Sears installed ball joint!

[airspeed]

I had the Comanche in for a set of tires and front end alignment, they gave me the ball joint routine. I went out with the tech and felt the play in the upper right and there was a little bit of movement, I would say about .028". They would not gurantee the tires or the alignment unless I fixed the ball joints. I thought I will take this home and do it, then I though let Sears do it. This is not a complicated task, what could they do wrong. I brought it home and it drove real nice, tracked straight down the road. 200 miles later I decided to take a look at their work, my heart skipped a beat. There were no zirk fittings in any of the ball joints and the upper right, a picture is worth a thousand words.

[Automan2164]

Ouch! I would take that back immediately, and complain. That amount of force and hammering is excessive. They make ball joint presses for that. Not the BFH in the bottom drawer.

 

Keep us posted.

Rob L.

[jpdocdave]

i've seen a lot of sh&t in my day, but that.....was......awesome, oh sorry about your car man -tommy boy.

 

 

awesome is the first word that came to mind when i saw that, not the good awesome, but the really sarcastic one.

 

its amazing who they let work on cars.

[Eagle]

Absolutely, take it back and complain -- LOUDLY. If they give you any static whatsoever, don't argue -- just drive directly to the nearest department of motor vehicles office (or whatever agency in your state licenses repair facilities) and file a formal complaint.

 

The gorilla who did that job should be sweeping floors, not working on automotive suspensions.

[comanche09]

Wow! I'm not sure I would take that back for THEM to repair... I would have them give you a refund or some kind of compensation...

 

Out of curiosity, how much was the bill for the replacement?

[aemsee]

was the play vertical or lateral? that much vertical play for a dana 30 is pretty much normal. I would get a full refund and get them changed some place else.

 

for all the "stealership" bashing that goes on in Jeep forums, I have seen WAY more of this type of butchery from chains than dealers.

[mvusse]

:eek:

[dasbulliwagen]

The only techs that get jobs at chain stores are the ones who can't get hired by dealers or good independants. I wouldnt trust anything beyond a tire change at a chain store. Document the problem, make them aware of it, and have it fixed somewhere else. If they say they won't pay, tell the manager that your lawyer will be contacting him!

[terrawombat]

Please list the location of the Sear's that did this butchery so others know not to go there.

[Eagle]

Please list the location of the Sear's that did this butchery so others know not to go there.

USA

 

Seriously -- going to any Sears or similar chain for repairs of anything important is a gamble, and the odds are stacked against you.

[terrawombat]

Please list the location of the Sear's that did this butchery so others know not to go there.

USA

 

Seriously -- going to any Sears or similar chain for repairs of anything important is a gamble, and the odds are stacked against you.

 

Touche.

 

I wish i had some pictures of my friend's oil drain plug butchery he received from Jiffy Lube. Completely rounded off with stripped threads - an impact wrench was definitely used. They paid for a new oil pan and claim they fired the tech who worked on his vehicle.

[kastein]

:eek: omg :eek:

 

Good lord I would never take my vehicle back there again.

 

When I worked at a chain quicklube (Valvoline) we did in fact fire people who did crap like that... it got expensive fast when we had a new retard working. One guy was dumber than paint and even though he'd been told multiple times, continued to use oil filter removal pliers to install new filters. We kept an eye on him as much as possible but once in a while he managed to sneak one by us, after two cars came back with mangled filters that let most of the oil out on the road, he got canned.

 

We did in fact see a LOT of vehicles that'd been to jiffy lube with twisted-off or stripped drain plugs. They may not even tell you and simply install what's called a "last-chance plug" to get you out the door - this amounts to a molly bolt, two 1" round pieces of rubber sheet, some fender washers, and a machine screw. Whenever we found one of those on a vehicle we'd show the customer and ask them where they went last... it was usually jiffy lube.

[dakal]

ugg

[Geonovast]

That's exactly why "professionals" don't touch my Jeeps.

 

I may not be the best mechanic out there, but there's no way I'd ever take a hammer to a balljoint.

[mvusse]

The only techs that get jobs at chain stores are the ones who can't get hired by dealers or good independants. I wouldnt trust anything beyond a tire change at a chain store. Document the problem, make them aware of it, and have it fixed somewhere else. If they say they won't pay, tell the manager that your lawyer will be contacting him!

