New Ball Joint Issue

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BentSpurs

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Three weeks ago I had the upper and lower ball joints replaced on our ‘96 Bronco with Moog parts. Today I noticed the lower one on passenger side w a seal bulge.
What would cause this?
Is this a part or installation issue?
Trying to determine how to best broach this with the shop.
Besides odd appearance, is this a big deal other than likely failure w ensuing grease leaking out and allowing water, dirt, in?

Thanks!
 

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johnnyreb

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Three weeks ago I had the upper and lower ball joints replaced on our ‘96 Bronco with Moog parts. Today I noticed the lower one on passenger side w a seal bulge.
What would cause this?
Is this a part or installation issue?
Trying to determine how to best broach this with the shop.
Besides odd appearance, is this a big deal other than likely failure w ensuing grease leaking out and allowing water, dirt, in?

Thanks!
Probably a thin part of the rubber in that one area. Moog has a guarantee and where you bought them . They should be replaced WITHOUT any problem and I ,d contact MOOG with a picture and the bill what it cost. All honesty. They should pay it without any problem. I hope they do--I have the same kind from MOOG. If they won,t. Be sure to tell them you will tell everyone on the internet about their crappy parts. That should help them LOOSE business and they don,t want bad publicity. Good luck.
 

miesk5

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Yo BentSpurs,
Welcome!
Send pic to shop or person who replaced that joint.

Contact MOOG @ https://www.moogparts.com/contact.html
"Product Complaint
Complete this form and a customer service representative will contact you."
They describe it as a neoprene boot.

ASAP, find out if speed control recall work, if equipped was completed. If you still have concerns about Recalls, please contact the Ford Customer Relationship Center:
US: 800-392-3673 | CA: 800-565-3673
Note: 3673 spells "FORD" on phone keys
For the hearing- or speech-impaired: Please contact the Telecommunication Relay Service by dialing 71
... have VIN ready.
"Summary: ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE."
To confirm current status, use this guide by jowens1126 @ 93 & 94-96 Cruise Control Recalls Repair
Note that the 93 recall is different than the 94-96 recall.
Here's the 1996 Bronco/F-Series Workshop Manual partial

96 Bronco Owner's Guide, Maintenance Schedules & Parts and Accessories by Ford @ Owner Manuals | fleet.ford.com

96 Bronco Dealer Brochure @ 1996 Ford Bronco Technical Info pictures, videos, and sounds | SuperMotors.net ... scroll down

96 Bronco Quick Tips Brochure Excerpts & some Eddie Bauer options @ 1983 Ford Bronco 96 EB Bronco Brochures pictures, videos, and sounds | SuperMotors.net

Al
 

paul rondelli

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Well that *****.

These are on my radar to replace soon. My cheap *** will not pay a shop ... probably exceeds my 300$ labor threshold per repair. It would really **** to have to pull them back off myself ... for a manufacturer ***** up. MOOG is now out as an option.
 

Tiha

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Most likely you will be told it was over greased.

Not saying that is the case, but just never had luck with shops doing good quality work AND standing behind it.
 
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BentSpurs

BentSpurs

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Three weeks ago I had the upper and lower ball joints replaced on our ‘96 Bronco with Moog parts. Today I noticed the lower one on passenger side w a seal bulge.
What would cause this?
Is this a part or installation issue?
Trying to determine how to best broach this with the shop.
Besides odd appearance, is this a big deal other than likely failure w ensuing grease leaking out and allowing water, dirt, in?

Thanks!
UPDATE: Called Moog today after I got no response or acknowledgement to the online form I submitted on their website last Thursday requesting part replacement and labor reimbursement to install.
Their CSR said they don't handle warranty issues direct and don't reimburse for labor. Got his supervisor's name and number, left him a voicemail re the issue. No reply so far.
I purchased the parts from Moog's storefront on Amazon.com. No claim or return info or mechanism there, dead end.
I'll never buy Moog again and will advise anyone else the same. Please spread the word. They don't back their product.
 

johnnyreb

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UPDATE: Called Moog today after I got no response or acknowledgement to the online form I submitted on their website last Thursday requesting part replacement and labor reimbursement to install.
Their CSR said they don't handle warranty issues direct and don't reimburse for labor. Got his supervisor's name and number, left him a voicemail re the issue. No reply so far.
I purchased the parts from Moog's storefront on Amazon.com. No claim or return info or mechanism there, dead end.
I'll never buy Moog again and will advise anyone else the same. Please spread the word. They don't back their product.
I don,t blame you and neither will I. Hear I have a set waiting to be installed. I,ll looked them over really good. ,but no way in telling about a thin spot on the boot. Thanks alot. I ,ll pass the word around.
 
