PatrickP

When making a sharp turn up a steep drive Friday I heard a pop and the right front dropped. After removing the tire, I found the problem in the attached photo. Can I just attempt to pop this back in or do I need new hardware? If the latter, is this an expensive fix?

BTW, what I am assuming used to be grease in the socket was more like dust.

Thanks

Mike Frye

Ouch. Never saw one pop out before.

Parts are cheap. I don't think it will go back in, and if so, nothing will keep it there.

Check with the big 3, you'll need an alignment after you replace it, but it's not that hard to replace.

Adam Geist

Definately replace it - if it popped out once it will do it again. I strongly recommend you replace the other side as well.

PatrickP

Great. Thanks. Can you advise as to what exacly I need to be ordering?

David L. Lutz

928 341 049 12 (One for each side) This is the part number for the '85.

Be sure and give your year of car. Very important as for a '87 this part is different. Just went thru getting the incorrect one.

dr bob

Check the rest of the parts WYAIT. That kind of wear and failure is almost always the result of a torn rubber boot. There are upper balljoints, yje lower s that you discovered, the tie rods and tie rod ends, and the boots on the steering rack. All are normal wearing parts and need to be replaced on some regular basis. Might as well take care of them all at the same time, since the car will be up and the whole thing will need alignmnet a couple times when you are done. Shocks tired/original? Now's the time for those too.

kjurkic

Just curious, but do you know if that was a steel or aluminum ball joint?

K

Jim bailey - 928 International

Looks like an aluminum ball joint carrier, early car. Fairly common failure it MUST BE REPLACED. You also need to replace one of the eccentric castor camber adjusters since the replacement has a steel carrier. We have all the parts in stock.

Bill Ball

What would an 85 be doing with an aluminum carrier??

Jim bailey - 928 International

It might have been replaced in the past with an older used part ?? or my eyes might be failing IF it was a steel carrier ball joint that would be the FIRST one I know about that came apart.

AO

That ball looks rusty to me. I'll bet the boot failed a long time ago and allowed debris to get in. You're lucky it didn't happen at 100+MPH!

Jim bailey - 928 International

Perhaps one reason why Porsche flipped over the ball joint for the later 86 > that makes the ball want to pop IN instead of OUT .

Bill Ball

Very hard for me to tell from the pic, but it looks like the more shapely later steel carrier to me. Put a magnet on it.

AO

Agree with Bill. Looks like a steel version. Doesn't look like there was any grease in there. Look at the shiney circle at the top of the ball.

Tom928

So once your do replace the BJ (and eccentrics if aluminum), how do you set the alignment so you can drive the car and allow the suspension to settle?

Thanks,