 

After an idget at Walmart somehow pulled my shifter out of it's linkage, then tried to blow himself up by attempting to pop the bead on the first tire without removing the valve core first and insisting he was all finished and I could pull it out when the lug nuts were laying on the floor beside my vehicle, I don't even trust them to do that any more.

[freakjeep93]

The only techs that get jobs at chain stores are the ones who can't get hired by dealers or good independants. I wouldnt trust anything beyond a tire change at a chain store. Document the problem, make them aware of it, and have it fixed somewhere else. If they say they won't pay, tell the manager that your lawyer will be contacting him!

 

After an idget at Walmart somehow pulled my shifter out of it's linkage, then tried to blow himself up by attempting to pop the bead on the first tire without removing the valve core first and insisting he was all finished and I could pull it out when the lug nuts were laying on the floor beside my vehicle, I don't even trust them to do that any more.

 

thats so terrible its kinda funny. another place to never take a vehicle to is candian tire. my mom took her ca in one time and they said it needed a exhaust. there was no rust on it and it just needed a clamp

[Geonovast]

I read an article in a Madison paper a few years ago, from Wal Mart, stating that they were no longer pulling oil pan plugs out of vehicles during oil changes, for two reason.

 

1. Their techs were not trained how to reinstall them, so they were either being over tightened, or not tightened enough, resulting in them falling out. :wall:

 

2. By using a vacuum down the dipstick tube, they're able to get "more" out of the pan, resulting in a cleaner oil change. :hmm: I only had a tire put on a rim there once because I needed it, like, NOW, and it was a Sunday, so all the other places were closed. They did not remove the wheel from the vehicle or install it, I did that in the parking lot.

[maddzz1]

Whats the problem? That looks like a pretty clean weld. :no: j/k

[airspeed]

Update: I talked to the service writer and tried to explain to him that the work was not done properly, he went and got the tech that did the work and the conversation went down hill from there. The technician had severe OD, opposition disorder. What ever you said to him he would take an immediate opposing view and then want to argue the point. I finally got to the service manager and he agreed they would take it back in and look at it. In talking with all three people I heard several times, "why would you worry, it has a lifetime gurantee". I dropped it off and stopped by the next day. They replace both ball joints on the right side and managed to get 3 of the 4 zerk fittings installed.

 

I think they are using the wrong tool for that ball joint and not getting them installed straight, then they have to beat on them with a hammer to try and square them up. The tool they use presses from the top of the ball joint. It does not hold the part perpendicular to the steering knuckle. The tool I saw at another shop had a sleeve that went over the OD and pressed on the outer flange.

 

It steers good and tracks down the road nice. I’m not going back, I have learned my lesson. That was a $489 lesson.

 

You turn 25 and spend the rest of your life learning what you don't know.

[bigd44889]

lol it don't work like that around here

you would have taken it to a shop of you choice and had them all replaced

walmart would have paid the bill

no aguing about it

dad hit a pot hole in the parking lot and broke the plastic gas line on his car

thay told him to take it to the dealership and have it fixed and they reinburst him every cent and a $50 dollar gift card for his trouble

[mvusse]

Update: I talked to the service writer and tried to explain to him that the work was not done properly, he went and got the tech that did the work and the conversation went down hill from there. The technician had severe OD, opposition disorder. What ever you said to him he would take an immediate opposing view and then want to argue the point. I finally got to the service manager and he agreed they would take it back in and look at it. In talking with all three people I heard several times, "why would you worry, it has a lifetime gurantee". I dropped it off and stopped by the next day. They replace both ball joints on the right side and managed to get 3 of the 4 zerk fittings installed.

 

I think they are using the wrong tool for that ball joint and not getting them installed straight, then they have to beat on them with a hammer to try and square them up. The tool they use presses from the top of the ball joint. It does not hold the part perpendicular to the steering knuckle. The tool I saw at another shop had a sleeve that went over the OD and pressed on the outer flange.

 

It steers good and tracks down the road nice. I’m not going back, I have learned my lesson. That was a $489 lesson.

 

You turn 25 and spend the rest of your life learning what you don't know.

 

Even a relatively inexpensive $100 ball joint press kit has the correct sleeves that fit over the top and press on the flange on Jeep ball joints.

[Geonovast]

I heard several times, "why would you worry, it has a lifetime gurantee"

 

Did you explain to them that a massive upper ball joint failure could cause your lifetime to end?