? about balljoints

[00sport4x4]

I am leaving thursday morning to go Hunting in West Virginia. I took my X to Belle tire for an alignment now they are telling me I need a left upper ball joint, and caster cam kit. Now I understand the caster cam kit but the truck has 49,678 miles and needs a balljoint hell the old I-beam suspension didnt need ball joints at that milage. I jacked the left front up and had a friend push in and pulled out on the tire the ball joint didnt move then I put a bar under the tire to see if the balljoint would move NOTHING. So is Belle tire just trying to screw me or should I have this done. I dont have time to mess around with this.

 

[410Fortune]

they might know something about ball joints and they might just be trying to get your $$$.

Now it sounds like you tried to see if it was loose yourself and found nothing.

If its not making noise, and not obviously loose, not wearing out tires, wait till it is efore you replace it.

from my understanding the IFS has some ball joint problems and they are also built into the control arm....but dont take my word for it, do a search..........

 

[00sport4x4]

I have brand new tires on it with about 600 miles on them mostly highway. Both front tires still have the nubs on the inside and outside of the tire still. So I would think if the balljoint were bad the nubs would of worn off the inside or outside of the tire by now?

 

[ExplorerEB96]

ooh hell no

at about 50,000?? no way not unless you have put that suspension of yours under alot of stress... I have pretty much beat the crap out of mine and my upper ball joints just now needed replacement (they were ok but I was getting the lift and new tires anyway) I am at 124,000 and they told me that I really didn't need to replace them yet.... They also showed me how to tell if it needed replacement ie: loose etc.... at that time just a tiny jiggle when pulling the tires to the left and right...

Karol

 

[Opera House]

If you have to pull the bolts on the arm

to do the alignment. They figure they might as well replace the upper arm. Just call it creative marketing. Then again, there could be a problem with the bushings at the frame. Jack up the lower control arm and see if the tire jumps in a lot when it breaks contact with the pavement. I take it it has inside tire wear?

 

[00sport4x4]

OK,,,I had a Ford master tech at the plant I work at look at the X, he also did alignments for 7 years prior to working for ford. He checked both sides and said they where tight even the wheel bearings seemed tight no problems. He couldnt understand why the Belle tire guy thought it was bad until I showed him how much they wanted to fix it then he was like they were gonna take you with no lube. So thanks to those that replied.