Hey guys,

I dropped my truck off at the dealer today for some maintenance and an AC problem.

Dealer told me the left ball joint has to be replaced. Does this mean I will need a front end alignment after this?

TIA,

Jag

 

Depending on how your tire is/is not worn, an alignment might be in order. Is the truck under warranty? Is the control arm under warranty? If not, and I don't know what the parts and labor will be for Ford to remove/replace/realign, it will be cheaper for you to do the work and have a shop do the alignment.

I changed both upper control arms on my '99 Scab recently; 45 minutes and $230 cheaper than the Sears, Roebuck and Co. quote and I was back for the alignment.

Easy job to do. Just my .02
Curt

 

If it is the lower, you do not "Have" to do an alignment. But, anytime you do front end work, it is recommended.

 

When the 97 was gettin inspected I was told that the lower ball joints wouldn't pass next time. How big of a job is this?

Adrianspeeder

 

I suspect my 95 F150 needs them too.

I've done it on my cars and have the tools for it. It's not that hard. I just can't get the truck in my garage, so I'm reluctant to try in a parking space.

Since we're local to each other, perhaps we can help each other out.

I would get an alignment if you have to loosen any bolts fitted through clearance holes. Balljoints are usually a tapered fit, so they self-center. If it's a clearance hole it will affect alignment. You can mark the heads of such bolts and be careful to position them exactly on reassembly, but there is no guarantee you'll stay in spec. For tie rods, etc you can measure the length of each piece center to center and try to reassemble to the exact same length. If I did this, and afterwards the truck drove nice and true, I would still plan to have the alignment checked the next time it's in the shop ($30 check vs. $75 alignment).

Dave

 

Thanks for the input guys. I will most likely get an alignment done.

Regards,

Jim