Botched Ball Joint Install?

[Jahloha]

Aloha Everyone:

I couldn't rent a ball joint press (Napa & O'reilly didn't have one) and my friends' shop's press was out of commission.

So I took my lower CAs to Goodyear and they said they could help.

I go to pick them up and man my powder coated CAs are jacked up.

This normal? Or did the guy doing the job suck?

Anything to check on the one ball joint he did install?

[kwmech]

Looks like he put them in a vice and beat them in with a hammer. My ball joint press will scratch the paint, but that.......damn.

My press will install them while the arm is still in the truck. I remove the spring and hold the arm off the floor with a chunk of 4x4

[leddzepp]

Those were beat in with a hammer, not pressed in. They will work, just looks ugly. I’d be pissed too, you could have installed them yourself in this manner for free.

[bbrriiaann1973]

Take them back and ask for a refund

[sprint_9]

Wow, I wouldnt have left with them. They would be buying me a new ball joint and paying to get my powder coat redone. A little powder coat scuffed around where the ball joint is to be expected, but that is mangled.

[weq92f]

No, no no no no.

That is unacceptable.

Go speak to the manager or owner and have them replace all your parts brand new.

-klb

[Jahloha]

Originally Posted by kwmech

Looks like he put them in a vice and beat them in with a hammer. My ball joint press will scratch the paint, but that.......damn.

My press will install them while the arm is still in the truck. I remove the spring and hold the arm off the floor with a chunk of 4x4

Originally Posted by leddzepp

Those were beat in with a hammer, not pressed in. They will work, just looks ugly. I’d be pissed too, you could have installed them yourself in this manner for free.

Originally Posted by bbrriiaann1973

Take them back and ask for a refund

Originally Posted by sprint_9

Wow, I wouldnt have left with them. They would be buying me a new ball joint and paying to get my powder coat redone. A little powder coat scuffed around where the ball joint is to be expected, but that is mangled.

Originally Posted by weq92f

No, no no no no.

That is unacceptable.

Go speak to the manager or owner and have them replace all your parts brand new.

-klb

Mahalo everyone. This is what I figured.

Sometimes being on the islands isn't paradise haha.

[bbrriiaann1973]

Do you remember that discount tire commercial a long time ago that had that old lady throwing that tire threw the discount tire front glass because she was not happy with her purchase?

Well maybe that's what you should do here, go throw that lower control arm threw their front store window!

I am sure that would get somebodies attention.

[Jahloha]

Originally Posted by bbrriiaann1973

Do you remember that discount tire commercial a long time ago that had that old lady throwing that tire threw the discount tire front glass because she was not happy with her purchase?

Well maybe that's what you should do here, go throw that lower control arm threw their front store window!

I am sure that would get somebodies attention.

Haha true. Only problem is guaranteed I'm related to someone at the shop in some way or another. #smallisland

I'll just take my other LCA and get the ball jointed mounted elsewhere and hopefully have them get the shafts installed too.

[CastIron]

I would ask for a refund personally. But next time you need a special tool it might save money in the long term to just buy one.

[greasemonkey]

It looks like they even damaged the threads on the BJ. There is no way you should accept that. Not only should they refund you for the "installation," you should also get paid for another set of joints and recoating your control arms. This kind of work pisses me off, I can't stand people whose first solution is a hammer.

[Killer Bee]

nah man, those were test driven on the rubicon, surprised they didn't charge you extra

shame that folks in my industry can accept that type of workmanship and deliver it to a customer

as a consumer, I hope you take it back and politely report it to the store manager..

if for no other reason than to hopefully prevent that from happening to another customer and members of your community in the future..

[67 chevelle]

You should have rented one from an auto parts store , ball joint tool that is , I had to saturday , puting a lowering kit on and they were worn out ,

[67ChevyRedneck]

Good Lord!

I borrowed a ball joint press from O'Reilly's and did mine in about 10 min. a side, used some rags, and didn't even screw up the paint.

[bill3rail]

Originally Posted by kwmech

Looks like he put them in a vice and beat them in with a hammer. My ball joint press will scratch the paint, but that.......damn.

This is what I was thinking.

Ask for them to pay for powder coating and a new ball joint.