so a ball joint on the right front wheel broke free yesterday.

good thing it happened in a parking lot, also the truck is under warranty so thats good too.

could have happend in a million worse places

anybody else experience anything like this?

 

Had it happen on a car once, never on my truck though, with the big tires i tend to go through balljoints and wheel bearings every 2 years anyway.

-Jon

 

Oh man, I understand!

4 months ago I had 2 balljoints and one tie-rod end replaced. Wouldn't you know it, the tie-rod on the other side (that the mechanic said was fine) snapped on me. It happened in a parking lot. Now we had just completed a long highway trip to get to this parking lot. I am so glad I didn't lose it at highway speeds.

 

I saw that it's recommedned to "lube" the ball joints. How in the world do you do that? There is no zerk and I can't imagine they mean take it apaert and grease it.

 

...the factory ball joints are, uh, "maintenance free" and can not be greased.

I replaced mine recently (one went out, did the other one at same time) with some NAPA ones which could take grease. Color me crazy.

 

DrDevon,

You're right, exactly and that's my point. What's up with recomending maintenance on a miantenance free part, that we all know, needs maintenance but we can't.

Customer: "My ball joints failed"
Service Advisor: "Did you maintain them as your Owners Manual instructs?"
Customer: "Uh, no, they are maintenance free right?"
Service Advisor: "Yes they are"
Customer: "So no, I didn't maintain them"
Service Advisor: "Hmm, too bad, this is going to cost you"
Customer: "But why?"
Service Advisor: "Because you didn't maintain them"
Customer: "But they are maintenance fre right?"
Service Advisor: "Yes they are"
Customer: "So your right, I didn't maintain them"
Service Advisor: "See, I'm trained to know these things. People should read there Owners Manual."
Customer: "But I did......."
Service Advisor: "But did you maintain them as your Owners Manual instructs?"
Customer: "Well no, you just agreed they are maintenance free right?"
Service Advisor: "Yes they are"
Customer: "So no, I didn't maintain them"
Service Advisor: (Takes drink of luke warm waiting room coffee from his "Built Ford Tough" mug and smiles) "So, looks like we ought to have it ready by next Wednesday. And hey, we've got this great 12985 point checkup deal going on. We can check to make sure everything is being maintained as it should for only $49.95, what-da-ya-say?"
Customer: "So if I came in last week would you have checked to make sure the ball joints were "maintained" as they should be?"
Service Advisor: "Well let me check the computer.........hmmm, no. No need to, they're maintenance free."

 

....I was commiserating with you, not disagreeing with you or making fun of you. I couldn't agree more that Ford has more than a few squirrelly looking sets of uh, "directions" out there.

I only hope you know they can be replaced with ball joints that will accept grease. I think/hope that is a plus for us both.

Happy Driving!

 

Oh, I realize that. I didn't mean to sound like I thought you were but reading back on my reply, it is worded like that. Oops.