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43 Posts
Front lower Ball Joint question '98 SE
Hi guys, I was refered here by someone in another forum, and it looks like I could be hanging around for awhile as my sister has a '98 wagon as her main transportation since last May. It only had 88,000 miles when she got it, and now is around 125,000.
Anyway, I was inspecting her front brake pads last week, and noticed that the dust boot(s) on the ball joint was badly dry rotted. As in broken open. Also there seemed to be no factory grease fitting. I mistakenly jacked under the lower control arm to check for slop, and didn't see any, but now have been informed that you have to let the suspension hang to unload the BJ. True?
What is the frequency rate of these cars having total ball joint failure, before or after the dust boot is compromised? This car's undercarrage is not very rusty, as it came from southern Ohio. No brown rust residue is visible around the ball joint boot.
I live 110 miles from my sister, so I can't check it the correct way until I go back to her place, so I'm looking for some real world feedback, and possible first hand experience testimony.
Thanks in advance.
Tom
Hi guys, I was refered here by someone in another forum, and it looks like I could be hanging around for awhile as my sister has a '98 wagon as her main transportation since last May. It only had 88,000 miles when she got it, and now is around 125,000.
Anyway, I was inspecting her front brake pads last week, and noticed that the dust boot(s) on the ball joint was badly dry rotted. As in broken open. Also there seemed to be no factory grease fitting. I mistakenly jacked under the lower control arm to check for slop, and didn't see any, but now have been informed that you have to let the suspension hang to unload the BJ. True?
What is the frequency rate of these cars having total ball joint failure, before or after the dust boot is compromised? This car's undercarrage is not very rusty, as it came from southern Ohio. No brown rust residue is visible around the ball joint boot.
I live 110 miles from my sister, so I can't check it the correct way until I go back to her place, so I'm looking for some real world feedback, and possible first hand experience testimony.
Thanks in advance.
Tom