give Randall a lot of credit with all his upgrades for our cars, this is just a higher cost option, but in my mind it would be my first choice.
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I have a set of the Howes on order and will Road Test in my SPF. - cant wait!!!
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The problem I see with the Howe Ball Joints is that they are a pure race product. They do not even have a dust boot. It seems to me that for most of us who street drive our cars, they would not be a great solution. Racing ball joints are designed for maximum performance for X number of laps, not for cars that are driven a few thousand miles a year.
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Thanks, Ken 2560 |
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Ken, What was the reason you changed length on lower, roll center, camber gain, bump steer? Once I installl the Howe ball joints, I too plan on changing ball joint heights for geometry changes. |
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Thanks, Ken 2560 |
Regarding the dust boots, Howe makes an optional dust boot for this type of ball joint. On one of my customers car we just used the dust boot off of the Chrysler ball joint with no issues. I replaced the oem ball joints with QA1 ball joints and the customer was very pleased with the results. If you think the factory supplied ball joints are a high quality piece you are sadly mistaken. In quantity I used to buy these for under $9.00 apiece! The precision ball joint discussed here is rebuildable, designed to be "friction free" and lets the suspension move freely. Until you have one of these in your hands, you cannot understand the overall benefit they offer. Whether you use Cobra Valley, QA1 or Howe, they all are a huge improvement over the oem piece of sh#%.
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For the guy who puts his car on a track occasionally if at all, there are solutions that make more sense from a maintenance and longevity perspective. I am not promoting any solution nor am I trash talking the Howe product which appears to be very well made. My point is that most of us do not 'race' our cars and therefore there are more options that may make more sense. |
Here's the manual from Shelby Performance on the Howe ball joints....different car for sure, but they are driven daily by Shelby Mustang owners.
http://www.teamshelby.com/installati...5MX-3050-U.pdf |
Update on the Howe ball joints....2 years, 6K miles, and countless Autox runs....no issues. Removed them today to install Wilwood Mustang II spindle/hub. Never needed to add grease or reset lash. I will be replacing the top studs for a shorter length, as the Wildwood spindle is a 1/2 inch taller than stock SPF spindle.
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