brutal upper ball joint failure :(

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 1:05 am

I don't think I could feel any worse about my Jeep at this point.

I was just pulling up a trail with 3 of my buddies, driving their own rigs, when all the sudden I feel a loss of all steering and a rubbing noise. I spot immediately and see my upper a-arm is swinging free and the ball joint is completely seperated. My CV and rack and pinion boots look OK. The angles aren't too extreme and nothing's torn at least. I'm getting it towed to my place tomorrow morning and order Al's arms ASAP. I am praying :oops:

that I can just replace the arms and be up and running again. Of course, this post would be useless without pics, right? Forgive the quality, it was 10 PM.

I end with a warning: keep an eye on your ball joints!

corwyyn · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:36 am

Wow, I'll bet you're thankful that didn't happen at speed on the highway :shock:

Glad to hear it wasn't too bad, hope it gets up and running soon.

Mutt · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 8:36 am

Ouch.

Jeepin Al · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 9:03 am

I should be getting one more set in tomorrow. I will let you know. If they do come in they are yours. Thank God it didn't happen on the highway to the trail head.

Al

Bullet · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:10 am

Thanks for sharing....I am thinking of getting mine checked and stuff...did you hear any strange noises prior to that??

zeero · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:30 am

Wow....I would be freaking disturbed....ie: really pi**ed off....glad you're ok.....I have to get the 2006 recall done when it becomes official....ASAP!!

Kugellager · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:45 am

zeero wrote:

:shock: Wow....I would be freaking disturbed....ie: really pi**ed off....glad you're ok.....I have to get the 2006 recall done when it becomes official....ASAP!!

It was his upper ball joint not his lower ball joint which does not fall under the recall.

Jarrod, does it look like the joint just snapped out of the socket? Difficult to tell from pics Very curious.

--Still need to get that radio from you too.

John
];')

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 12:05 pm

The "ball" completely seperated from the arm and boot, and it still attached the the wheel assembly. I will have updated day-time picks as soon as the truck brings it to my place today.

Mutt · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 12:07 pm

Do me a favor, check the back of your stock a arm/ball joint and tell me if you have any wear spots incidental with spring contact. I'm just wondering if that may have aggravated the situation.

corwyyn · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 12:31 pm

Mutt wrote:

Do me a favor, check the back of your stock a arm/ball joint and tell me if you have any wear spots incidental with spring contact. I'm just wondering if that may have aggravated the situation.

You beat me to it Mutt, I was going to ask the same thing.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:04 pm

Check the other side and see if its bad also. When you lift the libby that high, it puts alot more stress on that upper balljoint. Thats what caused this, no doubt.

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:35 pm

There is an area of my Frankenlift "cushion", the plastic thing that's supposed to dampen the a-arm's shock from smacking the spacer, that is rashed up. I'm pointing at it in the third pic. This contact area undoubtedly put undue stress on this already crappy component, but there were rips in the boot that most likely were the majority of the problem. The ball joint had absolutely zero grease left, and we all know that is what causes the seperation.
Even my Dad (owner of the vehicle...I'm 17) said it wasn't the lift's fault. He knew about the rips in the boot (which I noticed BEFORE the lift) and knew that it wasn't greaseable...and that the ball joint would eventually dry up and seperate. He, as well as myself, was just glad I was only going 5 MPH when this happened! It could have been much worse, and as it looks now I'm just gonna have to wait for Al's arms. Nothing else looks damaged, in the way of CVs or rack and pinion.

saxdogg · **Joined:** Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:26 pm **Posts:** 199

I hate to be a voice of non-compassion here, but if you guys knew it was torn, was going to go bad and separate eventually, then you put yourselves in danger...that is not good!!! You could have hit one of those hwy potholes and been a goner! Lesson learned I hope! :shock:

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 3:37 pm

I was completely aware of the risks to myself and others. I pumped the tear full of grease, but it didn't hold well. I was about to order Al's arms any day now that I have the money (thank god!), but obviously it's gonna be a week too late now. Towing was only $107, which takes up my last of my savings for now.
On that note, I need a new job. $8 gets me nowhere soon.

zeero · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 3:57 pm

Kugellager wrote:

zeero wrote:

:shock: Wow....I would be freaking disturbed....ie: really pi**ed off....glad you're ok.....I have to get the 2006 recall done when it becomes official....ASAP!!

It was his upper ball joint not his lower ball joint which does not fall under the recall.

Yeah I know that....... It was just a reminder to me to get the lowers done.

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:03 pm

I feel like D/C screwed us over with all the ball joints on the Lib. None of them are greaseable, which is just poor design. To really solve the problem Jeep handed to us in the front of our KJs, we need to replace all the ball joints with HD greaseable ones. But of course, they didn't make it that easy :roll:

we have to replace the entire upper a-arm just to get the greaseable ball joint.

mattnmette · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:14 pm

Man, that sucks but at least its only your wallet that got hurt and not you. I hope Al can get you those arms soon.

MoladoGuy · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:16 pm

Holy crap! I just pulled my driver side wheel off and found some grease on the spring. I looked and found that the upper ball joint is slightly leaking due to rubbing against the spring.

Crappy....but glad I looked after reading this post. Al's Upper Arms are going to be on their way!!

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:49 pm

Even my Dad (owner of the vehicle...I'm 17) said it wasn't the lift's fault. He knew about the rips in the boot (which I noticed BEFORE the lift) and knew that it wasn't greaseable...and that the ball joint would eventually dry up and seperate.

Are you SURE you are not adopted?

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Mon Aug 28, 2006 12:06 am

DarbyWalters wrote:

Even my Dad (owner of the vehicle...I'm 17) said it wasn't the lift's fault. He knew about the rips in the boot (which I noticed BEFORE the lift) and knew that it wasn't greaseable...and that the ball joint would eventually dry up and seperate.

Are you SURE you are not adopted?

Is this an off-the-cuff joke? :lol:

brutal upper ball joint failure :(

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