Ball Joint
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Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4
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From: Wisconsin
Ball Joint
I started a thread a couple weeks ago about a squeek coming from my drivers side front suspension.
Well, it has been determined that the previous owner of my 2001 4 x 4 F-150 had replaced the lower ball joint with a greasable one, but the zirt was located such that you could not see it, so it never got greased!
My mechanic installed a 90 degree elbow zirt for me, so it is easily accessable.
Well, this weekend on a trip up north I drove through some dirt roads (deep sand in places), and by the time I was coming home the squeek was back already. I greased it, and it is quiet again.
I guess my question is, should the grease dry out that fast? Does that sound like something I will just have to deal with forever, or could there be further issues with this ball joint to be concerned about? I really didn't get that crazy in the dirt (unfortunately, I had a load of wood in the back!)
It seems weird that I had to grease it again after only 2 - 3 weeks...
What are your thoughts and experiences?
Thanks!
Eric
Well, it has been determined that the previous owner of my 2001 4 x 4 F-150 had replaced the lower ball joint with a greasable one, but the zirt was located such that you could not see it, so it never got greased!
My mechanic installed a 90 degree elbow zirt for me, so it is easily accessable.
Well, this weekend on a trip up north I drove through some dirt roads (deep sand in places), and by the time I was coming home the squeek was back already. I greased it, and it is quiet again.
I guess my question is, should the grease dry out that fast? Does that sound like something I will just have to deal with forever, or could there be further issues with this ball joint to be concerned about? I really didn't get that crazy in the dirt (unfortunately, I had a load of wood in the back!)
It seems weird that I had to grease it again after only 2 - 3 weeks...
What are your thoughts and experiences?
Thanks!
Eric
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 1997
Posts: 1,286
Likes: 0
From: Littleton, CO USA
Its possibly that running the ball joint without grease damaged it. The average "span" for greasing ball joints should be whenever you do oil changes (or at least thats a good interval to check over everything).
Thread Starter
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Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
Is there any easy way to check if it is damaged?
There really is no performance problem that I can tell. I shake the wheel and it feels tight as a drum.
She does favor the left direction a little sometimes, but a little correction to the right usually corrects that for the most part...
Maybe I am being a little paranoid...after reading these posts it makes a guy worried about having the same problems everyone else is having!
e
There really is no performance problem that I can tell. I shake the wheel and it feels tight as a drum.
She does favor the left direction a little sometimes, but a little correction to the right usually corrects that for the most part...
Maybe I am being a little paranoid...after reading these posts it makes a guy worried about having the same problems everyone else is having!
e