Lower Ball joint failed today - with pics
03-06-08, 04:06 PM
#31
And another........... This picture is a little misleading. The neck of the ball is not really shinny. See how the top of the shaft there is a shiny spot on it too..
BP
BP
Last edited by TRD911; 03-06-08 at 04:08 PM. Reason: Shiny spot
03-06-08, 04:10 PM
#32
And the last.. if you want another at a different angle let me know.. This one.. I don't know is this a date code? How do they know the part numbers if they fell out of the Toyo bag?
BP
BP
03-06-08, 04:23 PM
#33
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Again... Chris.. how did you get the ball out of the socket? I took my boot off of one of my old ones.. It felt tight although I could move it much free-er then the tie rod end not that means anything.
SORRY TO YELL... I COULD NOT GET THE BALL OUT OF THE SOCKET WITH MY HANDS.
Anyway the very first thing I did when I got home was straight out to the garage with the gloves on... took the boot off.. wifey comes out out and says what are you doing. I did not want to tell her... so she waited and talked about her day.. bla bla bla.. then she asked me again.. well here goes.. I am playing with my balljoints... she said... Okay.. I don't wanna know..
Here are some pics..
SORRY TO YELL... I COULD NOT GET THE BALL OUT OF THE SOCKET WITH MY HANDS.
Anyway the very first thing I did when I got home was straight out to the garage with the gloves on... took the boot off.. wifey comes out out and says what are you doing. I did not want to tell her... so she waited and talked about her day.. bla bla bla.. then she asked me again.. well here goes.. I am playing with my balljoints... she said... Okay.. I don't wanna know..
Here are some pics..
I did not remove the ball from the socket, the crash took care of that for me.
When my joint failed it "popped" out of the socket.
As the parts are now I can pop it in and out easily.
03-06-08, 08:55 PM
#35
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No grease, really it was just dirty more than anything.
I am going to my Local lexus dealer with the title tomorrow to get a full history on the car, see what else might need to be done.
I have 140k on it.
03-07-08, 05:26 AM
#36
I am really amazed at your experience.. I think that you have one of the best documented cases of a ball joint failure. Your pictures (although not great) tell the story. I think that Toyota has had a manufacturing defect with the ball joints on the early model 2nd gen GS. They either got the wrong grease that evaporated or not enough of the correct grease. I can see now what happened in your case, I know this will sound stupid but, the ball and socket got very loose and eventually the ball just popped out.... duh.
My thoughts originally was the the tapered shaft was breaking off the ball this has pr oven to be wrong.
I would really like for some of the folks that have replaced their balljoints to do what I did so that we can visually compare the grease content.
Should we start a new thread " Show us your old ball joint grease" or something so that we may get the attention of folks that have done it?
Chris,
I would like to see the dust boot off of your other ball joint to see how much grease you have in / around it?
BP
My thoughts originally was the the tapered shaft was breaking off the ball this has pr oven to be wrong.
I would really like for some of the folks that have replaced their balljoints to do what I did so that we can visually compare the grease content.
Should we start a new thread " Show us your old ball joint grease" or something so that we may get the attention of folks that have done it?
Chris,
I would like to see the dust boot off of your other ball joint to see how much grease you have in / around it?
BP
03-07-08, 05:26 AM
#37
As far as your codes go.. do you think that the speed cable the soldiered back together has a short / open further up the steering knuckle? I would bet that that wire either pulled itself out of the socket near the ABS /master cylinder or stretched to the point that one of the wires does not have continuity any longer. I would patch over a cable from the sensor to the ABS / master cylinder to see if the codes go away. Your lights where not on before the failure right... so they should not be on now.. I say you have a broken wire.
BP
BP
03-07-08, 06:51 AM
#38
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I am really amazed at your experience.. I think that you have one of the best documented cases of a ball joint failure. Your pictures (although not great) tell the story. I think that Toyota has had a manufacturing defect with the ball joints on the early model 2nd gen GS. They either got the wrong grease that evaporated or not enough of the correct grease. I can see now what happened in your case, I know this will sound stupid but, the ball and socket got very loose and eventually the ball just popped out.... duh.
My thoughts originally was the the tapered shaft was breaking off the ball this has pr oven to be wrong.
I would really like for some of the folks that have replaced their balljoints to do what I did so that we can visually compare the grease content.
Should we start a new thread " Show us your old ball joint grease" or something so that we may get the attention of folks that have done it?
Chris,
I would like to see the dust boot off of your other ball joint to see how much grease you have in / around it?
BP
My thoughts originally was the the tapered shaft was breaking off the ball this has pr oven to be wrong.
I would really like for some of the folks that have replaced their balljoints to do what I did so that we can visually compare the grease content.
Should we start a new thread " Show us your old ball joint grease" or something so that we may get the attention of folks that have done it?
Chris,
I would like to see the dust boot off of your other ball joint to see how much grease you have in / around it?
BP
Sure,
Its at the shop getting an alignment now, will let you know how that goes and post pics of the boot later.
Im not so concerned about the lack of grease, but why dont they just make the hole at the top smaller so the damn it too big to pop out of it????
