I recently purchased a 71 baja bug. it has a ball joint front end and i know that link pin is better for off roading. i only plan on going to the dunes and doing some logging trails. i won't be jumping it, and wonder if i should upgrade to link pin on the front or will the ball joints last. i will eventually cut the front end off and replace it with link pin equipment, but don't want to do it right away.

For what it sounds like you'll be doing, I'd wait on the link pin front end until you're ready. The ball joints should last a good while if you don't abuse it to hell. I beat on mine for a year with really sloppy ball joints and never lost them.

Enjoy the car as is for a while!

Kyle

i have balljoints also
hit random stuff in the city like mud and crap.
also go offroading alot and beat my car to heck and the ball joints are still good.
o yeah i also hit my brothers jeep to and there still good.
thanks to a crappy empi front exhaust tubing front bumper *laugh*

Good condition ball joints will handle a lot of abuse. Class 9 cars and a lot of Class 11 cars race with ball joints. Make sure yours are good and run with what you have! If and/or when you break one, then upgrade to link pin.

Maybe the difference between enjoying the car now, or dealing with a big $$ snow ball delay. (don't ask me how I know)

What everyone has been telling you is good info, but the bottom line is.....
Whenever you want to.... it's your car!

we and a few others are building 5/1600 cars for the local whiplash serries and we are all building new ball joint front ends. theyr alot more durable than alot of people take them for. some will dissagree..i will let you know after the first race

you gonna race firebird this month cole? if mine is ready I may be out there in my baja.

Bubba wrote:

What everyone has been telling you is good info, but the bottom line is..... Whenever you want to.... it's your car!

The ball joint front end is tough. I bent the beam, broke off a steering box but never broke a a ball joint. Driven with respect nothing will break. You only give up travel. You may want to tack weld the upper ball joints one with a loose press fit may pull out. Adding 235 75 or 70 series 15 inch or 700 15 front tires will absorb shock that the front end would otherwise absorb.

dont know if im going to be able to run the firebird race or not. im taking a new planform to build my car off of today, picking up shocks and seats today as well. dont know but im pretty far from having a complete car. ill definatly keep u in the loop

cool. I want to do one or two races with whiplash. how strict are they on tech? I don't have a firewall between me and the fuel cell right now. and no helmets with the new nomex liners.

you do not want to race without a good firewall anyway....bad idea....and you should hope the tech guys are just .....bad asssss .....they do save alot of ya hoos...no offense...it just makes your car better....build it better than spec...you will be glad

yeah I know, one thing at a time. get it running, and suspended. as soon as I work out a few more kinks, making a floor/firewall behind the seats then over the fuel cell. but no money or time for it right now. a fuel cell is safer than a stock tank is anyway, so I hear.

I know, but you still want to be safe ...cause I know we al use common sense right before we roll and fuel is dripping.........all I'm saying that the firewall is the place to start not finish.....especially if you are driving your baja ....the few seconds you gain to get out of the car make all the difference....then you get to race another day....or practice ......anytime you put fuel in the same area you ( even with fuel cell) want to be extra careful.....sorry to run on with this...

abcprint wrote:

I know, but you still want to be safe ...cause I know we al use common sense right before we roll and fuel is dripping.........all I'm saying that the firewall is the place to start not finish.....especially if you are driving your baja ....the few seconds you gain to get out of the car make all the difference....then you get to race another day....or practice ......anytime you put fuel in the same area you ( even with fuel cell) want to be extra careful.....sorry to run on with this...

I couldn't agree with you more.

I've been inside a race car that was on fire briefly when I was knocked out. Thank goodness for corner workers at a road race track. In the desert, you are on your own, at least for a little while.

thanks for the advice, I'll talk to bugzylla about it when I'm getting the coilover cagework done.

and back on topic, I had one ball joint failure, but it was a tierod not a ball joint. and I beat that old rail up in the desert and the dunes quite a bit. although it was a spindle front end, and I think the front of the rail weighed 150 pounds total.