Repairing MPP FUCA ball joints

[gearchruncher]

I had a bit of an off on the track and ended up with a bit of a loose ball joint on my MPP Corkscrew FUCAs.

While the ball joint is labeled DELPHI TJ21G, this didn't really help when looking it up. So I took some quick measurements of the ball joint (43mm diameter, 64mm high, 18mm pinch bolt) and found the actual Delphi Part- TC2431. This is off a 2010-2017 Nissan Leaf. You can see the specs here:

Delphi Online Catalogue

delphicat.com

I bought a ball joint for a Leaf off Amazon for about $20. Popped it out and in with a cheap harbor freight ball joint kit with no issues.

The part I got was a Centric part, and it has serrations on the diameter unlike the Delphi part. While it works, I would highly suggest finding a part with a smooth bore like the original Delphi part.

Hope this helps someone in the future.

 

[Motion122]

MPP would be a good source for a replacement joint or the joint not sold separately?

 

[gearchruncher]

MPP would be a good source for a replacement joint or the joint not sold separately?

I contacted them and they were not willing to just sell the ball joint, nor give me the part number. They did offer the whole ball joint assembly - the "end" that comes off with the ball joint on it. It was reasonably priced for what it is, but if you're a DIY'er, this was much cheaper and faster vs shipping from Canada.

 

[Motion122]

I contacted them and they were not willing to just sell the ball joint, nor give me the part number. They did offer the whole ball joint assembly - the "end" that comes off with the ball joint on it. It was reasonably priced for what it is, but if you're a DIY'er, this was much cheaper and faster vs shipping from Canada.

Excellent information for the community!

Shipping has gone up around 30% lately!

 

[drpheta]

I had a bit of an off on the track and ended up with a bit of a loose ball joint on my MPP Corkscrew FUCAs.

While the ball joint is labeled DELPHI TJ21G, this didn't really help when looking it up. So I took some quick measurements of the ball joint (43mm diameter, 64mm high, 18mm pinch bolt) and found the actual Delphi Part- TC2431. This is off a 2010-2017 Nissan Leaf. You can see the specs here:

Delphi Online Catalogue

delphicat.com

I bought a ball joint for a Leaf off Amazon for about $20. Popped it out and in with a cheap harbor freight ball joint kit with no issues.

The part I got was a Centric part, and it has serrations on the diameter unlike the Delphi part. While it works, I would highly suggest finding a part with a smooth bore like the original Delphi part.

Hope this helps someone in the future.

Was this the Delphi ball joint? https://www.amazon.com/Delphi-TC2431-Suspension-Ball-Joint/dp/B06X17JZ3Y

out of curiosity, what was the cost of the FUCA end piece MPP offered to sell? Replacing that unit is a fair bit easier than pressing out the ball joint and pressing one in if it came down to it. Might be worth the "labor" to simply replace the end piece itself.

 

[gearchruncher]

@drpheta - That is the right ball joint. You can get them lots of places by just looking for a 2011 Nissan leaf. Rockauto had good prices too, but shipping is annoying.

If I remember right, MPP was about $130 shipped, which is fair, but I got mine fixed quicker via DIY. Good to have both options!

 

[drpheta]

@drpheta - That is the right ball joint. You can get them lots of places by just looking for a 2011 Nissan leaf. Rockauto had good prices too, but shipping is annoying.

If I remember right, MPP was about $130 shipped, which is fair, but I got mine fixed quicker via DIY. Good to have both options!

$130 is actually not bad (though Canadian shipping tacks on a bunch more). Glad we have options for these parts.

 

[Ren.OG]

@gearchruncher I just seen this on my mpp corkscrew fuca
Is this what you ran into?

 

[gearchruncher]

@Ren.OG - Whoa, no. I damaged the ball joint so it had a slight bit of play internally, but not like that!
Looks like your snap ring came off and let the whole ball joint free. Almost looks in your pic like the whole land for the snap ring failed.

Either way, it looks like you can buy a new ball joint and fix it easily, and you don't have to worry about removing the old one!

 

[Motion122]

@gearchruncher I just seen this on my mpp corkscrew fuca
Is this what you ran into?
View attachment 824122

Covered under manufacturer's warranty?

 

[gearchruncher]

Covered under manufacturer's warranty?

MPP's Warranty policy:

All of our parts come with some level of warranty. We’ve been in the industry for a long time and know how critical it is to stand behind your products.

Yet there is no specific warranty listed for the FUCA arms....

 

[Motion122]

MPP's Warranty policy:

Yet there is no specific warranty listed for the FUCA arms....

"Some"? lol At their discretion I guess.

 

[MountainPass]

@Ren.OG - email us and we'll take care of it! Certainly, if the snap ring was not properly seated that is a warranty issue and we apologize for that!!

We prefer to supply only the complete housings (same with camber/toe arms) to ensure that the joints are properly pressed in and that no damage is done to the boot or housing when changing. But happy you were able to be resourceful @gearchruncher

Obviously, it is never our intention to absurdly markup after-sales parts, and I'm glad you all agree that $130 is fair for this component. When you factor in the time of pressing etc, just having a part arrive that can bolt on in 10 minutes has its share of value, and it helps us sleep easier at night. knowing that there is less chance for issues down the road. It really depends on your comfort level.

The FUCAs have a 3yr Warranty, we'll update the page to add clarity on that, thanks for pointing that out! I'm sure you'll find that we go out of our way to make sure everyone is happy - that has always been our policy

 

[Ren.OG]

@MountainPass you're the best thank you and your team!
All I had to do was contact MPP and they took care of the rest. Good group of folks over there for sure.