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Djm I beam issue


Wht95scort

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I'm installing my djm I beams in my 92 and when putting in the spindle the lower ball joint hole in the I beam is not tapered like factory. Did they forget to do this? Without the taper the ball joint wont sit up all the way and will become damadged. Anyone else run into this?
 


JoshT

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Is the ball joint not fitting fully into the hole or is it loose? Can you take some pictures of what you are talking about?

This may sound like a stupid question, but does the upper ball joint hole have a pinch bolt?
 

Wht95scort

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I have pics but there on my phone and can't load them onto here for some reason. The lower ball joint hole isn't tapered big enough to allow the lower ball joint to sit up all the way. The I beam won't contact the ball joint dust boot. There's about 1/4 gap. It's clearly a design flaw or just poor r&d on there part.

The top ball joint is a punch bolt and that looks fine as long as the lower joint would go up all the way. DJM=FTL
 

Wht95scort

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Soooo knobodys ran into this issue? Or everyone just bolted them up and said f-it?
 

doorgunner

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I put dream beams on my '89....but I don't know if it's the same as your truck.

I did have to spend some time scraping and cleaning the paint out of the tapered hole and using sandpaper to get a metal-shine inside the tapered hole to fit with the ball joint taper...and then the ball joint tightened down good and snug....

I think there was a note in the instructions about the ball joint sitting slightly higher than the OEM height...but I could be wrong
 

Wht95scort

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heres a pic of the lower ball joint in the beam.
 

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JoshT

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Looks like a new ball joint. Are you sure that it is the correct one? Did it match the old ball joint? If it did, it was probably a missed machining step. I highly doubt that it was a design flaw or poor R&D. More likely it was a quality control issue.

2 more questions. Are both sides the same way? Have you tried contacting DJM about this?
 

doorgunner

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Good pic.....

My ball joint fit better than that....

Like he said.....either wrong replacement part or not manufactured correctly....OR.........wrong hole size/wrong taper inside DJM beam


let us know what corrects the problem....my kit installed with minimum problems
 
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Wht95scort

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It's the right ball joint. It fits fine in the stock beam. Djm didn't put a big enough taper on there beam. I have called no answer emailed no response. To top it off I has to wait over a month to get them on backorder just to have this problem.
 

doorgunner

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To clarify.......

Is the straight shank hole too small in the beam?

You can drill the small hole to the correct size with a drill on SLOW speed

OR

Is the tapered hole too small?

You can buy a taper reamer for ball joints that match the original ball joint and ream the hole to size yourself using an electric drill on SLOW speed and dripping some old engine oil on the reamer to keep it sharp......
 

Wht95scort

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Why should I have to spend money to fix there part? I know I can fix it it's just the point. That reamer bit it $150
 

JayTee

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So what is the update on this?

My beams arrived and I am partially taken apart and hope to start reinstallation on Friday, and it appears to me that the beams have been tapered correctly.
 

fangotango306

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did you order the correct year?p/m DB3001-3 fit 89-97 trucks and the 3002-3 are for the 83-88 trucks. which do you have?
 

Wht95scort

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Still not resolved. I might send them back and make my own. Yes I ordered the right ones. Other beams the ball joint press into the beam mine go into the spindle.
 

JayTee

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Still not resolved. I might send them back and make my own. Yes I ordered the right ones. Other beams the ball joint press into the beam mine go into the spindle.
Send them back and make your own what? I beams? Sure, good luck with that.

You have the same beams I just purchased. Just got them the other day. They are DB3001-3.. and your should be the same.

On mine, the beams are machined so that the bottom hole is tapered where the lower balljoint fits, and the top one is designed for your eccentric to fit into it and the upper balljoint into that.

So if yours is not machined right, get them to send you replacement units.
 

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