Saw a spectacular ball joint failure last night

[Sixlitre]

I was ripping home yesterday afternoon

in heavy traffic, down a 4 lane-r and I noticed another panther(an early 90s Crown Vic to my Town Car) about three cars up in the passing lane.

All of a sudden this guy is ALL over the road, with sparks just a-flyin' from under the front of the car. I mean this was pretty spectacular to watch if I do say so mysef'.

Next he slams up against the outside curb, like he has no steering (turned out he didn't!).

He gets her dialed down to zero and jammed up against the curb real good finally. I pulled over, well in front of him with the 4 ways a-flashin' and helped the poor b@$turd out.

I'm already betting it's his tie rod then I gets up along the inside and his whole passenger's front wheel is in place cept-ins' it's 6 inches further back wedged into the fender "REAL GEWD".

He gets out with that "look at the size of this b@$turd, hope he's eaten lately" look and I put his fears to rest and offered him a ride and my cel phone.

We left a note in the window for the constabulary and I drove him back to his place and dropped him off, no doubt he went in for a clean pair of shorts.

He offered me cash but I said just pass it on to a fellow Ford or North American vehicle owner. After many thanks I got going with a plan to grease my front end THIS WEEK !

I recommend y'all do the same thing ! I've had two tie rods fail in one year !:shocked Don't want no ball joint failure EVER ! if that's what it's like !

Sixlitre

p.s./
Minutes later I went into Network Supply to return an un-used CPU fan (they gave me the wrong one), and they refused to return or exchange it.

Normally I'd screw the guy up out of his socks and haul him over the counter (this was the supervisor type), but I was feeling so good about my previous good deed that I just smiled and said;

"you keep it, it's no good to us" and left

[gadget73]

yeah, thats what happens when one lives in an area without good safety inspections. People complain about regular vehicle inspections but I'd far rather have to deal with that and know my vehicle and the others around me are not likely to lose steering on the highway at high speeds.

Unfortunately I can't claim to live in such a place. Vehicle inspections here are a joke. They seldom check the front end, or any suspension part. If the brakes, lights, horn, and wipers go, and the emissions are clean, you're "safe".

[MichiganTeddyBear]

my wife had a ball joint go in her cougar while she was driving it. she was only puttering around a corner where we lived (less than 100 feet from the house) when it popped and when "BANG". she was going so slow and so close to home that when she got it in front of the house, the lower control arm was still riding on the inside of the wheel! she was LUCKY.. she had just gotten home after driving 25 miles at 75+mph on the interstate RIGHT outside the housing complex (less than 1/8th mile to the on/off ramp).

[Brian C]

I dunno Gadget...........a lot of times, it's the original "greaseless" joints that fail. And more often than not, they dry out of all lube over time, then begin to rust inside the joint profucely. They bind up with rust so badly, that the joint seems good. It's still tight, cuz it's bound up with rust. Then one day, it just snaps. Without ever actually being "loose".

A better way to check them further, would be to turn the wheels all the way to one side, and bounce the car. Then turn them to the other side, and bounce the car again. And just listen for the dreaded "creaking".

[v8_dave]

Lucky guy! Always check your front end out periodically!

[CheeseSteakJim]

Wow, that must've been pretty exciting to see... but not as exciting as it'll be to me when I finally get to hear how that Aerochamber sounds on your car! :p :D

[skinhead]

Yea, I'm always paranoid about something like that happening to me when I'm doing 70+ on the highway... Especially cuz I got this weird vibration in my steering wheel at high speeds, I've had both lower ball joints replaced last year, new shocks all around, balanced wheels, and just had an alignment done, weird... I'm thinking maybe I didn't tighten the steering column all the way when I was replacing the BDA???

[hrmwrm]

just be careful after repairing one part. the shop i work at campaigns 2 race cars locally. first heat, upper ball joint snaps it's stem. into the pits, replace the joint, next heat, wheel drops off. into the pits. studs and nuts are all there, but the nuts pulled through the holes.(and we use larger than standard wheel nuts.) new tire on, and out for the feature of the day. wheel flys off again. all the studs broke off this time. this was also the inside front tire, so it's not subject to as much pounding. synopsis, when the ball joint broke the slapping around must have cracked some of the holes on the wheel (we didn't pull the wheel to replace the ball joint) so next run out pulled the nut's through the wheel, and probably bounced around some before dropping off, weakening a few studs(or all). if you have something go wrong, don't just replace the broken part. CHECK everything first.

