"Special Tool" for ball joint replacement?! UPDATE

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:35 pm

Can anyone tell me what the "special tool" is that a dealer would use to service the upper ball joints (or lower for that matter)?

Also, if you have had your upper Or lower ball joints replaced, how long did it take to have the complete job done?

What tools did you use to do the ball joints yourself, at home in your garage/driveway?

:roll:

ManicMechanicJoe · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:46 pm

a ball joint press/puller. You can buy this at NAPA (I got mine for christmas from Craftsman so I can tell you how much it was). You can usually rent this at your local auto parts store fairly cheap. I haven't done it on the KJ but I have on other vehicles. On the Chevy half I did it took 1 hour per side but that was on a lift in a well equipped garage at school with a little help from our instructors. I am told 1-1.5 hours is what it normally takes a mechanic for most ball joints and is a pretty good rule of thumb for what to expect to pay in labor.

JeepJunky33 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:46 pm

I have had both my lower ball joints replaced twice. Once by the dealer and another by my mechanic (dealership wouldn't touch it due to the lift). It took the first time afew hours. maybe 2 or so. The second time it tookj longer because I had other things done aswell, but it is by no means a job where you would have to leave it there overnight. Why you looking to do it yourself? I know that one of the tools is a vise or clamp of some sort not all that sure. But hey if you do prompt to try it yourself. Look into getting the moog lower ball joints (spelled wrong I forget at the moment) I hear they are much stronger and better then stock.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:26 pm

I basically know the answer to my questions, but I am looking for others experience with this.
My dealer has screwed me around on doing the job since last Friday. Interestingly enough, they are supposedly doing the upper arm/ball joint and I know for fact that can be done with basic hand tools. I think my service adviser is wrong and they are trying to do the lowers. They told me they don't have the proper tool to finish the job and I will have to take it back in when they get the tool.

I call BS.

I also question how they were able to service the other Libertys that were involved in the recall for ball joints w/out having the tool? How they managed to do my upper ball joints the last time they did them? And how they can service all the other vehicles that have similar ball joints? :roll:

Well, I can't think of anything else to say w/out freaking out so I will just save my breath for when I get in front of their service mgr.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:56 pm

Isn't there a write up in the tech section (or this one) about the proper tools you need to do the warranty work in your driveway?

A couple sockets / proper wrenches and then the ball joint puller are all the tools I think you need.... I'll see if I can find that thread.

Edit: Here is the thread I was thinking of: http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=3317

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:20 pm

sleeve84028 wrote:

Isn't there a write up in the tech section (or this one) about the proper tools you need to do the warranty work in your driveway?

A couple sockets / proper wrenches and then the ball joint puller are all the tools I think you need.... I'll see if I can find that thread.

Edit: Here is the thread I was thinking of: http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=3317

Yes, like I said in my 2nd post, I am aware of what it takes. I am trying to prove a point about my dealer screwing me around on getting the job done.

Thanks for the help though. Perhaps this post will help others to know what it takes and to know when they are getting the run around at their dealership.

krazz1e · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:32 pm

Wow you must have really pissed them off. Sounds like they are BSing to you. I hope you put them in their place.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:20 pm

That is the worst part about the stealerships. They hold your vehicle hostage and steal time from your life that you will never get back... (unless you like going to the dealership)

What kind of dealership doesn't have the proper tools to work on cars that they sell! A phone call to DCX customer support should be in order.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:31 pm

Rant on.
Nope. I just dropped the vehicle off when they told me to. They ordered the parts on the 6th and told me to bring it back on the 13th for the repair. They told me they ordered upper ball joints/control arms and a power steering hose to fix a leak. I brought it back in on the 13th and I was told it would be done by 6pm that day. I called them at 4pm and was told it wasn't going to be done as they didn't have time to finish it. I raised hell with them about being w/out a vehicle to go to work on the 14th and finally after a lot of heartache they gave me a loaner. They told me it would be finished on the 14th afternoon and I could pick it up after work. I called them around 3pm on the 14th and they told me it still wasn't done due to not having the "special tool" to do the "recall"and that it was still taken apart. I was told they would finish it on Monday the 16th. Called them around 10:00 and was told that the tech working on it didn't come in to work and that it would now be done Today. RIIIIIGHT!!!
Called them this morning and again was told they couldn't finish it due to lack of that "special tool" again. They said I will have to bring it back when they get the tool. BS!
They are so full of it I can't belive it. So much for me buying anything from them again. Matter of fact, I will never buy another new DC product as long as I live around here and might have to deal with their incompetent service dept. And my wife and I had been looking at either a Grand Cherokee or Charger too. HMPH. :roll:

