I hate when that happens!

[highup]

.............I lost a lower ball joint today shortly after completing a small carpet repair.
I was exiting a 7-11 store, and as I pulled onto the roadway, I heard a loud "thunk" and felt a jolt. So I kept moving and continued my right turn in a perfect radius, ending up in a parking lot of the car wash across the street from the 7-11.
My driver side lower ball joint had totally failed. If that had happened yesterday as I was traveling 55 miles per hour on a narrow two lane road next to a river, the results would have definitely been different.
Not sure what happens at normal road speeds when a front wheel flies off the vehicle, but I'm sure it isn't pleasant.
I'm not a prayin' man, but whoever was doing it, you have a lot more skill at the practice than I do.
Financial cost was a $75 tow back to my place and about $40 for the new ball joint. I got the van jacked up and safely suspended and got the lower A-arm removed tonight. I'll have to get a lower ball-joint pressed in tomorrow and get it all back together. Hope the rain holds off for another day like they promised.
I hope the older lady I am working for understands a day's delay in getting her washer and dryer reinstalled. This fix is more important then clean cloths.
" What if's " keep running through my brain as I ponder the locations, traffic conditions and speeds of recent days and what would have happened if this ball joint failure would have happened at a less convenient time and place.
If you hear a "clunking" sound towards the front of your rig, get it checked out.

 

[Nick]

Just happened to my neighbor last week picking up her child at school.

Luckily she was at a stop. cost her $400.00 to have it fixed .

 

[DarisMulkin]

My stepson dropped a tie rod end down town about a mile from home. He made turns and what not and when he got home he says something is dragging under the car. Now when that happens the wheel normally just goes sideways. I never did figure out why it didn't.

Daris

 

[highup]

Just happened to my neighbor last week picking up her child at school.

Luckily she was at a stop. cost her $400.00 to have it fixed .

I feel pretty lucky being able to do that myself.
Tow + ball joint / $75+$35= $110 total............... plus a missed day's work.

My stepson dropped a tie rod end down town about a mile from home. He made turns and what not and when he got home he says something is dragging under the car. Now when that happens the wheel normally just goes sideways. I never did figure out why it didn't.

Daris

That is odd. He must be living right.
Last time I greased mine, they all felt pretty good, but I'm checking everything when I get this put back together.

 

[Floorist]

Sometime before long I have to put a starter on my old van. Could just change the bendix and brushes, but I'm too lazy.

 

[highup]

Sometime before long I have to put a starter on my old van. Could just change the bendix and brushes, but I'm too lazy.

Not lazy, just smart. You get the stuff, and some electrical cleaner, then discover the bushings are bad, or close to being bad.

I dropped the A-arm and got the ball joint replaced today............ A friend has a neat Harbor Freight press to get the new joint into the A-arm. Laying on some carpet scraps in the driveway all day makes me feel as if I got hit by a train........... a small train, but it still hurts. Way too many awkward positions holding heavy stuff in place and getting it all apart then back together. The parts were just not behaving properly to make this job as easy as I thought it would be.