Lower ball joints

[stenz]

So I went to brakes plus today to have an alignment done. They guy calls me up and says that he cant do the alignment because they lower ball joints are starting to go bad. So I go and pick up the (2004 Chevy Trailblazer) and I ask the guy up front how he determines that the lower ball joints are bad. He says that they push down on the lower control arm and if it has a lot of movement then they are bad.


I thought this to be a lousy explanation.... Does anyone know how to tell if the lower ball joints are going bad? The vehicle drives fine. They reason I took it in is because the tires are starting to wear a little uneven (every other outside tread lug is wearing more then the next).

Any help is appreciated!

[brianakell]

So I went to brakes plus today to have an alignment done. They guy calls me up and says that he cant do the alignment because they lower ball joints are starting to go bad. So I go and pick up the (2004 Chevy Trailblazer) and I ask the guy up front how he determines that the lower ball joints are bad. He says that they push down on the lower control arm and if it has a lot of movement then they are bad.


I thought this to be a lousy explanation.... Does anyone know how to tell if the lower ball joints are going bad? The vehicle drives fine. They reason I took it in is because the tires are starting to wear a little uneven (every other outside tread lug is wearing more then the next).

Any help is appreciated!

Hes right, and coupled with the tire wear, pretty textbook.

[def90]

They reason I took it in is because the tires are starting to wear a little uneven (every other outside tread lug is wearing more then the next).

Any help is appreciated!

Sounds like bad ball joints.. :D



sent from a soup can and some string..

[OtterbatHellcat]

IMO....mistake taking anything to Brakes Plus.

Notorious for selling shit that you don't need done.

Fact though, is that you can have ball joint issues without "noticing" a drivability problem. Also, getting an alignment if you really do have bad ball joints, is a waste of money.

If you jack up one side of your car with the weight on the control arm itself, grasp both the top and bottom side of the mounted wheel/tire, and try to "wiggle" the wheel. (hands at the 12 and 6 o'clock position) if you feel any slop there, you have an issue with ball joints, or maybe some wheel bearing issue. Have someone else do the wiggling while you use a flashlight to eyeball the ball joints yourself.

Tire lugs can wear funny for different reasons, and ball joints are only one reason. If the outsides are wearing, it might be toed in. Aggressive cornering can do some weird stuff to the outside lugs too.

Hope some of this helps ya.

[Mtn.man]

Yep.

[stenz]

Well sounds like they might be right. They quoted me $515 plus $58 for alignment. I am pretty handy in the garage so I think I might do them myself. I could probably get them done for under $175.

[Great-Kazoo]

Well sounds like they might be right. They quoted me $515 plus $58 for alignment. I am pretty handy in the garage so I think I might do them myself. I could probably get them done for under $175.

you have the tools and warm place to work?

[OtterbatHellcat]

Bad ball joints typically wear out the insides of tires, not the outsides.

Just sayin'.

[stenz]

I have a garage and most the tools required are hand tools. I would have to rent a ball joint press from autozone or advanced auto.
you have the tools and warm place to work?

[Great-Kazoo]

I have a garage and most the tools required are hand tools. I would have to rent a ball joint press from autozone or advanced auto.

Pickle fork, air hammer and compressor? This ball joints aren't gonna pop off the lower control arm with out some elbow grease.

[OtterbatHellcat]

You're seriously going to replace your ball joints without verifying that they're bad, with your own eyes?

Buy the stuff, rent a press, and all that........cause the brakes plus guy said you needed them.

[streetglideok]

Something else not said yet, when the balljoints wear enough, they can come apart, and can create a dangerous situation. At the least, you can expect body damage to the vehicle. There is a spec on how much play is allowed on the load carrying balljoints. Technically, they can not condemn them without measuring play and comparing that to spec. Few people actually do this though, and hack shops like Brakesplus definitely won't. They pay their guys about half what most shops pay, so you're not getting much for techs. I once talked to them after they badgered me for months to go to work for them. I laughed at the interview when they told me what they'd be willing to pay me. An L1 master technician, and only $15/hr? Not a chance jack!

[Ah Pook]

Mine as well do the uppers while your in there. On some solid axles, the upper has to be removed before a press can be clamped on the lower.

[stenz]

You're seriously going to replace your ball joints without verifying that they're bad, with your own eyes?

Buy the stuff, rent a press, and all that........cause the brakes plus guy said you needed them. That's why I'm asking. I need to know who to tell if they are bad.

[Great-Kazoo]

That's why I'm asking. I need to know who to tell if they are bad.

Pay a qualified front end shop or board member. It's real easy to check play in them. Not in this weather granted, but easy.

[JMBD2112]

Feel free to bring it down to my shop and we'll shake down your front end. I worked for GM for almost 10yrs and from past experience the uppers go bad quite often. If it's the lowers and memory serves me right, you have to get the whole control arm to replace the ball joint. But I may be wrong. Offer stands though if you want to drive down to Parker.

[RonMexico]

I have a garage and most the tools required are hand tools. I would have to rent a ball joint press from autozone or advanced auto.
When I replace my ball joint on a 2005, it's was only $20 more to replace the whole lower A-arm with the ball joint pressed in and greased. Saved me a lot of time and headache.

[Wulf202]

They reason I took it in is because the tires are starting to wear a little uneven (every other outside tread lug is wearing more then the next).

Sounds like scalloping likely shocks

NEVER trust brakes plus

[earplug]

complete assembled lower A arm is less then $190.00.

[tmleadr03]

First off, start taking your vehicle to a local independent shop. Not a big chain. You will get better service at a small business vs an chain of stores.

