Yesterday we attempted to get a tire rotation and balance, then front end alignment. we were told that the alignment would be a waste because we needed new lower ball joints. Some questions I have would be:
is this normal maint. on a 97 w/60k mi?
do my 33's and TT have anything to do with it causing add'l stress on the joints?
It drifts a little to the right, but not bad. How do you determine when the best time to fix a problem like this?
What are the effects of letting it get worse? crappier steering, uneven tire wear? Just trying not to get raked!

Thanks for any input

Yes the 33's and TT will accelerate the wear on suspension components, and the time to get it fixed is yesterday. The ball joint not only allows the spindle to turn and the suspension to work, it is one of the main links holding the front end together. If one were to fail you could destroy a whole lot more than you'd think. If you think the shop that did the rotation is trying to pull a fast one, take it to another shop for a second opinion.

My ball joints were worn at about 85K with the stock 235/75 tires on and no offroading. I would go get them replaced, but I would have all 4 done because you'll save on labor doing that. if you only replace 2 now, then a year or two down the road when the other 2 need it you'll get slammed with the labor again. It is very expensive, but I would have all 4 done. I only had 2 done on mine and as I look back I see how stupid I was to only have 2 done. Also you'll need an alingment after the new joints, but I assume you know that.

Is there anything to beef up the joints? Or will this be an annual maintenence expense. can i use a heavy duty ball joint or will something from a heavier truck fit?

I know MOOG sells lower ball joints for the 95+ explorer, but I have yet to find aftermarket upper joints. MOOG is a high quality joint that is sure to last longer then ford parts. I think MOOG may have a lifetime warentee also???

But is there a signal that tells me the joints are going out? I mean other that a slight drift to the right if I'm not holding the wheel I don't recognize any problems. i don't really have time to be running to different garages, waiting around, and getting opinions. Thanks

jack up he wheel and rock the tire back and forth and up and down to see if have any play in it. also if your getting squeaking or a slight knock when going over bumps. ford qutoed me $575 to do both joints. i did myself in 5 hours for less than $100. i only did th e2 lower. my upper joints seem fine and i have 130k+ miles on my baby.

It's easy..jack up the front of your truck and put a jackstand on each side. Then grasp the wheel at the 12 oclock position and the 6 oclock position and push/pull to see if you can get the wheel to rock in and out. If it does, feel each ball joint and see which one has the movement. Those joints are then bad. EVen a little movement can mean the joints are getting bad. Also check the tie-links..you say it wanders...mind had a bad ball joint, but it never wandered. If you need a better explaination, let me know.

I thought that's the test for bad wheel bearings. How can i tell between bad wheel bearings and ball ball joints?

wheel bearings will squawl if they are that bad. also look under the vehicle while someone else rocks the wheel then you can actually see the ply. it seem sto be a common things with explorers to have bad ball joints. still not as bad as chevy though and they have greasable joints.

ohno! i squeak when i go over bumps and slow down! there goes all my money!! :(

not too many explorers dont squeak. i would be worried if didnt squeak a little.

Mine were replaced with a greasable ball joint. I'm sure I am not the only one but I hope these last longer.

I have a mechanic friend who is going to look at the joints. He said we might be able to add/repack them with additional grease and it will tighten them back up.

tekeman,
are you going to have them take them off to repack them or will they have tio take them off? the main cost is labour. but you are on the righ tpath. i have heard of people inserting grease with seringe on a non-greasable joint.

dannyboy,
where did you get a greasable joint at? i looked and looked and nobody could produce anythign for me. they will definitely last longer as long as you grease them once in a while.

g

Guys with 95+ explorers:
The upper ball joints and the A-arm are one assembley. thats why they are more $$$. The lower joints are normal ones though

Originally posted by BUCHVILLEMAN


dannyboy,
where did you get a greasable joint at? i looked and looked and nobody could produce anythign for me. they will definitely last longer as long as you grease them once in a while.

