On my 89 firebird with 150k miles. Over a year ago I was in stop and go traffic. And my passenger front wheel messed up. So, I pulled over and the control arm was laying in the road. So, it looked like the ball joint fell apart.

I had it towed across the street to a shop. Which is partly owned by the guy who owns the local GM dealer. And he had GM dealer employees working there.

Anyways, I spent like $600 for a new tire, ball joint, brake line, shock, and whatever else. Well, the shop closed up a month later. Then a month after that I was almost to my house when again, the front passenger wheel fell to the ground. I had to get it towed as again, the ball joint fell apart.

Just wondering if this sounds like it was just a bad joint put on? How often does this happen?

I went to the dealer, since their employees were the ones who did the work. But they wouldn't do anything for me since it was done at the shop the dealer owned and not there at the dealer. Funny enough, the guy I talked to at the dealer who runs the shop is also the guy who ran the shop I had went to that he dealer owned.

But anyways, they would have charged me to look at it and fix it. So, I was screwed out of my warranty. I took it to another shop who put a new ball joint on. And has been fine since. But I am kinda worried of it happening again going down the freeway or something.

So, I'm guess it was just a bad joint? Or could the shop had screwed something up to cause the ball joint to fail? I guess I should have looked to see how the ball joint fell apart whether it was the cottor pin or something else, but I didn't.

That is just another reason why I hate the dealer and refuse to go there unless I have to. The least they could have done was replace the ball joint for free with a new ball joint under warranty. I even seen a couple of the techs from the shop running around at the dealer when I was talking to that shop manager.

But it's been over a year, so I say I should be good. I don't know where that shop got the ball joint from. I'm guessing maybe Napa as it was just up the road. I've had horrible luck with Napa in the past going through 3-4 radiators, 2-3 water pumps, 2 master cylinders, 2-3 alternators, etc. all within a 2 year period. That was around 5 years ago. I ended up putting on Autozone parts at the time and have been running them since.

 

Did the ball joint pull apart, or pull out of the A-arm?

 

They're pressed in from the bottom and cannot pull though the A-arm

It is HIGHLY unlikely the ball itself pulled out of the socket as it must either flare the socket and A-arm lip or grind away small enough to make it out. More likely the cotter pin was forgotten both times. In either case, very loud clunking can be heard and high instability would be felt in the steering at any speed for an extended period of time (months)

 

I doubt he would have the same problem twice, if the problem was the nut falling off, even if the cotter pin was forgotten both times. It isn't like everything that is on the car that doesn't have a cotter pin or crimped nut is constantly falling apart.

 

Suspension items WILL back nuts off without cotter pins

Other bolts do not encounter the same stresses as suspension bolts

 

The first time it happened, it was an OEM ball joint. So, I believe it had the cotter pin as I've never messed with it. I don't know about the second time. I guess I should have looked better. But all I know is the control arm was laying on the ground. And I was rather mad cause I had just spent $600 on it. And had to get it fixed again cause it was my DD. So, it cost me another $100+ for a tow and new ball joint and labor.

But I'm assuming this means both times the nut had to of backed out? Or can a ball joint just fall apart even if the nut is all the way on? Just strange it happened again a few months later. Good thing I wasn't going 70 mph, but probably 5 mph both times.

Actually, I just thought of something. If it was just the cotter pin, would they have to replace the ball joint? Both times they replaced the ball joint, so I'm assuming that means something failed? Other wise I figure the 2nd time, the guy would have just put a new cotter pin in and not charge me for a new ball joint.

 

Correct, the balljoint shouldn't need to be replaced if the problem was the nut coming off.

The only reason I could see this happening twice was if the ball joint was pulling through the A-arm, but as Pocket mentioned, that isn't realistically possible.

How do you know that when this happened the first time that it still had the original ball joint?

Cotter pins are a bad idea. Just one more thing to forget. I would think nylon lock nuts would be a better idea.

 

I've had the car for 10 years and I've never replaced the ball joints that I can remember. If I even did had the ball joints replaced, it would have been over 5 years ago. But I never recall doing so.

I just remembered the first shop to replace the OEM ball joint that fell apart. They also replaced a tie rod. As they said it was bent. Don't know if that would matter.

 

I'm gonna let a shop press the ball joint in. It kept wanting to go in crooked for some reason.

 

That's scary... Maybe they didn't put in a OEM balljoint but some crappy brand that failed?? I know that MOOG ball joints are the best and you can't go wrong with those.. Or maybe your a-arms have some kind of problem with them and it's not actually the ball joints?

 

I don't know what happened the two times the control arm hit the road while driving. I just new it had something to do with the ball joint obviously since the control arm hit the road.

Though from when I jacked up the control arm and saw the ball joint push out the bottom. I figure the control arm is bad. I got a control arm from the junk yard. I just need to get a shop to press the ball joint in since when I tried, it kept starting to go in crooked.

By the way, does anyone know what size cottor pins is needed for the front wheels? I need to get the rotors replace, and bearings repacked. I couldn't find what size the cottor pins are so I can pick a couple up at Napa.

I also plan on getting the wheel bearings repacked. Is the cheapo grease at Autozone good for that?

 

You can always get a small cotter pin kit, to keep in your tool box. Should have a few sizes, including the spindle sized ones.

 

I kept searching and I saw 1/8" by 1 1/2" mentioned. They sell them at Autozone, so I'll pick them up.