Ball Joints may need replacing
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 127
Likes: 5
From: High River,Alberta Canada
Ball Joints may need replacing
Just wondering if it is common on these F 350 4X4 trucks to need upper and lower ball joint replacement at 68,000kms or 42,300 miles. My first winter with the truck it was prone to bottoming out at -35°C and colder at 30mph. After a few words with Ford and some research I found a service bulletin that confirmed my argument that my springs were prone to failure at very cold temps,right off the start. They were replaced. Today I was going to have the front end aligned and the tech told me he could not do it as the drivers side upper/lower ball joints need to be replaced before he could do it. He suggested that it may have had a very hard hit leading to premature failure. I have never bagged or beat this truck but the recent theft gave her a good run. I am leaning to my first winter of occasional hard bottom out or just plain bad joints off the line. Debating whether I talk to Ford or seek a third opinion then try Ford. ?
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 127
Likes: 5
From: High River,Alberta Canada
Got it back on the 26th, the body shop work looks really good and the interior detailing got rid of the rot in side and also looked good. We have put about 500kms on it and it is starting to feel like it was prior to the theft minus the hard pull to the right.Still ongoing with insurance, seems to be more compromise now, hopefully have it all settled by the end of this month. Ford did the original inspection but to my dismay it was their used vehicle inspection and as things go, it all passed no mention of failing ball joints in writing or verbal or anything for that matter. I think I will have a 3rd party look at this week, as I have to be in Vancouver BC on the 14th and planned on taking it out there. Need piece of mind before we go. For the life of me I too don't understand why the ball joints don't have a grease fitting on them at least you would be able to make an effort to maintain them, but with the grease fitting my guess would be that the shops would have less front end jobs to do.All about the $$$$ and other things ?
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 127
Likes: 5
From: High River,Alberta Canada
Well 2nd independent assessment and in looks like ball joint replacement, still shaking my head anyway safety first. And a much needed worry free road trip after. Funny how this always seems to happen after warranty,it sounds like Ford may have covered it under 60000 kms and I am 7500 kms over hurts a bit but not as much as my hip replacement did.......I'm squeaking there now, hope thats not the next big hit in my back end...
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 47
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From: West Texas
I had the same problem. My 03 SD need new ball joints after a trip to South Dakota this winter. I spent a week there hunting pheasants and drove it on some very rough roads. When I got back to Texas could not get the front end alingned. Finally had to replace the ball joints along with the springs. Ford took care of me for a small fee. Good luck but I bet ball joints are in your future!
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 127
Likes: 5
From: High River,Alberta Canada
I think what I find hard here is that the truck was and all running gear built in the same line at the factory,my way of thinking is that all is equal at that point or should be as they have quality control in check. Why is it that the one side blows out before the other under normal road conditions. Assuming that the parts are all of the same production number from the parts supplier how is it you get a 50% failure. Seems to me that quality control at Ford may have missed a bad production parts run or the supplier failed to live up to their end of quality control and let less than exceptable product into the line. Think that with the 07 front spring cold weather issue there could very well be more that we/me the consumer was not made aware of. I bought my truck to work and make me money I also look after it, the truck is not and was never beat. When I sold my 03 it had 128000kms on it and no abnormal tire wear,on the sale inspection it did reveal that it would need upper/lower ball joints in the near future,that truck saw more muskeg and mud bogs than this 07 will likely ever see.. In any event it has to be made safe so ka ching ka ching.
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