Ball Joints/Lower Control Arms

Has anyone with a NCV3 (2007 and up) had to replace their ball joints or lower control arms yet. If you have ..can you share your experience and costs.

Ball joints are supposed to be a life time non replaced part..Yeah we know.
However control arms! Question is why the arms?
Richard

Piper 1 and I already talked about this previously, but I'll include my input here as well. At 208,158 miles I had to replace lower control arms, tie rod ends, and sway bar links on both sides for a total of $1926.35. This work was done at the dealership.

eb

For those wondering, the ball joints are not sold separately and therefore if they are worn out it requires replacement of the whole control arm ON A NCV3. Mine have 20 thou play in them so replacement time is not far off. Currently at 104,000 miles.

i havw 170000 k on mine and had to get new arm on left and new antiroll bar and 22 new bushings cost 800 euro off main dealer

This is what we're talking about when we say "ball joint" and "lower control arm," yes?




View attachment Part-Numbers.pdf


-Jon

jdcaples said:

This is what we're talking about when we say "ball joint" and "lower control arm," yes?

View attachment 21913


View attachment 21912


-Jon

Click to expand...

I have recently acquired a couple new door stops that look like that drawing.

eb

Altered Sprinter said:

However control arms! Question is why the arms?
Richard

Click to expand...

Aside from being integral to the control arm, I'm guessing that lubricant seal broke or failed to prevent component wear, but that's just a guess.

Actually Jon, the seals still look OK (I learned to check them long ago when I had a Jaguar XJ to look after, I swear they were made of paper on that car). My guess is that because I run right up to the 8550 GVW so much of the time that maybe I am just prone to wearing them out early. I also do a LOT of driving around Detroit and Chicago, perhaps all those concrete "thump thump" roads at full load are what killed them?

Either way, part number 100 is what I will need. $540 each from Mercedes and $670 each (Canadian) from Dodge. I did find that Moog makes sway bar links for the NCV3 so there's a saving there ($40 vs $90).

EB...sent you a pm over at the other place.

one could try to match up a removed ball joint to the Moog or TRW product line and try to find a match. they said the old 300zx had to have a manufacturer's complete arm assembly to replace the ball joint...eventually someone found or TRW began making a ball joint to fit. The arm still had to be removed and a press used for removal/installation, but the savings was great.

In progress 72chevy..in progress. I am currently searching for a donor control arm to try it out on because I think.....think... we (me and Chrysler dealer serv dept) might have a solution that would do just that with a grease able ball joint, but we need a donor arm to try it on first. Sent EB a msg to see if he still has his.

You're right there has to be a way to do this considering the 1000's of ball joints available...something has to be close enough to work and be safe.

I found ball joint part numbers (that cross with the Mercedes part numbers) from TRW and Lemforder (ZF) in the UK. Any European members seen or heard of these?

What kind of symptoms did you guys experience when your vans started to have problems with tie-rods\control arms etc...?

Thumping and rattling noise when going over bumps was what made me investigate.

for those adventerous enough to test for yourselves...while the wheel is off the ground, firmly grasp the wheel (I sit on the ground w/ wheel between my legs) and turn from right to left (you are checking the tie rod) then move the bottom of the wheel in and out (to test the lower ball joint). The other wheel should be secure or you can't check the tie rod in this fashion and please be safety conscious...two weekends ago a guy north of me died due to an automobile falling on him

Set the parking brake. Place chocks under the wheel that can roll.

Lift one front wheel with floor jack (not a bumper jack, or not bottle jack). Place a properly rated, over-engineered jack stand, on firm ground and in full contact with the frame rail at hosting/support point indicated in the service manual, for safety.

Before you put a finger under the vehicle, you stand near the lifted corner, feet away from the tire, place both hands on a fender and give it a good shove left/right and then front/back to confirm the supported vehicle is not death or dismemberment trap in disguise.

That was the teaching of my recently departed father. That was his practice for six and a half decades, and mine for three. He died in his sleep with all his limbs and organs intact.

I've never been surprised by falling vehicle. I have been surprised, and I've endured mockery of very fortunate and, in my humble opinion, sadly cavalier people.

-Jon

PS: the floor jack remains close to you, in place, while you're working, as a last resort stopping instrument if there's an earthquake or something else that's equally unpredictable and potentially catastrophic.

piper1 said:

In progress 72chevy..in progress. I am currently searching for a donor control arm to try it out on because I think.....think... we (me and Chrysler dealer serv dept) might have a solution that would do just that with a grease able ball joint, but we need a donor arm to try it on first. Sent EB a msg to see if he still has his.

You're right there has to be a way to do this considering the 1000's of ball joints available...something has to be close enough to work and be safe.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a worthy project. I sent you a pm.

eb