Second. It actually sounds like they were not far off. It really is how you check these things. Grab the wheel and shake it. Once at 12 and 6 and again at 3 and 9.

http://www.procarcare.com/images/shar/encyclopedia/Tccs1267.gif

[Hound]

Pickle fork, air hammer and compressor? This ball joints aren't gonna pop off the lower control arm with out some elbow grease.

+1

You don't have to have compressor setup as a 5lb persuader (read hammer) will work but the fork is a must. You can buy one or more likely rent one since you really don't need it often.

[Great-Kazoo]

One item missing from your OP and follow ups is. Make, Model, Year of vehicle? Knowing that assist in trouble shooting, FWD, RWD, 4WD 4X4?? Who knows you could have a vehicle that burns front end parts fast.

If you're at the 60K mark on the shocks, or struts, i'd do them first.


http://freeasestudyguides.com/tire-wear-patterns.html

http://www.aa1car.com/library/tire_wear.htm

Cupping
Cups or scalloped dips appearing around the edge of the tread on one side or the other, almost always indicate worn (sometimes bent) suspension parts. Adjustment of wheel alignment alone will seldom cure the problem. Any worn component that connects the wheel to the car (ball joint, wheel bearing, shock absorber, springs, bushings, etc.) can cause this condition. Worn components should be replaced with new ones. The worn tire should be balanced and possibly moved to a different location on the car. Occasionally, wheels that are out of balance will wear like this, but wheel imbalance usually shows up as bald spots between the outside edges and center of the tread.

[speedysst]

Funny, last time I went to Brakes Plus, they just did the alignment and didn't say anything else was wrong but the truck was still pulling to the right. Moved up to the boonies and less than a year later I find out both upper and lower ball joints were bad AND there had been a recall on the uppers from Dodge about 10 years ago.

[brianakell]

First off, start taking your vehicle to a local independent shop. Not a big chain. You will get better service at a small business vs an chain of stores.

Second. It actually sounds like they were not far off. It really is how you check these things. Grab the wheel and shake it. Once at 12 and 6 and again at 3 and 9.

http://www.procarcare.com/images/shar/encyclopedia/Tccs1267.gif

x100000
never go to chain stores you hear advertising all the time. They spend their money on advertising rather than high quality product or service. Go to the place you never hear about on TV or radio, there you will get quality for the same$ maybe a touch more. But you wont have to fix or redo their "fix".

[Wulf202]

Teamleader forgot to mention you need to check it with the wheel in the air.

Highly recommend Lakewood alignment.

[tmleadr03]

Teamleader forgot to mention you need to check it with the wheel in the air.

Highly recommend Lakewood alignment.

I used them when I had a shop up at 6th and Sheridan. Excellent work.

ETA: And I forgot nothing. I just wanted to hear about trying to do that with the wheel on the ground...[ROFL2]

[stenz]

Its a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer with 125,xxx miles on it. My dad recommended a shop in Northglenn called Jim Parish tire and auto. Looked them up online and they seem legit. I am going to put the car in the air over the next day or two and see about any wheel movement. From there I will probably go have a second opinion.

I do need to replace the front struts... original I think. I still think I can do this myself. I really don't want to pay $500 plus for this when I can buy the parts for around $150.

Here is a link to what I am looking at. http://gmtnation.com/f77/replacing-lower-ball-joints-5284/

[tmleadr03]

Pull the front struts and then TAKE THEM TO A SHOP to have it done. You want to know what we call the spring compressors they sell you at advanced and carquest in the business? Suicide sticks. Get the struts out and have a shop do that part.

You are dealing with a spring with 3-5k lbs of spring tension in it, you don't want to do that with a couple of cheap ass clamps.

[Great-Kazoo]

Pull the front struts and then TAKE THEM TO A SHOP to have it done. You want to know what we call the spring compressors they sell you at advanced and carquest in the business? Suicide sticks. Get the struts out and have a shop do that part.

You are dealing with a spring with 3-5k lbs of spring tension in it, you don't want to do that with a couple of cheap ass clamps.

You need to stop injecting common sense and experience in to this discussion.

[TFOGGER]

You need to stop injecting common sense and experience in to this discussion.

It really does reduce the potential for humor, doesn't it?

[Danimal]

Pull the front struts and then TAKE THEM TO A SHOP to have it done. You want to know what we call the spring compressors they sell you at advanced and carquest in the business? Suicide sticks. Get the struts out and have a shop do that part.

You are dealing with a spring with 3-5k lbs of spring tension in it, you don't want to do that with a couple of cheap ass clamps.

I use the suicide sticks all the time, there not THAT bad. Just don't point it at your face. You might want to watch some videos on how to. I once saw a guy uncap a strut with nothing compressing the spring and it shot the spring, ratchet and a decent chunk of skin right through the drywall on the roof of the auto hobby shop garage on base. If you are careful and think about what you are doing, they will work and save some money. The system is pretty simple, just a lot of stored energy.

It sounds like you are going to do a full rebuild of your front end. what I would do is go through everything as best as you can to determine everything that needs to be replaced. Then do it all at once, and get one alignment afterwords. Check bushings bearings struts and all ball joints. I replace ball joints if you can move the tire at all by hand. Any movement means they are shot. Also if I see a tore boot on any of them. When the boot tears it is not long after that they go to hell. Just a little bit of road grit and water wears them out so fast. If you can find a good shop around to look everything over and tell you what to replace, that would be best. But I am a huge on doing all vehicle maintenance myself. Also the first step is to get the maintenance manual and read the procedures for everything you want to do. That will tell you if there are any additional wear parts that you need to buy and give you a general idea for the best approach for the maintenance.

[stenz]

When I do the front shocks I will buy the complete assembly. They sell them on Rockauto.com. http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2997558&cc=1424281