Hello fellow f150ers,

I have an 05 screw, and it was shaking really bad. I took it in for a balance and alignment because I noticed that the tread wear was more significant on one side and it was shaking like I was shooting a .50 cal. The mechanic did my balance, but not my alignment. He told me that my lower ball joints were messed up and doin the alignment would just be takin my money. He also explained thats why my tires were bowed out. The truck only has 19k miles on it, and from reading the posts here all the other posters had symptoms similar to mine. Here is my question, I want to just buy the parts myself and have the mechanic install them , but I wanted to pool you guys for knowledge on the exact part number. I dont want to end up with the wrong piece. If anyone can Help I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks again!!!
2005 FX4 Screw
4x4
6" fabtech lift
35 inch MT baja claw

 

too me that sounds like a camber issue, not a lower ball joint issue. Lower ball joints arent a high wear item on the new f150's. the UCA balljoints on the other hand are. I would check those as well, they may need to be replaced. have any pics of your setup? that may help.

 

that seems like really low miles to need new lower ball joints.

 

yea i am defineatly thinking a camber issue, or this alignment guy has his head up his a$$.

 

There's been a few post on this already. You need to jack the truck and put her on stands. Get a pry bar and put it under the tire and lift. Do you hear clanking or see movement on the lower ball joint? If so your ball joint is bad. To test the upper leave the truck on the ground and try moving the upper control arms. If there's any movement they need replaced.

 

The Fabtech 6" lift you have probably has something to do with your issue. The lift comes with a frt lower control arm cradle, new knuckles etc.. right? This stuff all has to be torqued down something fierce or you will deffinetly lose all of you settings, caster, camber even toe could be affected if the system was installed wrong. Using c/o production lower and upper control arms should be fine, again if the system as installed right.
Take it back to where it was installed and have em look at it.
Q: Do you do allot of off road driving? Fabtech even warns about driving past the limit of the shocks. If you did over articulate replacing the ball joints will just put you back in the shop at another 19,000 miles or worse, stranded.

BTW. OEM ball studs are good to 100,000+ if not abused. Just a clue here that something is wrong.

Good luck!

 

Why aren't you getting it fixed under warranty