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Warranty for Ball Joints

11K views 46 replies 22 participants last post by  jadmt 
#1 ·
Hey! I used to have an older account (WranglerChik) but just couldn't recover my info. So here I am under this name.

Anyway. Im having some serious clanking sounds coming from the front of my Jeep as I make turns or go over some cobblestone-like bumps. (NY here)

Took the Jeep to a good guy I usually go to. He lifted it and just said the ball joints are a little worn down and just to replace them under warranty. Kinda holds me off till my new job kicks in.

He also said to have the drag link checked. Then he chalked up the rest to me having an issue with "Jeeps" and I'm expecting them to ride like a smooth car. - No.

A noise is a noise. I paid him just for even looking into it even though he didn't want money - time is money and I'm stand up like that.

But, now the sound is louder and louder. But when I bring it to the dealer are they gonna give me crap bc I upgraded my tires (33" x 12.5) and not cover it?

Any help would be great. Thanks for reading. Sorry I ranted a bit.

😁✌🏽️
 
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#2 ·
How many miles?
 
#3 ·
But, now the sound is louder and louder. But when I bring it to the dealer are they gonna give me crap bc I upgraded my tires (33" x 12.5) and not cover it?
The MM Act which gives you some protection on warranties requires the warrantor to prove that any changes you made affected the failed component. So the good news is the probative burden is on them to prove your mods or driving caused the early failure.
But like lift an u-joint, the fact is larger tires do increase stress to ball joint.

so you are at risk. In general though since the warantor is FCA not the dealer, the dealer may well fix it no hassle as long as -- and especially if -- they have no reason to think FCA otherwise knows you may have contributory change, which could end up with the dealer doing the work and not getting paid by FCA if another dealer had noted any modifications

If you do get turned down, stand your ground at least to the extent of filing with your state attorney general. Ball joints may not be worth hiring your own attorney

Good luck!
 
#11 ·
The MM Act which gives you some protection on warranties requires the warrantor to prove that any changes you made affected the failed component. So the good news is the probative burden is on them to prove your mods or driving caused the early failure. But like lift an u-joint, the fact is larger tires do increase stress to ball joint. so you are at risk. In general though since the warantor is FCA not the dealer, the dealer may well fix it no hassle as long as -- and especially if -- they have no reason to think FCA otherwise knows you may have contributory change, which could end up with the dealer doing the work and not getting paid by FCA if another dealer had noted any modifications If you do get turned down, stand your ground at least to the extent of filing with your state attorney general. Ball joints may not be worth hiring your own attorney Good luck!
Thank you so much for this in depth response. This was very informative for future reference as well as now. Below a member suggested that I get an alignment done first and post it.

I think I'm going to go this route first.
 
#4 ·
Before trying to have the ball joints replaced under warranty, I would take it to a shop and have an alignment check done on it. Then post the alignment sheet here for some follow up comments/diagnosis. There's shops by me that do the alignment check for free, it's the follow up work to correct the alignment that costs $.

A clunk/clanking sound while turning could be a tie rod, or a Track bar bushing, or a ball joint.

Ball joint problem will show up as a camber alignment problem. Tie rod will show up as a toe alignment problem and a Track bar should have no effect on alignment. So that's why I feel an alignment check would provide a better feel for what the problem may be with more certainty.

The larger tires can be used as a determination that they caused the ball joints to fail. So there is some possibility that the warranty claim could be denied. Best to get the alignment check, since the more info you have before going into the dealer can only help you.
 
#7 ·
I have over 50,000 miles and wheel pretty hard and have always run heavy tires and my stock ball joints are rock solid still. I would be looking else where. Crawl under and retorq every nut and bolt. Shock bolts and sway bar links are often over looked
 
#8 ·
No, 33" tires do not void your warranty, just take it to the dealer and have them look at it. Just be nice and I am sure most dealers will help you out. Diagnosing over the internet without you getting under the Jeep is going to be tough.

loose shock mount bolts come to mind...
 
#9 ·
No, 33" tires do not void your warranty, just take it to the dealer and have them look at it. Just be nice and I am sure most dealers will help you out. Diagnosing over the internet without you getting under the Jeep is going to be tough.
loose shock mount bolts come to mind...
Yes she should take it in.

I did not say "void" warranty. You can't do much at all to actually void are warranty short of buying a vehicle that is actually totaled.

You can certainly end your warranty rights to a component or system by making alterations that affect it. Larger tires and lifts can sure as heck affect warranty on suspension parts. And it is not just height of tires, but width and weight of tires too. As well as lifts used. We don't know if she has a lift. There are wheels and 33 tires on some rigs here that are likely 40% more rolling weight than factory and that can cause earlier wear.

You are correct about most dealers being willing to help out, especially if it s minor lift and moderate tires. It is in their interest as they will get paid by FCA for the parts and labor. But if mods are noted by another dealer this could already be noted on national internal database for the vehicle and they may well believe FCA will refuse to pay them
 
#10 ·
I had something similar when going over washboard or bumpy roads and it was one of my rear lower shock bolts. the threads were worn off the bolt. I replaced all the shock bolts with smooth shoulder bolts. Clunking can also occur with the tracbar bolt which is also threaded.
amazing how much clunking u can get from just a fraction of an inch between the bushing and the bolt.
 
#16 ·
I had something similar when going over washboard or bumpy roads and it was one of my rear lower shock bolts. the threads were worn off the bolt. I replaced all the shock bolts with smooth shoulder bolts. Clunking can also occur with the tracbar bolt which is also threaded. amazing how much clunking u can get from just a fraction of an inch between the bushing and the bolt.
You know what. The only thing he Didn't check were my shock bolts. I'm gonna get under there tomorrow (in the rain) and check those out. That makes a lot of sense.

So basically, gonna get an alignment check, check all my bolts (again) and just bring it in. Worst case scenario I just buy an entirely new front end steering system and use it as an excuse. 😁
 
#15 ·
Ball joints and tie rods do not clank when worn out. It's something else like a shock mounts or control arms...... Your good guy did you a disservice by not Id'ing what was clanking. Someone is going to have to crawl under and find what's clanking. It's not unusual to have bad ball joints and or tie rods at 20k.
 
#18 ·
Since the stock tires on the Sport S, Sahara and Rubicon are all 32" and 10" wide (255 mm) the 33" tires are not that much over sized. Compared to the 29" tires are are stock on the base Sport, they seem much larger.

What would be more critical to the life of the ball joints would be regular lubrication. One good reason to have the regular oil changes done at a Jeep dealer is that any issues on suspension lubrication or issues with oil filters are still their problem. I know this goes against the desire of those who like to do their own service because then they know it's done right, but the issue is really documentation that the service was done.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Most 33 I have seen are not merely 10% more tire, most are not pizza cutters and in fact can be 20% or more additional weight than the factory stock jeep tire. some of the ones I see people talking about are very heavy. If there is any increased rolling weight there is in fact addition stress on steering and front suspension.They often have a larger contact area which can also add stress to components.

All I am saying is while the burden of proof is on the warrantor, it is not a burden of proof like in a criminal trial or something you would see on TV. They are a huge company and can easily have promulgated expert opinion and favorable cases/findings already.

It is in the interest of FCA to deny claims where anything that is higher stress than factory is installed. The vehicle in question has that.

It is mostly in the dealers' interest to ignore modifications, do the warranty work and charge FCA -- if they think they will not run into a problem with FCA. Ie if FCA dos not know.

The problem is the dealer could note the mod, in which case FCA and all subsequent dealers woudl see it on their internal vehicle history notes.

This means for an expensive warranty issue that could well involve a denial or attempt to deny, your best strategy is to go to third party shop and pay them to assess and identify the issue. I fit is very expensive you might want to remove mod first, or in the case of large tires swap to factory tires first and then try the dealer.

It is also true that we can't diagnose it here.
 
#19 ·
No way to lube stock ball joints.
 
#23 · (Edited)
The steering tie rod and drag link on my 2013 Rubicon started rattling at 13,000 miles, and the steering felt loose under heavy braking; they couldn't be re-tightened any more due to wear.

My Rubicon had 35" MT tires, weighing 90lb each and offering a significantly wider contact patch, on 17x8.5 AEV wheels with less backspacing and, at some point, it even had wheel spacers which not only added weight but changed the track width significantly, altering the geometry of the forces hitting the steering components.

My dealer of 10+ years is mod- and offroad friendly. When I brought in my Rubicon, the Service Manager, whom I know, candidly assessed that given my setup he wasn't going to be able to solve the issue under warranty; I needed beefier aftermarket parts.

