Ball Breaker

**Whoosha** · 31-01-2009, 07:41 PM

Just when you think things are going good, I get the phone call from number 2 son,"cars making realy strange noises and it wont steer straight" (AU111SR)
Well have been away all week so haven't had time to scratch myself, so decided it would be easyer to get it towed from Melb. CBD back to Cranny . So finally got home to have a look at it this morning only to find this mess

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it would appear that the lower right ball joint gave up with little or know warning, Lucky it was only in the city at low speed and not on the freeway at 100kph as the wheel locked as it chewed through the rotor

: Oh well what beter way to spend a 35c day but under the car ..the cars only has 160000s on it so was a bit surprised.. in the good old days a grease nipple or 2 would have saved it I'm sure

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On another note I am giving the car a full going over and service while its hear and have found a nasty oil leak from around the water pump someware,did a bit of a search but haven't come up with much info on this being a problem or ware it may be leaking from so before I pull half the front off the motor I would check here first. restasured I have checked the usuall rocker cover gaskets ext. but just carn't seem to pin piont ware its coming from.. Thanks In advance Whoosha

**Stav** · 31-01-2009, 08:24 PM

woosha.. Get a 10 mm socket ...gently tighten your timing case bolts. Also you may find an alternator bolt actually leaks oil.. Any way start with the timing case and the degrease it

**Whoosha** · 31-01-2009, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stav

woosha.. Get a 10 mm socket ...gently tighten your timing case bolts. Also you may find an alternator bolt actually leaks oil.. Any way start with the timing case and the degrease it

Its soaking in Kero as we speak thanks Stav

5.0 ED · 31-01-2009, 09:02 PM

yeah thats no good mate, when my balljoint got really worn it was doin similar, i just got to earlier. pretty rough.

domnicosia · 01-02-2009, 09:05 AM

Thats a serious failure of a ball joint!! Don't you guys have a yearly RWC down in Victoria? Ball joint normally become quite obvious way before they get to that state.

Scary when you thing of the possible out comes of that mate!?!!

Dom

kcej · 01-02-2009, 11:03 AM

Mate is there any chance your "oil" leak might be power steering fluid?

Just a thought

5.0 ED · 01-02-2009, 03:38 PM

Actually domnicosia we dont have yearly RWC. but i can tell u straight my lower balljoint was still good 2 weeks earlier when we had car on hoist checking everything, and then later that week i was driving, it deleloped a squeak, a couple days later when turning it started grinding on the disc, which i heard, pulled wheel off to find it. When these go like this, there really is very little warning.

**Whoosha** · 01-02-2009, 05:22 PM

As Matt has said no warning at all realy we had new tyers fitted 2 weeks ago
and all was good then , anyway all done now just came inside got all cleaned up so I can go to work for a rest,Off to Rockhampton in the AM
The pesky oil leak turned out to be the timing chain tensioner after numerous hours of pulling things apart I found it behind the power steering bracket .FFS who thawt that one up.Some how it had come loose and undid its self

So did a bit of a search of the forums found the "How Too" and did it, put some new brake pads in it while it was apart. gave it a wash N polish,Then thought to myself no wonder #2 son keeps bringing it back home for repairs

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its in behind all this

pesky thing

All done

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AU1XLS · 01-02-2009, 07:21 PM

Good job whoosh, which car do you want next week the wagon

Kev_BLNXR8_Ute · 01-02-2009, 09:07 PM

Im pretty sure the only wagons you have are from the wrong stable........

Just dont think he would stoop that low...

Kev

naughts · 01-02-2009, 09:14 PM

I'll bring mine over Woosha. whats the address???

BigJamo · 27-03-2013, 01:05 PM

Damn, that could of been deadly at high speed.

Im glad I got my Balls fixed earlier. Would hate to drop them at 110 :0

FGII-XR6 · 28-03-2013, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by domnicosia

Thats a serious failure of a ball joint!! Don't you guys have a yearly RWC down in Victoria? Ball joint normally become quite obvious way before they get to that state.

Scary when you thing of the possible out comes of that mate!?!!

Dom

they can fail suddenly. mine was fine for my yearly RWC and the lower right started making a noise and the ball joint failed suddenly making a grinding noise on right turns. I caught it early enough that the rotor wasn't damaged but the guy at the suspension place that fixed it said he sees it a lot

b2tf · 28-03-2013, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJamo

Im glad I got my Balls fixed earlier. Would hate to drop them at 110 :0

Hate it when your balls drop

robertjp · 29-03-2013, 01:56 AM

that happened to the wife's wagon, after having new a tire fitted and they said it needed a wheel alignment.

Drove to Ballarat that day, we were lucky.

FNQracing · 29-03-2013, 09:15 AM

Timely thread.

I have an AUIII and it was making a kind of creaking/grinding noise from the front end only at parking speed and steering load applied.

Jacked the car up to take a look, lowered it and noise gone?

Symptom of ball joints? Front end feels tight otherwise.

Murph-51 · 29-03-2013, 11:45 PM

The V8's do suffer a little from heat soak down the drivers side as the headers are really close to it, which will make it "creak"