So I have been noticing lately that there are some creaking /clunking noises coming from the front suspension when i turn or apply the brakes at low speeds. I have had Kinetix front arms on for less than 2,000 miles / 5 months. Today I pulled off the front left wheel to inspect, and I found that the ball joint on the Kinetix arm has play in it. The grease is all gone, so it is squeaky and dry. These things should have a sealed ball joint - its pretty stupid really.

So what do I do now? This sucks, because if i change the arms I will have to get another alignment, which was a PITA the first time!

 

Why not contact Kinetix? If the ball joint is shot, they have replacements. Even better if you are under warranty.

Kinetixracing@hotmail.com
Kinetix Racing
1026 Fuller St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-543-5155

Warranty
All Kinetix Racing products come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defect. Bushings, Ball joints, and other movable parts that are subject to wear and tear are covered by a 1 year warranty. Our warranty policy, including the 1 yr wear and tear warranty is non-transferable. You must be the original owner of the product and have some form of receipt, invoice or prof of purchase to start a warranty claim. If you need to start a warranty claim please contact us at Kinetixracing@hotmail.com. If an RMA# is issued, we are not responsible for return shipping charges to Kinetix Racing. Please allow 1-2 week for warranty claims to be processed and resolved.

 

That is a good point, I will pursue that.

Unfortunately it is just going to happen again, and it will only be a temporary fix. Without a sealed joint or at least an encapsulating dust boot, the grease will never stay in the joint for very long on a street driven car.

Who makes an upper arm that has a sealed ball joint? It looks like the Ichibas might...

 

I just bought a used set not too long ago and mine have play in them also, but so far I don't have any creaking or clunking.

 

Creaking is often caused by the upper pair of rubber bushings being torqued during installation without the car's full weight on them. (Were they torqued while the car was still on jackstands?)

It may be too late to help them though, if that was the cause. Sorry.

 

Dude, i think your thought process on the kinetix arms is a bit skewed....

The kinetix use a really big "rod end"....not a ball joint.....its easy to confuse the two and well, even kinetix themselves list it as a ball joint on their site, but im sure thats not because they dont know the difference, but because its easier to "sell" or advertise to the unknowing customer that cant tell the difference otherwise anyway.....

Actually its a male rod end with a pressed in STUD, used as the mount stud for the front spindle nut mount point...the red boot on there is just a "dust" boot, not intended at all to ever be a sealed lube boot.....only ball joints use those and the kinetix does NOT have a ball joint.....

Rod end:

Notice how in this pic there are male and female rod ends, and the one in the center has a pressed stud attached...also notice some have grease fittings.


Ball joint:


if its blown then you will know it...or should at least....loose, play or easy to move doesn't mean its broken....it would have to be free from its intended joint race in the rod end with significant freedom to be 'broken'

I say loosen the nut and re tighten everything......spray some lithium based lube on it and consider them a maintenance item, after all its a performance aftermarket part.......not a "install it and forget it" item.....virtually everything aftermarket is and most people dont even read their owners manual........

If the kinetix rod ends truly are busted, then you can buy replacements for $29.99 online and if you count the number of threads INTO the kintex's arm and mount the new end at the same point then you WONT need alignment again.......(read my suspension 101 thread post #7 on this).

Kinetics site for $29.99 replacement rod ends:
http://www.kinetixracing.com/kinetix...er_a-arms.aspx
click on the pull down menu next to PRODUCT:

if you want to exercise your warranty but not have any down time, then purchase a spare set, swap them out to the same thread count and no worries on alignment, then warranty out the bad set and have a spare set IF ever needed....

I doubt yours are blown.............
Take video of the end articulating separate from the front spindle and ill tell u if they are gone or not..

oh, and read the suspension 101 thread - https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-...ion-101-a.html

and for good measure:

HOW TO INSTALL KINETICS THREAD:
https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-...s-install.html

-J

 

Jason, I've never held a pair of Kinetix in my hands. Do they have actual spherical joints on the two identical upper supports? They looked like the same rubber bushings (but red in color) as stock.

(I mean the twin pair of supports on either side under the inside of the fender. I'm not talking about the outer point, you were speaking of about the non-balljoint connection.)

 

The two points that mount to the Z are separate sleeved urethane bushings.......over the stock infused rubber aluminum bushing..

so the arms move about the chassis point smoothly since the mounting bolt tightens up between the chassis lug mount point axially on the sleeve, but the urethane is separate from the sleeve and moves freely....

you can see them here:

-J