At first I wasn't happy to hear that I'd need to replace steering components at 13,000 miles. But with the advise of knowledgeable guys on the JK Tech Forum on here, I ended replacing the factory components with a beefier YETI setup 9,000 miles ago and never looked back: the rattling is gone, the loose steering is gone and now the Jeep tracks more assuredly than it ever did.

Jeep dealers are understandably skeptical of steering claims given how we like to modify our vehicles, and some of us can react like children by refusing to accept that our cherished mods do, in fact, have an impact on the premature wear of some factory components.

OP: if I were you, I'd wait for the new job to kick in, save some money, beef up your steering components and move on.
 
#43 ·
The steering tie rod and drag link on my 2013 Rubicon started rattling at 13,000 miles, and the steering felt loose under heavy braking; they couldn't be re-tightened any more due to wear. My Rubicon had 35" MT tires, weighing 90lb each and offering a significantly wider contact patch, on 17x8.5 AEV wheels with less backspacing and, at some point, it even had wheel spacers which not only added weight but changed the track width significantly, altering the geometry of the forces hitting the steering components. My dealer of 10+ years is mod- and offroad friendly. When I brought in my Rubicon, the Service Manager, whom I know, candidly assessed that given my setup he wasn't going to be able to solve the issue under warranty; I needed beefier aftermarket parts. At first I wasn't happy to hear that I'd need to replace steering components at 13,000 miles. But with the advise of knowledgeable guys on the JK Tech Forum on here, I ended replacing the factory components with a beefier YETI setup 9,000 miles ago and never looked back: the rattling is gone, the loose steering is gone and now the Jeep tracks more assuredly than it ever did. Jeep dealers are understandably skeptical of steering claims given how we like to modify our vehicles, and some of us can react like children by refusing to accept that our cherished mods do, in fact, have an impact on the premature wear of some factory components. OP: if I were you, I'd wait for the new job to kick in, save some money, beef up your steering components and move on.
New job kicked in. So I'm thinking of an entirely new setup for the steering components. Honestly, I wanted to get 35s anyway, so I might as well prepare for them.
 
#28 ·
Bigger wheels & tires are a grey area for sure. One can quote the MM Act all day but there is a deviation from factory spec. I'm sure the hard parts wouldn't be compromised, but, consumables (ball joints, bushings, bearings, etc) can definitely be affected. Unless it's goodwill, they are definitely within their rights to deny the claim. The spirit of the Law is to protect the consumer's rights using non-OEM parts that are within spec. We assume a certain amount of liability when we knowingly "upgrade" a part, if not just for the part itself, but also the labor to install it.
 
#34 ·
Early failure of ball joints is indicative of inadequate lubrication. If you are doing heavy off road use, then the standard lubrication schedule is inadequate. Your standard oil change schedule may be as well. The owners manual usually has two maintenance schedules, a regular and a heavy duty which requires more frequent oil changes and lubrication. You may be even beyond that and may need to thing about lubricating every 1,000 miles or even after every extensive off road trip.

I have had straight axles 4x4 vehicles for over 25 years, many went over 100,000 miles, most went at least 60,000 and I have never had to change ball joints.
 
#36 · (Edited)
You can't grease stock ball joints no grease zerks sealed units. New jks have no zerks. I'm guessing he has not been under a jk and is thinking of older rigs.
 
#37 ·
another place u could have play.. the track bar bolts. i had a major clunk in front end the factory uses trac bar bolts fully threaded and too small for the holes in the frame and diff and they act like a file and wear out the holes i replaced mine with grade 8 9/16th bolts and thick washers. have not had a clunk since. its a 10 shot that either way is a major upgrade to you jeep anyway.
 
#40 ·
I kinda just want to replace all the steering components to aftermarket and ball joints too. The thing is, she's under warranty so my Jeep guy said to just have them do it. He said that even if I replaced my ball joints with aftermarket - he'll have to eventually replace it anyway.

Obviously, I'm not mechanically inclined and it's frustrating not knowing what it is and everyone is just "assuming" when I bring it to them.
 
#47 ·
Unless you really beat on it off road I don't think things are worn out at 20,000 miles. I think you need to get under and check every nut and bolt. Also have someone rock it back and forth side to side while you are underneath to see if you can locate the noise. Hit the joints with silicon spray see if that helps
 
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