Re: [Amc-list] F('ing)ailing parts 1

[Wrambler242@xxxxxxxxxxx]

It's not a new problem.
I've seen balljoins on one side fail in 10-15,000 miles and others go 200,000!
I once drilled the top on a squeaky balljoint, inserted a needle and proceeded to grease the squeaky balljoint. Imagine my surprise when the stud walked completely out of the balljoint! 
It took almost no pressure to cause this to happen. I'd done the standard tests for play and the joint had checked tight with no play. The service manager had suggested we drill it and put a zerk in it as it was "only noisy", Uh, I was young, a lesson learned. If it is noisy get it out of there! I think the only thing holding it together was the rust!

--
Mark Price
Morgantown, WV
1969 AMC Rambler, 4.0L, EFI, T-5

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>
> So 2 yrs ago I rebuilt the Hornet suspension top to bottom,
> obviously including upper ball joints. Well for the last year the
> right side has been making horrible noises (clicking, grinding,
> >bonk< over bumps, etc).  Both were identical parts, both get
> greased often (I'm one of those grease-it-when-I'm-under-the-car
> nuts) all other parts are *perfect*.
> 
> I bought a new one at NAPA and swapped it out (surprisingly
> easy).  Drilled out the spot welds to take a look at the old one.
> 
> Heavy wear on the ball. The top socket half has four grooves
> meant to carry grease down low. They were packed with a solid
> carbon-like substance, presumably old grease. I mean I had to
> chip this crap out with a screwdriver! It's probably been greased
> 4 times in 2 years (25K miles or so). I buy only top-quality
> grease for the gun.
> 
> Weird.
> 
> So I install the NAPA part with no problems. I also bought
> polyurethane balljoint boots, installed those. Installed
> zerk, pointing conveniently, greased it -- grease squirts
> out the sides of the ball joint! There's no gasket between
> the two halves! (Even my bad part had a gasket to prevent
> this.) Annoying!
> 
> So I jacked that side off the ground so the ball would drop
> into the lower half off the ball socket (I hope) and greased
> it with it jacked -- I hope this will make a gap on top of the
> ball so that grease will fill the void.
> 
> I may grease ball joints this way in the future -- jack the car
> such that the ball joints hang in their non-loaded position. I
> know this shold not be necessary.
> 
> The other side is just fine. Car holds alignment well, and even
> drove fine with the bad ball joint, though it definitely lost
> a good 1/16" on one side.
> _______________________________________________
> Amc-list mailing list
> Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list

_______________________________________________
Amc-list mailing list
Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list