Need hub/bearing and balljoint advice...long

[n5xl]

The experience I've had with damaged boots is after the joint has already worn out and its part of normally replacing the joint anyway as it comes with the new joint.

I am certain that the joint will have to come out to reseat the boot...stuffing it back in with a screwdriver isnt going to work. Unless they are very careful in removing it, they will likely have to put a new ball joint in anyway, which is why they just tried to stuff it back with a screwdriver. Hopefully, they wont ruin something else while they are in there.

As a side note, do not let THEM replace your hubs...(first of all, I have not seen anything that makes me think they can, and second of all, you can do it yourself and save some money.)

Expect more heartburn from this shop before this is over.....

Dave

 

[MG_43]

How long under normal use should the bearings last, just ball park mileage?
Mine has 188K on it and I'm not positive if they have ever been changed. I have only owned it for a month.
I want to make it reliable so I don't have to worry about small stuff, I don't do any off roading. Thanks in advance.

 

[rumblebelly]

All I know is that they should last longer than the 81K I have on mine.

I had an 88 with a similar set up (I think) and one started making noise at around 120k if I remember right but I never replaced the other side while I had it. I think you can get a lot of miles out of them if they don't see much dirt and mud.

Maybe the experts will chime in.

 

[Matthew Currie]

All I know is that they should last longer than the 81K I have on mine.

I had an 88 with a similar set up (I think) and one started making noise at around 120k if I remember right but I never replaced the other side while I had it. I think you can get a lot of miles out of them if they don't see much dirt and mud.

Maybe the experts will chime in.

Don't know about expert, but...So far on the Jeeps in my family, the 87 needed both hubs somewhere around 150K. The 93 needed one around 205K. The 95 needed one replaced in the 220K vicinity, but that's the one that I had accidentally pulled apart about 80-90K earlier. It had no play but howled and vibrated from pitted races. The other side is still fine at 249K. The 87 also needed one new ball joint somewhere in the 200K area, but neither of the others has.

The hubs will squeak or make other noise when they wear out, often before they show any play, but it's a good idea to check the u-joints too.

From those pictures I would say they didn't get those ball joints installed right, and they may have to come out. You certainly can't settle for displaced boots on brand new joints. They won't last long that way. I'd try to get them to make good on that, at least, and hassle them about the hubs, but you'll probably have to settle for getting the ball joints right and eat the cost of the hubs.

I will add, though, that if they were able to show you visible play in the ball joints on the vehicle, then there's no question that it needed them. It doesn't sound as if they were conning you on that at least.

 

[rumblebelly]

Yeah, I think they were pretty honest regarding whether or not I needed ball joints. Do you guys think that both of the black boots are bad or just the lower one on the driver's side?

I went to another shop and they pretty much said what Mathew and Dave had said, they aren't installed correctly and they'll have to come out. Is it possible it's the wrong ball joint? They also said it's to prove whether or not they caused the hub failure.

I'm making them fix that one lower ball joint for sure (the desk guy said it must be a bad ball joint from NAPA) and while they have everything out, I'll ask them to install a good new hub minus the labor charge. I'll let them make a little dough off the part but if they wanna charge me labor, I'll just do the hub myself. Little nervous about letting them replace the hub (for obvious reasons) but I feel like they need to go an extra mile just for the fact that I've already been there TWO FREAKIN TIMES!!!! for the stinking ball joint boot. We'll see what happens...supposed to get a call from the owner tomorrow.

 

[Johnny V]

i'm inclined to belive they damaged the bearings when they did the ball joints. it's pretty hard to prove it though, and he knows it.

Thanks for the info....

Dang...a few years ago I had my ball joints replaced and my Jeep was never the same again. After the new ball joints a low rumbling started from the front and has become louder and louder as the years pass. It's time to replace the hubs and u-joints...now I know why!

 

[MG_43]

I priced a set of hubs at NAPA, they want $125 for each side. I'll have to do some checking around, since the NAPA here isn't the highest quality place for parts.

 

[langer1]

I priced a set of hubs at NAPA, they want $125 for each side. I'll have to do some checking around, since the NAPA here isn't the highest quality place for parts.

Thats hard to believe, other than the dealer NAPA is the only place for quality parts.

 

[rumblebelly]

What's a typical mark up a shop will charge on parts? I know shops get a decent discount from parts stores but approximately how much extra do shops typically slap on.

 

[langer1]

What's a typical mark up a shop will charge on parts? I know shops get a decent discount from parts stores but approximately how much extra do shops typically slap on.

The one I use some times charges what you would have to pay for the part if you could buy it yourself. His discount is 30% so he makes 30% on parts.

 

[rumblebelly]

He's gonna fight me on this it sounds like. He said it's fine and there's no reason to remove and replace the ball joint with the screwed up boot. He said it'll be fine because the joint is separate from the joint or some B.S. like that.

I'm going to look for a third opinion and come after him. I'm not really sure what my options are at this point but I'm pretty ticked off at this point. Not only do I have a screwed up ball joint boot but now I have two jacked hubs after spending $701 with this guy.

 

[rumblebelly]

The power of the dealership is almost Godlike. I went down there and asked their opinion.

Told him the dealer said the ball joint should be replaced. I also said if they knew they might have screwed up the hub bearings that they would have replaced them without charging labor. He's doing exactly what the dealer suggested. I find that pretty amusing. Watch, he charges me $200/bearing or something crazy like that.

 

[langer1]

Or even Dealer price :laugh3: