What Kind of Ball Joints is the Best for Off-Road Vehicles

 Basic Situation: An off-road racing vehicle weighs about 2 tons with the driver inside, most of its weight is distributed on the frame (body), the frame is connected to the pillar and wheels through the suspension system (all kinds of forked arms and swinging links). Ball joints are often used to connect the suspension system with the body and pillar. They connect different parts of a vehicle just like the joints that connect different parts of our body, from here we can see the importance of ball joints. Moreover, the vehicle is like an athlete who needs to jump up and down throughout the race, which requires the joints to be stronger and more durable, so that the vehicle can win out in a variety of special and harsh environments.

 

  There are basically two kinds of ball joints that can be used in an off-road racing vehicle: 1) Injection molded. 2) Stamped.

             

  Analysis: Let’s assume that there is an off-road racing vehicle running at a medium speed in a race and jumps to the height of 3-4 meters, the landing time is 0.5sec to 1sec, and the impact force will be 30-50 tons. This kind of impact is very likely to occur several times in a race, moreover, the direction of this impact is random, it can come from both the pulling force and side force, which is a fatal test for the ball joints of the suspension system. Considering the parameters, stamped ball joints cannot be used at all, and the injection molded ones is fair to middling. In addition, due to the undulation of tracks, the ball inside will be swinging back and forth, and the self-lubricating material provided by the injection type will be weak and even fall off, which can lead to another problem: the dust outside is easily to enter the ball joint and accelerate the process of aging and abrasion. The life length of a ball joint will be largely shortened that it cannot finish even one race.

  Countermeasures: The 2 kind of ball joints mentioned above must be improved. First, their endurance to impact force needs to be at least doubled for a safer use. Second, dustproof measures need to be used to prevent dust from entering. These two improvements can significantly improve the life length and safety of the ball joints.

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