Ford Van Ball Joint question

I have a 1999 Ford E-150 passenger van that likes to eat up ball joints. It has the twin I-beam suspension, it was the last year for it I think. Anyway, when I step on the brakes the front end shudders. I took it to the shop thinking warped rotors or something else brake related and now for the 3rd time I am told that it is Ball joints. The van only has 67,000 miles on it. I have replaced both upper ball joints over the last couple of years, now I am looking at having to do the lowers.

My question is this - who makes a ball joint with a true lifetime warranty? I checked NAPA's premium ball joints - almost $100 each - and their warranty, when you read the fine print, is not worth the paper it is written on - it is simply a catch 22 warranty. "If it fails, bring it back, give our specialists 30 days to think about it and scratch their asses while they dream up some lame ass excuse why it is your fault that it failed..... yada yada yada". No thanks guys!

Does anyone make a good ball joint that won't cost me my left nut?

Jeezus, they made that fucked up design for THAT long?? been some decades, but a buddy of mine had a twin I beam Ford van for his family hauler, and I never forget all the cussing and swearing he had with that thing, shims? ball joints?? some kind of off the wall shit that was recurring and related to each other, one thing after another....

this goes back to over 30 years now....maybe 40? but Neal hated that VAN with a purple passion over it.....:ill::banghead: I remember looking at it with him, trying to help, but NO GO, not ME said the little chicken shit.....

I can't believe the joints only last that long, three times in under 70K seems a little excessive..... AutoZone has never given me any problems with their lifetime warranty, order the replacement part first so that it is at the store when you bring the old part in.... still sux having to the labor....

mrvette said:

Jeezus, they made that fucked up design for THAT long?? been some decades, but a buddy of mine had a twin I beam Ford van for his family hauler, and I never forget all the cussing and swearing he had with that thing, shims? ball joints?? some kind of off the wall shit that was recurring and related to each other, one thing after another....

this goes back to over 30 years now....maybe 40? but Neal hated that VAN with a purple passion over it.....:ill::banghead: I remember looking at it with him, trying to help, but NO GO, not ME said the little chicken shit.....

Click to expand...

The old ibeam setup didn't use ball joints.
They used brass sleeve bushings and king pins with a thrust bearing.
The bushings had to be reamed properly when installed and were usually screwed up from the get go because done improperly. You also had to literally grease them weekly or they would wear or seize up, enough so that even breaking the steering gear mount bolts could result.
Also few place could bend them properly for alignment.
Even today, with heavy duty trucks, king pins are the strongest setup.

010752 said:

mrvette said:

Jeezus, they made that fucked up design for THAT long?? been some decades, but a buddy of mine had a twin I beam Ford van for his family hauler, and I never forget all the cussing and swearing he had with that thing, shims? ball joints?? some kind of off the wall shit that was recurring and related to each other, one thing after another....

this goes back to over 30 years now....maybe 40? but Neal hated that VAN with a purple passion over it.....:ill::banghead: I remember looking at it with him, trying to help, but NO GO, not ME said the little chicken shit.....

Click to expand...

The old ibeam setup didn't use ball joints.
They used brass sleeve bushings and king pins with a thrust bearing.
The bushings had to be reamed properly when installed and were usually screwed up from the get go because done improperly. You also had to literally grease them weekly or they would wear or seize up, enough so that even breaking the steering gear mount bolts could result.
Also few place could bend them properly for alignment.
Even today, with heavy duty trucks, king pins are the strongest setup.

Click to expand...

THAT what it was, ....:flash::shocking: Having to bend the beams to get wheel alignment....his tire wear was ASStonishing...less than 10k on a front set.....:tth:

I still have a 94 E250 van with over 300,000 miles and they have never been replaced and are still good. Think I have greased them 2 or 3 times. Thanks for reminding me. :hi:
Can't imagine why yours don't last.

Moog (NAPA) has been living on past laurels for quite a while. Just a better grade of junk. I stopped using them a few years ago, even on C3s. And NAPA warranties do suck, although their parts generally are pretty good.

I use XRF joints with no problems. Great prices and absolutely no problems.

http://www.xrfchassis.com/parts-balljoints.htm

BTW, with any low speed grease application, like chassis parts, a good grease that contains 5% molyd makes a big difference. A common synthetic grease isn't better.