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BentSpurs

BentSpurs

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UPDATE: After 3 hours online and the phone yesterday and five different CSRs, finally got Amazon to open a claim which only means they might <might> reimburse for labor cost to install a replacement ball joint. As for Moog, they only work w their comm'l accounts, not the consumer, on warranty claims so the part warranty is only as good as the one at your retailer/shop you buy from. More here: https://www.suspension.com/blog/what-is-moogs-warranty/
 

johnnyreb

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UPDATE: After 3 hours online and the phone yesterday and five different CSRs, finally got Amazon to open a claim which only means they might <might> reimburse for labor cost to install a replacement ball joint. As for Moog, they only work w their comm'l accounts, not the consumer, on warranty claims so the part warranty is only as good as the one at your retailer/shop you buy from. More here: https://www.suspension.com/blog/what-is-moogs-warranty/
Well MOOG can shove their products where the sun don,t shine from me. The reason they can,nt pay you. They have to give multi million dollar bonus to the ceos. That ,s why everything cost so much. Plus ship the jobs overseas and pay the workers their very little.
 

DNBELOWBRONCO

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That's the hard part about buying things online. If somebody brings a part, or has their aftermarket warranty contract insurance company supply a used engine, because they don't like our new engine price, into our Ford dealership, we will install it but we won't warranty it because you or they supplied the part. If you buy the part from us and have us install it that's a different thing because we buy the part from our supplier and have a relationship with them. We'll get you a complete new part, put it back on, no part cost, no labor, no nothing! That's because if they want to keep our business they know they need to replace the part, buy online and they could give a rat's ***! It ***** but it's true. You save a couple of dollars but then look at the leg work you go through to try and return a part, new, defective, whatever 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬.
Kevin.
 

DNBELOWBRONCO

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Plus, I've been a back counterman for Ford for, well forever, and I've used Moog products exclusively if I don't get OEM stuff for years! They have always been a great vendor and produce a fantastic, as close to OEM quality product, as anyone out there. That picture looks to me like somehow that was pinched and it compromised the rubber and then when they filled it up with grease it protruded out from that side. I don't know so much it was a defect on the part as it was probably the installer but just my 2 cents.
 

johnnyreb

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That's the hard part about buying things online. If somebody brings a part, or has their aftermarket warranty contract insurance company supply a used engine, because they don't like our new engine price, into our Ford dealership, we will install it but we won't warranty it because you or they supplied the part. If you buy the part from us and have us install it that's a different thing because we buy the part from our supplier and have a relationship with them. We'll get you a complete new part, put it back on, no part cost, no labor, no nothing! That's because if they want to keep our business they know they need to replace the part, buy online and they could give a rat's ***! It ***** but it's true. You save a couple of dollars but then look at the leg work you go through to try and return a part, new, defective, whatever 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬.
Kevin.
You forgot to mention the hard part about the dealerships. They way over charge people and anything from PARTS TO LABOR. They hire alot of people off the street that know very little about mechanis--get paid little and the dealerships sticks the customers with high labor costs. The dealerships -owners won,t get their hands dirty or break sweat. Some on line store will treat you good. I have heard and seen people get ripped off alot more and worse buy dealerships. Whether the FIX the customers vehicle or not. They still rip the customers off. Look what the owners of the big garages live in and vacation places. Dealership also charge customers for warranty work but saying its not covered. Too many people talk about it. You can,nt paint the dealership as the way out of the way Mr or Miss nice person. I,ll never go to a dealer again.
 

johnnyreb

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You forgot to mention the hard part about the dealerships. They way over charge people and anything from PARTS TO LABOR. They hire alot of people off the street that know very little about mechanis--get paid little and the dealerships sticks the customers with high labor costs. The dealerships -owners won,t get their hands dirty or break sweat. Some on line store will treat you good. I have heard and seen people get ripped off alot more and worse buy dealerships. Whether the FIX the customers vehicle or not. They still rip the customers off. Look what the owners of the big garages live in and vacation places. Dealership also charge customers for warranty work but saying its not covered. Too many people talk about it. You can,nt paint the dealership as the way out of the way Mr or Miss nice person. I,ll never go to a dealer again.
Plus they buy the cheap China junk from the parts stores and charge a big fee for that. We all see it and know how they rip people off. More then the internet.
 
