Boy do i got a story and warning to anyone getting new ball joints for a blazer.

Yesterday i decided i was going to finally finish replacing all of my ball joints (i only did driver side last time and the upper one the grease fitting tore out) so i made a little trip down to Autozone. I didnt want to spend alot of money on ball joints because im upgrading to to the solid axle so i went the cheap route and got a set of their "Valuecraft" ball joints, 2 uppers, 1 lower.

So i set off and got to work on replacing them starting with the one on the driver side that failed because i only had to unbolt that one to replace it. So i go through and install it and start putting grease in when i notice that its puking grease like mad right out of the boot. So, rather irritated, i pull it all apart and the boot failedhalfway through the boot right on one of the manufacturing seams. I figure, eh could be a manufacturing defect, big deal ill take it back.

So i run back to autozone. They dont have any more of the valuecrafts and the upgraded duralasts they are out of as well. No big deal i get a refund for the messed up one and just go home and figure ill install the other upper i got and just call it a day for now.

Taking more caution now i install the second on making sure nothing stretches or tears. Got it all set and then i fill it with grease. This time it leaks because the rubber tore at another manufacturing seam only thisone is the lip that holds it in the cup. Now im pretty torqued. So i hit up another autozone and figure ill just eat the cost and upgrade to the duralasts like i should have originally.

I get down there and tell the guy behind the counter what i went through and that i wanted to just upgrade this ball joint and pickup another and just pay the difference. Because the guy felt sorry for me not only did he upgrade my ball joint to the duralastfor free, he gave me another duralast ball joint for free as well. So, once all was said and done i got about $60 worth of upper ball joints for under $20. Not a bad deal, eh?

Got home and looked over the new ones and they are much better. Same design, just thicker rubberboot (that doesnt tear like paper)and a little better ball joint itself. Plunked it in and it works like a champ.

Moral of this story, autozone FTW!!! and dont buy "valuecrap" parts.

 

Balljoints help keep the wheels attatched... I wouldn't cheap out on them


At least you didn't have them pop on the highway!

 

[blockquote]
What do you expect when you buy the cheapest part on the market. You got what you paid for.[/blockquote]

 

Yeah i know, i shouldnt be cheap but I'm a little tight on cash right now (though no where near as bad as your situation, that still sux man, but hopefully warranty will save ya) so i figured i could save a buck or two. But hey, i saved over $40 on stronger ball joints so it worked out for the best in the end.

Speaking of highway,the one that lost the fitting was completely grenaded on the inside, it was all chewed to heck, and um well....i have to drive the freeway to go to class everyday so i was flirtin with disaster. (does that qualify for an honerable mention for the darwin award??? LOL)

I expected it to not be made of phail, LOL. The rubber on those thingsis soo crappy. I can believe thats "OE" spec. Especially since the originals have rubber almostas thick as the duralasts.

 

wow ya cheap parts there for u lol sweet deal tho u got the better ones for free!

 

Yeah I did the duralasts this last fall and they are still good after 2,000 miles so far. They weren't too expensive either.

 

You all don't know the half of it, LOL im the one that got a phone call over autozone's lack of having a quality part!! Psst rob we need to get together for a photo shoot I got some more done to the blaze!!!

 

LOL, you used to work for em so you get flak everytime i get something there that sux. I got hooked up though so its all good.

.....So you mean i gotta wash all the mudd off Dale again????? Ug, i guess another trip to black canyon carwash with $12 in quarters is in order. [&o]

 

LOL dang dude that sux a normal car wash here costs like $3-4 but i wash cars at a lexus dealership for my job so my blazer gets to stay nice and clean for free o and if u come up here i could get u a free wash lol but idk if its worth it to drive all the way up here just for a free wash cuz that would be kinda expensive lol

 

Yeah I used to work at a Saturn Dealership so my car was always clean. Now i just used the $5-6 car wash unless I have lots of mud, then I use the quarter hand pressure wash. I usually use about $4-5 there and then depending on how lazy I am, I run it through the automatic car wash a couple days later.

You mean you actually have mud down in AZ now? I guess its the winter time so you get the nice rain showers occasionally and its 50-70 degrees out yet.