went to get an inspection sticker the other day at my Ford dealer.It failed due to lower ball joint wear.Dealer says lower control arms and balljoint must be replaced as a unit.Upon loking at the ball joint I can see a snap ring on top which looks to me that the ball joint can be replaced alone. Has anyone replaced their lower ball joints yet.
Vehicle is a 2004 supercrew 4x4 Lariat w/110,250 miles.Oh yea, dealer wants about $800 to do both lower control arms and an alignment.

 

Ford does not make a separate balljoint. you could try aftermarket but make sure he looks up the new body style and not the 2004 heritage(old body style). but with these aluminum lower controll arms im not sure if a press in would be as snug as it was. might be a one time deal.

 

BS BS BS I replaced mine with moog HD ones right in my drive way in about an hour. All i needed was the balljoint tool you can barrow from any checkers or autozone. ball joints are 54$ and the tool rental is free with a deposit.

 

Agreed...Course as soon as my ball joints start going south I am going to get a set of the Total Chaos Upper control arms with uni-*****. I believe the set is about $600....

http://www.chaosfab.com/fordf150.html

These are good if want to get or already have a leveling kit....they would work great with a lift too........
Goodluck

 

Will these total chaos arms work with the stock shocks and autospring leveling?

jrbhc8

 

Hi - ethan and f150sc04;

What mileage were you at when the joints started going south? Just curious.

I got 60K (and 6 years) out of my old truck's factory BJ's .. ( but I lubed with a needle twice a year).

Agree that Moog (or Spicer) are a good choice.

Thanks
Cheers
Bubba

 

thanks guys . I think I'm going to tackle them in the garage in a couple weeks. I have 110,250 miles on the odo.

 

Thanks! Wow, I'd say you got some decent use out of those stockers!

Good luck !

Cheers
Bubba

 

Wow, that's an in depth inspection for a sticker. I'm glad that don't go to that extreme here in TX. lights, horn, insurance, blinkers = sticker . Does sound like a good state to be a mechanic though.

I"m sure some of the heaps I had to drive when I was younger would never had passed.

 

Yes they will.

 

+ Sniffer test or OBDII engine monitoring check in smog counties.

 

The inspections are just as bad in MA. My old '97 Expy went through one set of ball joints and two sets of tie rod ends in the 99K miles that we had it. MA inspection pointed it out (not that I wouldn't have found it myself), yet I see cars with worse problems driving down the road with current inspection stickers. So I wouldn't say it's 100% effective, just the state's way of making me part with more money every year.


Dave

 

I only have 40k on my truck but I had some hard miles on my AS leveling kit so when I went to my full lift I just didnt want any trouble and did all of them then

 

Thanks ethan !

 

Does anyone know of any trucks with the autospring and the chaos control arms. I would like to see some pics and ask a few questions about them.

jrbhc8