bad upper ball joints

06BlueLimited · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 5:28 pm

Just some FYI for you guys with lifts and factory upper ball joints and arms... I recently just removed my lift and when I took the jeep in to get it alighned they told me that the upper ball joints was bad. Don't know if this is caused by the lift I had which was a rusty's spacer lift, or just one of the many defects that the KJ has with ball joint issues. Either way, I just want to give you guys a heads up on this. Mine showed no sighns of any problems till they checked it and told me this. I had it checked at three different shops and they all said the same. The dealership won't warranty it because they say the lift caused the problem. If they do that to you then it will run you about 750 dollars for parts and labor. I think I have lucked out because there was not a note in the national computer system that the dealerships use so i am able to go to another dealership and they said they will warranty it out. So, check them out and if you can't get them to cover it under warranty, get some extended arms.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 5:48 pm

Spacer lift is the main reason I would say. The guy I bought my ARB from had a spacer lift and one ended up breaking off ( upper ball joint) , tore up his fender and flare etc . Thats why he thought that you could not lift a KJ and sold everything for cheap! The spacer lift just puts too much stress over time on the Upper ball joints.
Now in saying that any lift will also to some extent but I would bet a dollar against a doughnut that yours was caused by the Rustys spacer lift

SD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 6:17 pm

tommudd wrote:

Spacer lift is the main reason I would say. The guy I bought my ARB from had a spacer lift and one ended up breaking off ( upper ball joint) , tore up his fender and flare etc . Thats why he thought that you could not lift a KJ and sold everything for cheap! The spacer lift just puts too much stress over time on the Upper ball joints.
Now in saying that any lift will also to some extent but I would bet a dollar against a doughnut that yours was caused by the Rustys spacer lift

Is there any way to test upper ball joints?

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 6:27 pm

to check uppers jack it up under the frame rail and if loose you will be able to grab the tire at the top and bottom and shake it, you can tell if there is movement or have some one watch it as you do the tire
for lowers jack up under the a arm and use something like a long rod, crow bar etc or even a 2X4 and pry up and down, you can feel it pop if loose

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 9:49 pm

You can get Al's arms and put them on yourself for alot less than $750.

I like to jack the Jeep up by the lower control arm with the tire off. I then take a bar and wedge it back in the coils and pry up on the arm then move it above the arm and push down.

Balljoints, tie-rod ends, tire pressures, bushings lubed, and other obvious things should be checked/done at each oil change.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:22 pm

But he mentioned that he took the lift off so Als arms will not work for him anymore! Your way of checking will work but much more invovled, my way you can check uppers and lowers in a few minutes.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:36 pm

tommudd wrote:

But he mentioned that he took the lift off so Als arms will not work for him anymore! Your way of checking will work but much more invovled, my way you can check uppers and lowers in a few minutes.

True.

What ever happened to rustys upper arms?

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:45 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

tommudd wrote:

But he mentioned that he took the lift off so Als arms will not work for him anymore! Your way of checking will work but much more invovled, my way you can check uppers and lowers in a few minutes.

True.

What ever happened to rustys upper arms?

lets see whatever happened to his SFA Liberty,

his upper control arms for the Liberty,

much of anything for the Liberty,

he started out strong but soon dropped back, knowing that RL and AllJs would take care of us with quality produts :wink:

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

Rusty's spacer lift is an OTT (over the top) style lift and will cause problems with the upper ball joints. Just like the Rocky Road OTT.

phxtoad · **Posted:** Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:09 am

I have a Daystar 2.5" lift. I went through (3) sets of upper A-arms before I got Al's. No issues since!

TL

Endurance · **Posted:** Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:31 am

Do Al's upper arms change the amount of lift that your spacer or coil lift gives you?

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:51 am

Endurance wrote:

Do Al's upper arms change the amount of lift that your spacer or coil lift gives you?

Shouldnt at all. It just pushes the top of the knuckle out to correct the chamber.

06BlueLimited · **Posted:** Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:29 pm

I would have to agree with Tom that the spacer lift was the cause of the problem. I think that my struts are pretty much shot also. I didn't even do that much wheeling in it, just alot of driving to work. still tore it up. So stay away from spacers and go with a coil.

Gordo · **Posted:** Tue Nov 20, 2007 7:23 pm

I have a Rusty's coil lift and had one of my UBJ's fail as well. I wonder if it really is the OTT type spacer lift or something else that plays a part in the failure.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:01 pm

They are failing for the same reason as the lower balljoints.

When I took the boot off my lower BJ the grease was gray. Grease looks the same in my upper joint.. Ive tried to add grease a few times but its kinda hard to do with the arm on the Jeep.

06BlueLimited · **Posted:** Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:08 am

It could also be the stress that any lift puts on the stock upper arms could cause them to fail prematurely.

bad upper ball joints

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