Rant off.

rlruss · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:49 am **Posts:** 21

JJ
From my own experience the upper ball joint is not replaceable. You have to replace the whole upper control arm. Not too difficult on passenger side (I have done one). The driver side is a little harder to get to because of things in the way in engine compartment. You would not need any special tools for either of the upper control arms. It sounds like they either dont have a clue or are trying to replace lowers. It is hard to believe they would not have a tool to do this though given the recall dictated it on some early KJ's. Maybe they LOST it.
Rick

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:18 pm

Ok, lock time. I feel better now even though I still have not gotten it taken care of. :roll:

FRIGAFRACKINRABBLERUSTERNASTYNASTYBLABBERBLAH!!!!

Ahhhhhh much better now.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:36 am

Ok, I made several calls to the service manager and left several voice mails as he was always too busy to talk to me. I guess he told my service advisor to go find the "special tool" from another dealer in so-cal and fix my Jeep. Turned out that they just performed the lower ball joint recall on my Jeep. They did that once before but only did the heat shields the first time. So I ended up picking it up last night. :shock:

Funny how they kissed my butt by washing my Jeep this time which has never happened before and I didn't see anyone elses vehicle getting washed. :roll:

They also made note on my work order that there might still be noise due to worn out bushings (on the clevis I believe as my service advisor didn't know which ones :roll:

) and "multiple dents in suspension due to off roading". Off Roading?! :shock:

Not in my grocery getting Mall cruiser! :shock:

Anyhow, in my searching I found that OTC makes a complete ball joint service kit for DC/Jeep vehicles & trucks. It is OTC-8031 "Jeep/Truck ball joint set" cheapest I found the set was $285 in an online search. Not that it is necessary, but just in case you are a tool collector and need the complete "Jeep set" of tools. :wink:

Good luck out there when dealing with Your service dept. Mine sure has not won me back over and I Won't be buying from them again. :roll:

dirtykj · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:50 pm

Which service dept. is this? I hope it's not Irvine

For the most part they've been good to me, and generally wash my Jeep for me although I wish they wouldn't ...

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 2:32 pm

Local to me in Lancaster. I won't mention the name here.

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:17 pm

Like there are soooo many in Lancaster. Sorry you were getting screwed a bit but glad you got your Jeep back.

dog_party · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:21 am

Hey JJ. Sorry about the pain. I've been there with an old Eagle Talon I had. Never had worse service experiences until I took a half-Mitsu/half-Chrysler vehicle into a "five-star" place. Took it to four of them in three different states and got the same BS. I'd hate to freakin' see something LESS than "five-star"!!!

Promised myself I'd never have another Chrysler product after that, but the Liberty won me over. I can see the pain potentially starting again with the current service center, but we'll see. I have a couple local options to check out...we'll see.

Anyway, sorry about your pain. Go HERE and request a customer satisfaction form. Fill it out to your POed heart's content. Call them. Email and snailmail them. I've never been kissed as much as the time I tried to take those five stupid stars off one place's sign by raising corporate cane.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:13 pm

My delaer is no longer a 5 star and I can only imagine why. :roll:

ManicMechanicJoe · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:53 pm

My Jeep dealer has always been good to me (between my family we have bought 19 vehicles there so that might be it). That's also a Chevy/Buick/Jeep dealership so maybe I am getting better GM service? When I bought my brake line there they knocked of $9 because they couldn't install it by the time I needed. I realize $9 doesn't sound like a lot but on a $30 part, it's like a 30% discount. They're even lift kit friendy (they covered a bad tie-rod end I had a week ago). Stillwater Motors if you're in the area...

"Special Tool" for ball joint replacement?! UPDATE

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