[MichiganTeddyBear]

good advice..

speaking of ball joint replacement. last night I started a job for a buddy. front ball joints (all 4). only got 2 done before running outta moonlight. but the plan is to change all 4, even though only 1 or 2 may be worn out.

[gadget73]

I usually like to do all 4 when its apart, just because I figure if one is bad, the rest are wearing. At a minimum, I like to do the matching part on the opposite side, so both lowers or both uppers, whatever failed. I learned that from twin engine boats years ago, if part X fails on the left engine, in 1 week when its inconvenient, part X is going to fail on the other motor. I never buy one of anything for that reason.

[BillyBob TC]

I dunno Gadget...........a lot of times, it's the original "greaseless" joints that fail. And more often than not, they dry out of all lube over time, then begin to rust inside the joint profucely. They bind up with rust so badly, that the joint seems good. It's still tight, cuz it's bound up with rust. Then one day, it just snaps. Without ever actually being "loose".

A better way to check them further, would be to turn the wheels all the way to one side, and bounce the car. Then turn them to the other side, and bounce the car again. And just listen for the dreaded "creaking".

I did a search of posts today and came across this from Brian. I have developed a creaking, out of the blue yesterday. I had thought it may have been something rubbing, then I was convinced of control arm bushings as there been alot of posting on them lately. But now I think it IS the lower bj, based on this post. My 97 checks identical to the way Brian says. I got under and the boots are not good at all, but I did just pass the jack-up inspection in November. Also, there is zero creaking with wheels straight ahead. Would the majority say yes it is the ball joints?
Thanks!

[Sixlitre]

I did a search of posts today and came across this from Brian. I have developed a creaking, out of the blue yesterday. I had thought it may have been something rubbing, then I was convinced of control arm bushings as there been alot of posting on them lately. But now I think it IS the lower bj, based on this post. My 97 checks identical to the way Brian says. I got under and the boots are not good at all, but I did just pass the jack-up inspection in November. Also, there is zero creaking with wheels straight ahead. Would the majority say yes it is the ball joints?
Thanks!

I'd say take it in for a free estimate from a pro

Watch the big potholes on the way in though (grin)

Sixlitre

[Joker_Six_T_Nine]

This post has now made me nervous... Ive had a creak that's been there since I bought the car (3 years ago!!!)... everything looks good and tight and stuff, but the creak wouldn't go away... I guess I should take a look into replacing them, dumb luck for three years without a break might be pushing it

[BillyBob TC]

This post has now made me nervous... Ive had a creak that's been there since I bought the car (3 years ago!!!)... everything looks good and tight and stuff, but the creak wouldn't go away... I guess I should take a look into replacing them, dumb luck for three years without a break might be pushing it
I never realized I never updated my response here. My creaking was in fact the LBJ's. I did them over about 2 weeks ago and man what a difference. These were tight, tight! Passed inpsection as I said before. Upon removal, the ball flopped around in the socket at least 1/8 movement. The edge of the socket was all rusty/broken bits here and there. Reminded me of someone with broken teeth.
I changed mine out within a week of developing the creak and they were that shot. Your going on 3 years PLUS who knows how long on the prev. owner creaking. Good Lordy Lou!!!

[mark95man]

RE: Gadget73 NJ Vehicle inspections here are a joke. They seldom check the front end, or any suspension part. If the brakes, lights, horn, and wipers go, and the emissions are clean, you're "safe".
I remember those non-inspections well. Here in AZ--for $26 two year--all they do for 1996 & up is to verify the check engine light is working as designed. They check nothing else! They start the engine to see the check engine light turn on and then watch it go off. Never felt so safe---NOT!!!!!!!!

[gadget73]

I saw a Taurus on the side of the road last weekend, bottom of the wheel way out and the front cranked way in. Ball joint came apart, and the car was sitting on the front subframe. I should have gotten my friend to pull over so I could snap a pic for captioning "so, when was the last time you checked your front end?"