g

Well this is another one of my funny stories. These were replaced when I only had my 3" body lift and 32's. I no longer go to this mechanic because he sorta screwed me over. Over and over He told me I had a crappy truck to use the 4x4 in but I told him that would not change. About a month after I had ball joints, u-joints, control arm bushings and brake pads(imagine that bill $800w/ alaign) I busted a u-joint and axle shaft doing some wheelin. He gladly warrantied the ujoint, I supplied the axle shaft, and he fixed it, but left out the axle seal in the job which cost me my front differential. Anyway he used spicer parts all the way, balljoints, I dont know, but there is a zirk on the bottom of each. It sucks, the side w/ the broken shaft snapped off the zirk on the upper, and the lowers seem vulnerable when wheelin, but not really, if you know what I am saying. They could easily be changed out. The upper while take some work, but like you said, the more grease must mean the more life. I would ask my new mechanic, he would know if it is a spicer or not.

Just had the lower ball joints on my 98 EB replaced, 60k on the clock, and it was covered under my extended warranty!!
Just my .02.

Mark

ok...I'm bringing this one back to life. I am going to check my ball joints today..if they are bad...where can I buy a more heavy duty ball joint?? I am also going to try to look and see if its the kevlar patches. It's a little odd...I've had all ball joints replaced...twice...and the tosions bar adjusters..once...they all help for a short period of time...and then...THE CLUNK RETURNS!!!

It could be your front sway bar links...thats what caused my clunk. ALso for heavy duty joints buy MOOG parts

I just replaced those when I did my BL. Where can I buy the MOOG ball joints at??

I just bought some Moog lower ball joints from this place http://www.global4autoparts.com/default.htm

I found the MOOG joints cheaper here:
http://www.autopartsgiant.com/?ac_afflt=none&borschtid=12459023152216748208

Thanks Travis....still yet to check these out yet.

THAT CLUNK IS DRIVING ME NUTZ!!!!

Originally posted by SSIKORA
Thanks Travis....still yet to check these out yet.

THAT CLUNK IS DRIVING ME NUTZ!!!!
Just turn up that radio!:D

63k is not many miles BUT those factory joints were "permanantly" greased.. Yeh right.....
The new Moog or TRW or what ever you get joints will hopefully have grease zerks on them. Just make sure that the num nutz at the oil change place is told that you have extra grease zerks on the joints and they will last longer than the vehicle.

WOW...I just got off the phone with the guy I always take my X to...and I asked him "What would the cost be to replace both upper and lower ball joints, with me supplying the parts?" He said $260...doesn't sound too bad.

Originally posted by SSIKORA
WOW...I just got off the phone with the guy I always take my X to...and I asked him "What would the cost be to replace both upper and lower ball joints, with me supplying the parts?" He said $260...doesn't sound too bad.
That include alingment?

Sure does

WOw..thats heck of a deal! I paid $785 for 2 ball joints (one on each side) a few years ago

Anyone have a rough idea how fast ball joints would wear out on a 98 lowered 2"? Lets just say that the alignment is perfect... just like the shop told me it came out. Seems to me that most guys with lowered 2nd gens dont really have problems with them wearing out. Well, after 2 months of it being lowered, my upper and lower ball joints are shot. WTF is going on?????

Its not hard to do the ball joints yourself all you really need that is special is a torsion bar remover and a pitman arm puller but i ended up using a 2 jawed gear puller for both instances. I hammered out the ball joints and hammered them back in on my own though in hindsight it would have been worth while to spend the few dollars to have them pressed in by a shop. It would have cost me 600~ to have it done by a stop in stead it only cost about 200~

I don't know if they are different from the early year or newer ones, but I just did mine this weekend.
Biggest pain is no two bolts are the same so you are always getting up to find a different size wrench. I also borrowed a ball joint tool that presses out the old one and presses in the new one. That is a must if you ask me. A friend helped me that has done them without and he said he will never do another one without the tool.
I also repacked bearings and did some other maint. while it was apart.

I would say if you have any mech. skills you should be able to do it. I have taken the front end apart before so it wasn't that much more to do the ball joints.

ive got a 96 sport so i took out the lower control arms and worked on the ball joints that way.