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

[Ken Ames <ameskg@xxxxxxxxx>]

Some ball joints have the ball and stud as one piece, others have the stud
pressed in to a separate ball. Sometimes the stud turns inside the ball rather
than turning the ball. Wear could loosen the stud until it falls out.
 
Ken


Quoting 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
> 


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