- Jul 22, 2015
- 2,724
(this is more of an 'opinion' than 'need help' post...I pretty much know what my options are...)
Found out that my *second* upper ball joint replacement just worked its way out of the control arm - after < 50mi. Caught it by accident. Was going to take the truck in tmrw morning for an alignment & analysis of where my A/C is leaking from.
I figure that I widened the mounting hole when I tried to press in BJ #1 (and broke the boot cover right off, necessitating #2)
#2 seemed (?) to press in a little easier than I thought it should have (and I saw the ridged lines from #1 around the circumference of the hole). Not to mention that I tore the boot on this one trying to put the snap ring on (HF's $3 snap ring pliers are utter crap, btw). So I knew it wasn't going to be a 'permanent' replacement.
Now I need upper BJ #3 And I'm thinking I should replace the entire upper control arm.
Or do I know when I'm beat, and just let the shop do it tomorrow along with the alignment (I already know they will charge > $250; that was their estimate for just the ball joint). But there's the ignominy of having them see that it came out, and I f'd up the job.
Kicker #1: I received BJ #3 in the mail a day or two ago. So I could just put it in and hope the snap ring keeps it in, this time (and I'll get a *good* set of snap ring pliers from somewhere besides HF)
Kicker #2: I literally just took the ball joint press back to the auto parts store earlier today.
Thankfully, the control arm / BJ combo is in stock in at least one store (although it's CCC, for sure.) And they're open fairly late, so I have a few minutes to pour a drink, calm down, and decide... LMAO
So... WWGMTNMD ? (What Would GMT Nation Members Do?)
(personally leaning toward arm & joint (combo) replacement, unless someone knows for sure that the snap ring would hold in the old arm - I'm thinking 'not')
Found out that my *second* upper ball joint replacement just worked its way out of the control arm - after < 50mi. Caught it by accident. Was going to take the truck in tmrw morning for an alignment & analysis of where my A/C is leaking from.
I figure that I widened the mounting hole when I tried to press in BJ #1 (and broke the boot cover right off, necessitating #2)
#2 seemed (?) to press in a little easier than I thought it should have (and I saw the ridged lines from #1 around the circumference of the hole). Not to mention that I tore the boot on this one trying to put the snap ring on (HF's $3 snap ring pliers are utter crap, btw). So I knew it wasn't going to be a 'permanent' replacement.
Now I need upper BJ #3 And I'm thinking I should replace the entire upper control arm.
Or do I know when I'm beat, and just let the shop do it tomorrow along with the alignment (I already know they will charge > $250; that was their estimate for just the ball joint). But there's the ignominy of having them see that it came out, and I f'd up the job.
Kicker #1: I received BJ #3 in the mail a day or two ago. So I could just put it in and hope the snap ring keeps it in, this time (and I'll get a *good* set of snap ring pliers from somewhere besides HF)
Kicker #2: I literally just took the ball joint press back to the auto parts store earlier today.
Thankfully, the control arm / BJ combo is in stock in at least one store (although it's CCC, for sure.) And they're open fairly late, so I have a few minutes to pour a drink, calm down, and decide... LMAO
So... WWGMTNMD ? (What Would GMT Nation Members Do?)
(personally leaning toward arm & joint (combo) replacement, unless someone knows for sure that the snap ring would hold in the old arm - I'm thinking 'not')