Lower ball joints

[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.

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...

[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-l...l-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?