Very food one.
http://www.mantek.com/txmas/GSA M09 Lubricants-Fuel Additives.pdf

Near the bottom

http://www.schaefferoil.com/cmss_files/attachmentlibrary/TD Sheets/238.pdf

Big oil companies have similar under their industrial line but check the specs.

mrvette said:

010752 said:

mrvette said:

Jeezus, they made that fucked up design for THAT long?? been some decades, but a buddy of mine had a twin I beam Ford van for his family hauler, and I never forget all the cussing and swearing he had with that thing, shims? ball joints?? some kind of off the wall shit that was recurring and related to each other, one thing after another....

this goes back to over 30 years now....maybe 40? but Neal hated that VAN with a purple passion over it.....:ill::banghead: I remember looking at it with him, trying to help, but NO GO, not ME said the little chicken shit.....

Click to expand...

The old ibeam setup didn't use ball joints.
They used brass sleeve bushings and king pins with a thrust bearing.
The bushings had to be reamed properly when installed and were usually screwed up from the get go because done improperly. You also had to literally grease them weekly or they would wear or seize up, enough so that even breaking the steering gear mount bolts could result.
Also few place could bend them properly for alignment.
Even today, with heavy duty trucks, king pins are the strongest setup.

Click to expand...

THAT what it was, ....:flash::shocking: Having to bend the beams to get wheel alignment....his tire wear was ASStonishing...less than 10k on a front set.....:tth:

Click to expand...

Ya, they could get pretty bad.
The newer beams with the ball joints have eccentrics to adjust, so no bending required. They also have different eccentrics if you can't get enough.
Some alignment guys are still lost.

010752 said:

I still have a 94 E250 van with over 300,000 miles and they have never been replaced and are still good. Think I have greased them 2 or 3 times. Thanks for reminding me. :hi:
Can't imagine why yours don't last.

Moog (NAPA) has been living on past laurels for quite a while. Just a better grade of junk. I stopped using them a few years ago, even on C3s. And NAPA warranties do suck, although their parts generally are pretty good.

I use XRF joints with no problems. Great prices and absolutely no problems.

http://www.xrfchassis.com/parts-balljoints.htm

BTW, with any low speed grease application, like chassis parts, a good grease that contains 5% molyd makes a big difference. A common synthetic grease isn't better.

Very food one.
http://www.mantek.com/txmas/GSA M09 Lubricants-Fuel Additives.pdf

Near the bottom

http://www.schaefferoil.com/cmss_files/attachmentlibrary/TD Sheets/238.pdf

Big oil companies have similar under their industrial line but check the specs.

Click to expand...

The factory ball joints on my van have no Zerk fittings so you can't grease them. The aftermarket ball joints all come with Zerk fittings. Do you think Ford designed my ball joints to fail prematurely? I do. All four ball joints have been replaced now and the van only has 68,000 miles on it.

DeeVeeEight said:

010752 said:

I still have a 94 E250 van with over 300,000 miles and they have never been replaced and are still good. Think I have greased them 2 or 3 times. Thanks for reminding me. :hi:
Can't imagine why yours don't last.

Moog (NAPA) has been living on past laurels for quite a while. Just a better grade of junk. I stopped using them a few years ago, even on C3s. And NAPA warranties do suck, although their parts generally are pretty good.

I use XRF joints with no problems. Great prices and absolutely no problems.

http://www.xrfchassis.com/parts-balljoints.htm

BTW, with any low speed grease application, like chassis parts, a good grease that contains 5% molyd makes a big difference. A common synthetic grease isn't better.

Very food one.
http://www.mantek.com/txmas/GSA M09 Lubricants-Fuel Additives.pdf

Near the bottom

http://www.schaefferoil.com/cmss_files/attachmentlibrary/TD Sheets/238.pdf

Big oil companies have similar under their industrial line but check the specs.

Click to expand...

The factory ball joints on my van have no Zerk fittings so you can't grease them. The aftermarket ball joints all come with Zerk fittings. Do you think Ford designed my ball joints to fail prematurely? I do. All four ball joints have been replaced now and the van only has 68,000 miles on it.

Click to expand...

:rofl: Wife's Escort just turned 200k miles ...it has all factory BJ's and suspension components....I got really concerned a few months ago about a bunch of clunking over irregular road surfaces....pulling in/out straight over the driveway curb, no clunk, only at a angle....replaced the front sway bar links, and shimmed up the bushings....no more clunks....those balljoints with all those miles, and no zerks....are still tight as new...go figger....