Lower ball joints shot

[blizz]

took the hoe in to get vac'd and recharged they said the compressor was bad. I just put the thing on! They said something about the clutch not working. Rick auto is sending me another one. Anyways while there I had then check out the clunking noise and they said it was the lower ball joints. $750 to replace both sides. I had one quote of $1100 while shopping it around. Does that sound right?

 

[98blackbell]

Sounds a little high. I had all mine replaced last month upper and lower. Paid 940$

 

[blizz]

It was 1100 for all four with an alignment. The $700s I've been quoted are for just the lowers.

 

[khigh]

Mine's exactly $1150 with all ball joints and four wheel alignment from a shop I've been going to for about 12 years.

It's a shocker.

I didn't check around on this one, but I did check them for BS when they quoted a $1000 fuel pump in my Silverado and it turned out they were on the up and up.

 

[blizz]

So is it dangerous to drive around on bad ball joints? Any reason to do all four if only the bottoms are bad?

 

[khigh]

I've been driving around with the diagnosis for probably four months. The only way it was diagnosed was they said they couldn't do an alignment. I couldn't tell you one way or the other what it's doing, drivability-wise or safetywise. I told them I was going to wait a couple thousand miles and they didn't tell me I was headed for certain death.

I knew I wanted to do my lift/wheel/tires first, so I took some time to budget for all that and then the other.

Ask the price difference between doing them all at once and doing them in stages. It may be one of those things where you save down the road to do it pre-emptively. Others here will know better than me, but my guy told me that our steeds were notorious for eating them.

 

[blizz]

Wow. I didn't think about calling the mechanic that usually works on it until now. I brink him my own parts so he just charges labor. To do all four. Upper and lower he's going to charge me $175. I'm calling around now looking for moogs locally. I just don't know if I have stamped or forged. Any help on that front?

 

[blizz]

Well I just bought all four from Amazon. All moogs for $129. Locally they would have cost me about $220 so I'll just wait a couple of days and take it to him. That's just crazy. That's at least 4 hours labor so he's charging me less than $50 an hour. Everyone one else is charging me three times what I'm going to end up paying. I kinda feel bad, maybe I'll give him an even $200.

 

[jerryjoe28]

I did all 4 of mine myself (twice but live and learn lol) $175 is CHEAP jump on it before he changes his mind!

 

[Knope]

I had my lower ball joints replaced when I put on lowering spindles. I brought in the spindles, but the shop supplied the ball joints. Labor for the change and alignment was less than $900 for all of it...closer to $800 iirc.

 

[blizz]

Oh yeah I'm doing it. I'll take it to him this weekend. I just hope I bought the right parts

 

[jerryjoe28]

upper ball joints are the same on all 4x4s your lowers are the smaller size for 4x4s

 

[blizz]

I was more concerned about stamped vs forged.

 

[jerryjoe28]

that's what I was saying the joints on yours are the smaller sized ones. the parts store couldn't figure out if the whole stamped/forged thing lol

 

[blizz]

Oh ok gotcha. Yeah the guy at the store asked at first then said they were the same so he couldn't figure out the difference. I just bought the ones that Amazon said would fit my Tahoe and they're on the way. Once I get them in I'll drop it off. It's gonna end up costing me about 305 for all four done with all moog parts.

 

[jerryjoe28]

same thing they told me lol.... wound up one is slightly bigger than the other. if you get the wrong one u will know lol

 

[blizz]

I have my fingers crossed. Amazon lets you outbid your options before ordering so these came up with 4x4 selected. We will see.

 

[blizz]

These are the ones I got

Moog K6477 and K6292

I hope they're right.

 

[jerryjoe28]

get it done?

 

[blizz]

Just picked it up. No more clunking. I love it. It's been that way for years. Every shop I called wanted about $1000 to do all four and he did it for $200 plus the $140 I paid for parts and he had to grind off the rivets so I know he spent some time on them. He also said my drivers side tie rod end is shot so I just ordered two outers. They look super easy to do so I'll knock that out. Then I'll slap in the new compressor and take it to get charged. Then off to get an alignment. I'm also hearing a clunk clunk clunk coming from the middle to rear when coming to a stop.