03-07-08, 10:55 AM
#39
BP
03-07-08, 12:07 PM
#41
From this example I would say that they "POP" out of the socket. At first I thought it was the shaft part breaking.
I would love to see others ball joints good and broken..
BP
03-07-08, 12:22 PM
#42
I found this on the http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/results.cfm
I would say that since there is only one complaint there is no way that we would get any kind of recall. I think that everyone that has a bad ball joint removed needs to complain to get Toyota to do anything.
the NHTSB also shows a recall for the 97 GS ball joint due to lubrication. HMM.. Maybe this is our issue.
this is the only complaint on their website for 98.
Complaints Summary
Make: LEXUS
Model: GS
Year: 1998
Complaint Number: 10213228
Summary:
ANOTHER LEXUS GS-300 OWNER FILED THIS REPORT ON MARCH 6, 2007: "WE OWN A 1998 LEXUS, MODEL GS 300. THIS SATURDAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE LEXUS AND THE ENTIRE WHEEL ASSEMBLY CAME OFF THE VEHICLE DUE THE FAILURE OF THE LOWER BALL JOINT. IN REVIEWING RECALL INFORMATION FOR LEXUS\TOYOTA, IT IS VERY APPARENT THERE IS AN ONGOING ISSUE OF QUALITY CONTROL RELATED TO THEIR LOWER BALL JOINTS. FOR OUR SPECIFIC MODEL, THERE WAS A RECALL IN 93, 94, 95, 96 AND 97 SPECIFIC TO THIS PART. GIVEN WE HAVE A 98 AND A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED (YET), THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY ACCOMMODATION TOWARDS FIXING THE FAILED PART, OR THE RESULTING BODY DAMAGE RELATED TO THE VEHICLE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD ON ONLY THREE WHEEL. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT A SIDE STREET WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. BUT MOREOVER, REGARDLESS OF OUR FINANCIAL LOSS, IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN..." WE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR FAILURE WHEREIN THE LOWER DRIVER'S SIDE BALL JOINT FAILED WHILE BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY. PRIOR TO THIS EVENT THE WHOLE FRONT SUSPENSION HAS BEEN MAKING A "CREAKING" NOISE DURING SLOW DRIVING WHILE TURNING. *TR
BP
I would say that since there is only one complaint there is no way that we would get any kind of recall. I think that everyone that has a bad ball joint removed needs to complain to get Toyota to do anything.
the NHTSB also shows a recall for the 97 GS ball joint due to lubrication. HMM.. Maybe this is our issue.
this is the only complaint on their website for 98.
Complaints Summary
Make: LEXUS
Model: GS
Year: 1998
Complaint Number: 10213228
Summary:
ANOTHER LEXUS GS-300 OWNER FILED THIS REPORT ON MARCH 6, 2007: "WE OWN A 1998 LEXUS, MODEL GS 300. THIS SATURDAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE LEXUS AND THE ENTIRE WHEEL ASSEMBLY CAME OFF THE VEHICLE DUE THE FAILURE OF THE LOWER BALL JOINT. IN REVIEWING RECALL INFORMATION FOR LEXUS\TOYOTA, IT IS VERY APPARENT THERE IS AN ONGOING ISSUE OF QUALITY CONTROL RELATED TO THEIR LOWER BALL JOINTS. FOR OUR SPECIFIC MODEL, THERE WAS A RECALL IN 93, 94, 95, 96 AND 97 SPECIFIC TO THIS PART. GIVEN WE HAVE A 98 AND A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED (YET), THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY ACCOMMODATION TOWARDS FIXING THE FAILED PART, OR THE RESULTING BODY DAMAGE RELATED TO THE VEHICLE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD ON ONLY THREE WHEEL. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT A SIDE STREET WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. BUT MOREOVER, REGARDLESS OF OUR FINANCIAL LOSS, IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN..." WE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR FAILURE WHEREIN THE LOWER DRIVER'S SIDE BALL JOINT FAILED WHILE BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY. PRIOR TO THIS EVENT THE WHOLE FRONT SUSPENSION HAS BEEN MAKING A "CREAKING" NOISE DURING SLOW DRIVING WHILE TURNING. *TR
BP
03-07-08, 12:24 PM
#43
Chris,
Take a look at this guys picture. I had forgotten about this thread and went looking for it today. His ball is dry as he!! as well.. I think I asked him if he had the old ball joint and he did not. Again.. I would really like to see some better pictures of your ball joints.. I really think that this is a lube issue.
BTW do you live in a snowy area that uses lots of salts?
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=310895
BP
Take a look at this guys picture. I had forgotten about this thread and went looking for it today. His ball is dry as he!! as well.. I think I asked him if he had the old ball joint and he did not. Again.. I would really like to see some better pictures of your ball joints.. I really think that this is a lube issue.
BTW do you live in a snowy area that uses lots of salts?
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=310895
BP
03-08-08, 01:59 AM
#45
alright guys this topic been touched on a few times here is my post and lets see if we can do something about it....if anyone got any ideas please pm me... https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...warning+2nd+gs ....let me know because i'm tired of hearing of this problem and just waiting for one of us clublexus members getting hurt because of this...lets do something about it....