W123 LBJ, bit by H-T crap?
 

I think I've got my answer already - cheap parts by Hamburg-Technic. But wanted to check just in case I was doing something wrong:

Refreshing all the front-end on the wifes '83 240D, got to hammer out the LBJs, took the uprights and new LBJs to a shop to use their press (I did buy the proper tool) and find that the new ball joints will just drop in. They're too loose by a good bit. Cheap pocket calipers say the old one we knocked out is ~45.2mm dia, and the new H-T is about ~44.5mm dia.

Figure I'll just call it a loss and buy new LBJ from a better supplier. But also want to post here as a warning to others about H-T, and just in case I'm missing something else in my process.

thanks,
Keith

I think you will find a few posts that agree with yours that Hamburg Technic is Chinese made and as your measurements discovered of low quality. Check out the *********.com's list of quality parts vendors. You can just google search those words and should get a hit.