The ball joint bodies on 2nd gens are thinner and thus weaker than those of the 3rd gen. To upgrade a 2nd gen to these, the front spindles from a 3rd gen must be used. The shaft on the 3rd gen balls are 19.2mm while the 2nd gen ones are 17mm. If upgrading from 9" brake to 10" brake on the front this is a good idea as you have to swap out the spindles anyways.

Also see

• Ford Escort & ZX2 section for the entire index of all Ford Escort and ZX2 related articles.