Ball joint failure

[barnesjtsl]

I recently had a post about noise in the fron end. Turned out to be dry ball joints. Greased them, they quit making noise, took it ot the shop and got a clean bill of health.

My question.

I got several responses about the serious danger regarding ball joint failure. I have no dought that such a failure could be life threatening.

Has anyone experienced ball joint failure while driving, or heard of anyone actually haveing ball joint failure while driving, and if so what were the results of the failure?

Thanks,

barnesjtsl

[mdrburchette]

Here's an article with a picture of a failed ball joint. We'd like to know where you purchased yours and what brand.
http://www.mirafiori.com/~thad/balljoints/bj.html

[barnesjtsl]

I didn't have them changed. When I took it to the shop they told me they were not original equipment and that the previous owner had changed them. So I don't know what brand they are.

I watched them check them by lifting the front wheels off the ground a couple of inches, wedging a 6' iron bar under the tire from the side and trying to make the tire move from side to side. It didn't move at all.

Is this the proper check, should I have it checked again by a different shop?

[htchevyii]

So yours have a grease fitting? If so look at the link Denise posted carefully, I think that the ones that have failed were some of the few with a grease zerk.

[mdrburchette]

The way the mechanic checked your ball joints is the way we do. You can't tell if you've got a bad one by just grabbing the tire and trying to move it. As for the zerk fittings, I just replaced ball joints on my 71 about 8 months ago. I had ordered them from one vendor and when I got them, I noticed they didn't have the zerk fittings so I ordered them from another. I've never trusted the seal units being properly greased. I may be wrong, but I believe the bad ones are gone from our usual vendor stocks. Of course, if I were in your shoes, I'd probably not feel secure until the ball joints were replaced.

[kristoj]

+1 on Denise's advice. I would replace them.

[dartme]

I had my driver side ball joint fail while i was driving my 1979. I was lucky i was only going 10 or 15 mph. I was on the freeway earlier. I took my 1970 in to Mark yesterday to have the upper ball joints replaced because i heard i noise in the front end and the boots were ripped . Even if I was going 10 mph it's not fun when they fail I don't want that happening again.. ( BTW , Mark the '79 is running great now!! Thanks)