Ball joint failure / suspension shot got me

[fabrizio]

Hi!

Yesterday I was driving to the airport , we were near my house when I felt a loosen steering wheel then a noise coming from the front passenger side.
Damm We were going at low speed so i could control the car.
The car slipped like 5-8 meters, we took just the essential and get out the car to a safe place.

Just a f scare, everything fine.

The car was directly to a workshop to replace the ball joint.

Now I'm waiting to buy a new suspension.

 

[G-RELL]

glad your ok... but you should have noticed something was wrong far before then. If you didn't, you need someone to go through your ENTIRE car looking for warn parts.

Clunking, Vibrations, metal on metal sounds...are not normal

 

[joegr]

Yes, in hindsight, were there any warning signs that your were inadvertently ignoring?
I agree, very scary...

 

[fabrizio]

ty!

I really don't know ,maybe I ignored something , a noise after a speed limiter , I think the steering wheel got misaligned just few time. <--- I think this is the warning you're talking about.
The roads here in Mexico are s+it , (holes)pits everywhere ,so maybe i thought it was passing through one. >_<


Upper control arm x2
inner/outer tie rod x2
sway bar link x2
ball joint x2

I'm waiting for those parts.

 

[pragmatic]

I had an aftermarket ball joint fail two years ago. I had replaced the front knuckle after someone ran in to the front end while it was parked two year earlier.

I left to go skiing with no noise and everything was fine. After driving 150 miles I noticed the steering wheel was slightly out of line. At 200 miles I hit a frost heave (coming around a snow covered uphill bend) and skidded to a halt with the front wheel resting on the fender well. Never any sound from the front end and other than the steering misalignment that began sometime after I left home I had no warning. I had installed the snow tires 2 weeks earlier and did my usual inspection, looking for worn components, checking the brakes, and seeing if there was any play (I run four snow tires for the winter). Other than rust on the bottom of the rocker panels I saw nothing that concerned me. Had the local garage install a motorcraft knuckle and rent me a car. First time I've paid someone to work on one of my cars in over 20 years. I did not get a chance to examine the failed part so I'm unsure if the bolt loosened, the ball joint pulled out of the knuckle, the ball pulled out of the joint or the bolt snapped.

 

[heyjewel]

ty!

I really don't know ,maybe I ignored something , a noise after a speed limiter , I think the steering wheel got misaligned just few time. <--- I think this is the warning you're talking about.
The roads here in Mexico are s+it , (holes)pits everywhere ,so maybe i thought it was passing through one. >_<


Upper control arm x2
inner/outer tie rod x2
sway bar link x2
ball joint x2

I'm waiting for those parts.

Wow that's ugly. Glad you were going slowly and are unhurt. So it's just one bolt that separates us all from disaster?

It's a pretty car though. What year is it? That doesn't look like the vivid red I know. Have u repainted it? And how many miles (kms) are logged on it? Thanks and best to you.

 

[don-ohio]

It looked like the shaft of the ball joint snapped and the shaft was still bolted into the lower arm. Maybe I'm wrong, just how it looked. That shaft should never shear except maybe in a collision.
Getting ready to do lower ball joints on the Mustang and this is a good reminder to use quality parts. don-ohio ^)

 

[amorgan2017]

Similar thing was wrong with mine when I bought it damaged. Right front wheel fell off completley. Looked like it started when the control arm broke around the ball joint. It also broke the tie rod, sway link and upper arm. Not to mention it flew up and smashed the fender and cut a lot of wires on that dang wire harness. Your lucky I'd say, your fender looks alright and you didn't lose control.

 

[fabrizio]

Wow that's ugly. Glad you were going slowly and are unhurt. So it's just one bolt that separates us all from disaster?

It's a pretty car though. What year is it? That doesn't look like the vivid red I know. Have u repainted it? And how many miles (kms) are logged on it? Thanks and best to you.

Ty , 2001 , Yes repainted, it was green , 180k km.

thnks!

 

[oddball]

Glad everyone is OK! That failure can be exceptionally dangerous and damaging. It sucks, but still very lucky.

That type of break typically happens when the taper loses its press fit, generally from the nut coming loose. It's not unknown for the ball joint or the receiver (knuckle or arm, depending on car) to be incorrectly machined, meaning there was NEVER a good fit regardless of installation. I have subscribed to the practice of using Dykem to check all taper fit parts before installation. I miss the days of cotter pins for ball joints - a glance is enough to know that nothing has moved.

 

[grizzlyls]

I am not a pro at all these years, but even I thought I had never seen a red like that. Researched and saw weak pics of the vivid red. Goes to show how nice of job that is if we think its stock.

 

[fabrizio]

Thank you all for your kind comments, very much appreciated.

I'll keep you updated when the parts arrive and get replaced.

best regards!

 

[fabrizio]

Hi!

The front suspension has been replaced.
Upper control arm
Inner/outer tie rods
ball joints
sway bar links

*Firts they replaced the ball joint , steering wheel good as always.
I returned with new front parts
They replaced all and the steering wheel was a little misaligned and felt heavy,hard to return to the center as before.

I took the car to alignment shop and they adjust the steering wheel and feels better but stills heavy.

What could it be ?

I'm planning to do another alignment on new shop.

***

best regards!

 

[joegr]

It could be that they've done something wrong, or it could be that the rack was damaged when the wheel nearly detached.

 

[fabrizio]

It could be that they've done something wrong, or it could be that the rack was damaged when the wheel nearly detached.

Ty joegr!



After the accident ,they replaced the ball joint inmediatly and I got the car the next day, the steering wheel felt good as always.

After the front suspension parts replacement the steering wheel got stiff, the alignment help a bit but not totally.

overtight ??

thank you!

 

[joegr]

Ty joegr!



After the accident ,they replaced the ball joint inmediatly and I got the car the next day, the steering wheel felt good as always.

After the front suspension parts replacement the steering wheel got stiff, the alignment help a bit but not totally.

overtight ??

thank you!

Yeah, I think that says that the rack is okay and they have something set wrong, installed wrong, in too tight, or a defective new part.
(I know, I didn't narrow it down at all for you...)

 

[fabrizio]

I know joegr!

I really appreciate how you and other members has been helping me.
thank you so much!:Beer

I'll keep reporting as possible.

 

[don-ohio]

Yeah,it does kinda sound like the piston in the steering rack got damaged,like Joe said. Hope you find the problem. don-ohio ^)