So, I have to replace my ball joints, tie rod ends, pitman and idler arm.

After ordering a cheap ebay kit, and selling it because I didn't like the quality I came across XRF chassis:

http://www.xrfchassis.com/

From what I have read, they are very high quality and come with a million mile warrenty.

I read of a guy who got the balljoints for his truck, the lowers didn't fit. He went and bought spicer joints and called up XRF to tell them. They actually paid him the difference between the XRF and spicer ball joints. Pretty cool!

So, anyone using them?

Im trying to get a damn price quote but they won't email me back...

 

bump! somebody has to be running these things...

 

they look solid forsure.

 

They do, don't they..

Still no word back from them. Perhaps I will pop into one of the local dealers and ask some questions..

 

Jay, Ive given up on email. I think so many places are to busy to pay that much attention to it anymore......I just call them........Rick

 

Yeah, it seems that way... lame!

 

Finally got an email back from them.

Guy told me to go get a quote from one of my local dealers... thanks haha

 

aha, what a douche.
i need to replace my lower driver side bj.. perhaps ill run these?

jay, any idea how much the damage is on a set? or one?

 

And you email them and get told to contact a dealer? What happened to customer service?

 

Yeah, im not too impressed with the lack of prompt and informative email..

Im hoping somebody will chime in with some experience with their stuff..

Hoping to get a quote within a few days, just gotta find the time to get to the store..

At least he said please?

 

So I bit the bullet and picked up all of those XRF parts.

Got 4 ball joints, 4 tie rod ends and a pitman arm.

Cost me $400. Which isnt that bad, considering Moog parts cost more and don't have a good warranty.


First impression is good, their boots and stuff seem miles ahead of those stupid O.E brand parts.

One thing I didn't like was that 3 of my tie rod ends are not greasable and one is..
Im not very happy about that...

In addition the pitman arm is non greasable. But I suppose with a million mile warranty it doesnt really matter. If they go bad I get new ones..

 

sick!.. i ended up ordering just normal ones thru my work.. at 29$/piece at cost i couldnt say no.

 

Yeah, it was more then I wanted to spend, but the warranty and the fact that I got my tax refund kinda persuaded me..

 

well im gonna try and get matching tie rod ends. I spent too much cash on these parts to have ONE greasable inner tie rod end.

I want all 4 to be greasable or all 4 not. Ugh, I just want to get these parts in already!

 

So returned the 4 tie rod ends, waiting to see if I can get all greasable ones.

Anyways, looked at my pitman arm and my ball joints. Turns out the pitman arm and upper ball joints (and tie rod ends if im not mistaken) are actually BAW auto parts. Made in taiwan.

Not sure how I feel about that just yet, they still carry the million mile warranty. The lower ball joints are XRF (im assuming) since their plastic package has no writing on it, and theres no marks on the ball joint itself.

The funny thing is the XRF ball joints have a slightly different (double bump) grease boot. IT also seems a little stronger then the BAW parts.

Anyone heard anything about BAW parts? I did some research and I had a hard time finding out much. I came across an audi site that had a topic on them, most of the guys liked them and said they were stronger then oem.

apparently there is also another BAW company (beijing auto manufacturers) but they make cars and trucks, not parts...

 

mmm interesting, so they passed off another companys product under their own?

 

Yes, but all big manufactures do it.

Hell, moog gets parts made in mexico and stuff, you never really know what you're gonna get.

In anycase, since they have that warranty i will run them anyways. I havnt been able to find much about BAW products, so im 99% sure they manufacture and sell to the other companies and dont sell under their own name. Ive heard that some guys get BAW parts in TRW parts boxes...

so, I was changing the oil on the 95 4runner, noticed that the idler arm that my girlfriend got at the dealer, is a BAW product

 

little update jay, i can get xrf suspension thru work..

 

Nice! im happy with my parts