# F350's When it rains it pours



## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Last month I replaced the ball joints on my 99 F350 crew cab so it could pass inspection.

I took my 204 F350 in for inspection this morning....... yep..... just got the call.... it needs new ball joints.

I'm leaving now to take my 99 F250 super cab.....will see it I can get 3 for 3.

Sorry, rant over for now. Just needed to vent a little.


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

I think your problem is you own 3 Fords. :mrgreen:


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

highcountryfever said:


> I think your problem is you own 3 Fords. :mrgreen:


Well yeah,,,,, you would think that with only a little over 250,000 miles on each one that I wouldn't have to start having to repair them yet.

Yea!!!! The F250 passed it only has a little over 235,000 miles so I should get another 20k miles plus on those ball joints.

I'm going to sell two and buy a new one, it will be another F350, I just can't bring myself to buy an Obomaram or a Barackolet.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

I gotta say amen to that Bowgy.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I had to replace the ball joints on my 99 Ford Superduty two times now. Only has 100,000 on it. The 6.5" lift doesn't help I'm sure.:?


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## CAExpat (Oct 27, 2013)

Forgive my ignorance, still very new to the state; how are they checking ball joints and to what spec? I had to get an inspection when I moved here, the state list showed the Jiffy lube around the corner. I would be hesitant to let that individual check my air pressure let alone ball joint tolerance. Does Utah have an inspection checklist posted somewhere?


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

There really is no objective way for a mechanic to measure slop in a ball joint, it's up to the individual mechanic to make the call....and some have different standards than others. Every ball joint after 10,000 miles on it is going to have some play, thus it becomes a judgment call on whether it warrants replacement or not.

There used to be an alignment shop here in Logan where every alignment came with a recommendation that ball joints and tie rods be replaced, and they did thousands of them. The standing joke was that "it was a good thing they caught this, cuz a guy could go another 100,000 miles and never know they were bad!"

Ball joints are one of those things I like checking out for myself before I give the go ahead to fix them.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

CAExpat said:


> Forgive my ignorance, still very new to the state; how are they checking ball joints and to what spec? I had to get an inspection when I moved here, the state list showed the Jiffy lube around the corner. I would be hesitant to let that individual check my air pressure let alone ball joint tolerance. Does Utah have an inspection checklist posted somewhere?


I don't really know either, these guys have been doing my personal and company vehicles for 30 plus years, I never did ask them. I let them know every so often that I appreciate their work and that as long as they treat me fair and right and don't try to take advantage of me or anyone I send them that I will continue to do business with them.

I do have a different mechanic that I use that I have been friends with since elementary school and he confirmed that they were bad enough to cause a safety issue. He does most of my mechanical repairs.

The ones that do my safety inspections do all my service and tires and a lot of the maintenance repairs.


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## CAExpat (Oct 27, 2013)

Interesting. I guess my question should be, can they "fail" your for ball joints and withhold your registration? I think that is where it would get very difficult. I heard rumors (i'm sure they happen every year) about the inspection going away. From a business standpoint it must be painful for the shop, there's no money in the inspection. I think the guy told me the max they can charge is $15? If the mechanic spends 30 minutes, plus any material and overhead and they'll lose their butts. Anyway, just curious.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Bad ball joints is a reason to fail a safety inspection, and rightly so. A total ball joint failure is going to result in loss of control of the vehicle. Ball joint wear is generally a gradual process however, and there will be some obvious symptoms like uneven tire wear, a front end shimmy, or a clunk when you pass over a bump long before you'll experience a total failure. As long as you don't ignore the symptoms it is unlikely you'll have a total failure.

I have always done most of my own mechanical work, but I still need to take my vehicles to a shop for safety inspections. If I get a failure for something I deem as insignificant I'll take it to another shop and let them look at it. For instance, one of my work trucks is a 97 F-250 that the local Ford dealership failed because it had a broken stud on the exhaust manifold. It never has leaked exhaust, but to replace it requires the shop to either pull the engine or separate the cab from the frame so they can get in there with a drill and EZ-out. Either way, they wanted close to $1,000 to repair it. I just paid them their $15 and took it to another shop where it passed.....and it has passed every year since then too with the same broken stud for the past 14 years.

To me, the key is to find a mechanic that you can trust. There used to be some shops around here that would routinely process safety inspections without even looking at your vehicle. I usually avoid those, but at the same time I don't want a mechanic recommending what I feel are unnecessary repairs.


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## Rspeters (Apr 4, 2013)

I grew up in a state where safety inspections weren't required. Now that I've lived here for a few years I'm definitely not a fan of them. One thing that I've thought about is not allowing the shop that does the safety inspection to do the work if there's any needed. That would minimize the crooked things that go on with safety inspections. Allowing the shops to do the work that they basically mandate to the customers definitely gives the shops an unfair advantage. Especially for judgement calls like ball joints.

However, it is also nice when there is a legitimate issue, just to have the shop do the work rather than picking up the car and taking it somewhere else. 

I wish they'd just get rid of safety inspections altogether.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Safety and emission inspections are a double edged sword. I have seen vehicles that should not even be allowed out of their driveway going down the road in states that don't have safety inspections and I have seen vehicles that produce a better smoke screen than a navel destroyer that is trying to hide its location. 

I also agree that there should be just a safety and inspection station that is not allowed to do any work other than perhaps minor stuff such as wipers. I remember a station in Provo back in the 60's that always nailed you for a headlight adjustment. It didn't matter if the car was brand new off of the dealers showroom, it needed a headlight adjustment. I also knew a station in Provo that would give you a 23 month sticker for a couple extra bucks that always went into the inspectors pocket. As a kid back then we knew which stations to go to and which ones to avoid.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Big O did the ball joints both times. The first time I paid, the second time they covered them under warranty. I only put about 500 miles a year on the truck, I just can't bring myself to sell it. Every year at inspection I get the same comment "You don't drive this much do you"


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