Forged Ball Joint Trailing Arms With Ball Joints Installed

OVERVIEW

When it comes to the structural integrity of your air-cooled Volkswagen''s front suspension, there is simply no room for compromise. For decades, VW enthusiasts were forced to choose between scouring swap meets for fifty-year-old used parts or struggling with the difficult process of pressing new joints into worn-out housings. These EMPI Forged Ball Joint Trailing Arms represent a massive leap forward in restoration technology, providing a brand-new, zero-mile solution that meets and exceeds original equipment manufacturer (OEM) standards. Unlike inferior cast-iron replicas that can be brittle and prone to failure under extreme stress, these arms are precision-forged from high-tensile steel. This forging process ensures a grain structure that is far stronger than casting, offering the durability required for daily driving, high-speed highway cruising, and the occasional spirited canyon run. By replacing your pitted or tweaked original arms with these forged units, you are effectively restoring the factory-fresh geometry and safety of your front end.

The standout feature of this specific kit is the professional installation of premium, European-made ball joints. Pressing ball joints is a notorious headache for the home mechanic, often requiring a 20-ton shop press and specialized jigs to ensure the joint is seated at the correct angle without damaging the delicate internal seats. EMPI has eliminated this hurdle by delivering a complete set of four armstwo uppers and two lowerswith the joints already perfectly pressed into place. This "bolt-on" convenience saves you hours of labor and the expense of taking your parts to a machine shop. Furthermore, this comprehensive kit includes new grub screws and protective caps, ensuring that every point of contact between your torsion leaves and your trailing arms is fresh and secure. Whether you are building a show-winning Beetle or a reliable daily driver Ghia, these arms provide the precise steering response and smooth suspension travel that only high-quality forged components can deliver.

FITMENT

• Volkswagen Type 1 Standard Beetle: 1966 through 1977 (Excluding Super Beetle models)
• Volkswagen Type 14 Karmann Ghia: 1966 through 1974
• Volkswagen Thing (Type 181): 1973 through 1974
• Custom Dune Buggies & Sand Rails: Utilizing a standard VW Ball Joint front beam

SPECS

• Material: High-Strength Forged Steel (Not Cast)
• Ball Joint Type: Premium European-Made units pre-installed
• Set Includes: 2 Upper Trailing Arms, 2 Lower Trailing Arms
• Hardware Included: 4 Heavy-duty grub screws and 4 protective caps
• Finish: Raw Forged Steel (Ready for paint or powder coating)
• Installation Style: Direct OEM replacement
• Weight: Approximately 31.3 lbs for the full set
• Part Number: 98-4569-0

PRO TIPS

1. Protect the Finish Before Installation

These trailing arms arrive in a raw forged state to ensure you can inspect the quality of the metal and the seat of the ball joints. Because they are bare steel, they will begin to develop surface oxidation quickly if left unprotected. Before you install them, we highly recommend a thorough degreasing followed by a high-quality chassis paint or professional powder coating. This is especially important for the areas around the ball joint boots. Taking the time to apply a durable finish now will prevent rust from forming in the torsion arm seals, which can lead to premature wear of your beam bushings and bearings.

2. Verify Your Grub Screw Torque and Seating

When installing these arms onto your torsion leaf stacks, it is critical that the grub screws seat perfectly into the dimples on the center of the leaf springs. We suggest sliding the arm onto the leaves and hand-tightening the grub screw while wiggling the arm slightly to ensure the pointed end of the screw finds its "home" in the leaf stack dimple. Once you are certain it is centered, torque the grub screw to factory specifications and always use a drop of medium-strength thread locker. Don''t forget to install the included lock nuts or safety wire if your specific beam configuration requires it, as a loose trailing arm can cause catastrophic steering failure.

3. Check Your Grease Seals and Bushings

While these trailing arms come with the ball joints pre-installed, they are only one half of the suspension equation. Before sliding these new arms into your beam, inspect the inner and outer bushings (or needle bearings) inside the beam tubes. If your old arms had significant "play" or "wobble," the internal bearings may be worn. Always apply a generous amount of high-pressure lithium grease to the polished "snout" of the trailing arm that slides into the beam. Once installed, use a grease gun on the beam''s zerk fittings until you see fresh grease purging from the seals. This ensures that your new forged arms rotate smoothly and don''t bind under load.