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BentSpurs

BentSpurs

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Plus, I've been a back counterman for Ford for, well forever, and I've used Moog products exclusively if I don't get OEM stuff for years! They have always been a great vendor and produce a fantastic, as close to OEM quality product, as anyone out there. That picture looks to me like somehow that was pinched and it compromised the rubber and then when they filled it up with grease it protruded out from that side. I don't know so much it was a defect on the part as it was probably the installer but just my 2 cents.
Hey Kevin,
Thanks for adding that perspective. I respect any legitimate, honest business must make money and protect itself to remain in business which most importantly includes preserving folks livelihoods. Naturally there are millions of situations and the background here is I bought the parts with the intention of installing them myself until my shoulder decided it's warranty runs out at 65 years without notice, lol. My go-to garage made an exception to install these but in retrospect I should have just returned them and bought from them albeit at a hefty markup so there would be no question if an issue arose. Well sure enough one did and it has been a slog sorting it out so lesson learned.
The GOOD NEWS is that my birddogging Amazon has resulted in them agreeing to send me a check to cover the cost of part & labor to r/r the bad balljoint. Now let's see if the check arrives!
Skal !
Craig
 

ragtop69

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You are paying the price for cutting corners to try to save a buck. By inserting yourself into the warranty chain you have let MOOG off the hook. You should start with the installer. Years ago when I was in college I used to work in gas stations to earn pocket money. When doing a grease job on a customer's car the rubber retainer would inflate and allow some grease to escape when it was full. That's how we knew when to stop pumping grease. After the job we would wipe down every joint that had grease on/in it. That bulge would have been totally obvious to the installer as he cleaned up your truck. He should have informed you at that time. If he didn't, he wasn't doing a responsible job and he was missing a potential follow on sale of a replacement part. I'd be busy reaming the installer rather than trying to get warranty coverage from the OEM when you bought their product from a third and unknown party. If you maintain a businesslike manner with the MOOG people they just might offer to replace the part and maybe the lazy a-hole who installed it would re-install it for free. IIWY, I'd inspect anything this "mechanic" did on my vehicle.
 
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BentSpurs

BentSpurs

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You are paying the price for cutting corners to try to save a buck. By inserting yourself into the warranty chain you have let MOOG off the hook. You should start with the installer. Years ago when I was in college I used to work in gas stations to earn pocket money. When doing a grease job on a customer's car the rubber retainer would inflate and allow some grease to escape when it was full. That's how we knew when to stop pumping grease. After the job we would wipe down every joint that had grease on/in it. That bulge would have been totally obvious to the installer as he cleaned up your truck. He should have informed you at that time. If he didn't, he wasn't doing a responsible job and he was missing a potential follow on sale of a replacement part. I'd be busy reaming the installer rather than trying to get warranty coverage from the OEM when you bought their product from a third and unknown party. If you maintain a businesslike manner with the MOOG people they just might offer to replace the part and maybe the lazy a-hole who installed it would re-install it for free. IIWY, I'd inspect anything this "mechanic" did on my vehicle.

Before lecturing it’s always a good idea to have full command of the facts. Like many Bronco owners I do a lot of work myself to save money and there is no shame in that whatsoever. If you’d read the thread you’d know i was intending to do the ball joints myself but a bad shoulder had other ideas. A trusted, reputable garage that has done a lot of work for me agreed to install them. I inspected their work on completion and there was no issue with any of the ball joints; this arose later. In speaking w a Moog CSR they said they do not handle consumer warranty issues direct, only through their commercial accounts. The vendor I bought them from, Amazon, that is responsible for handling the warranty issue has agreed to pay the part and labor cost to have the bad balljoint replaced.
 

johnnyreb

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UPDATE: Called Moog today after I got no response or acknowledgement to the online form I submitted on their website last Thursday requesting part replacement and labor reimbursement to install.
Their CSR said they don't handle warranty issues direct and don't reimburse for labor. Got his supervisor's name and number, left him a voicemail re the issue. No reply so far.
I purchased the parts from Moog's storefront on Amazon.com. No claim or return info or mechanism there, dead end.
I'll never buy Moog again and will advise anyone else the same. Please spread the word. They don't back their product.
Go to Amazon on MOOG,S STORE and tell everyone how you were done. They will loose business and say they will contact you and ask you. If they make it up. Will you give them a good review,but if you do. MAKE SURE THEY MAKE EVERYTHING RIGHT WITH YOU FIRST. I had a bad deal buying 2 cameras off a store in NYC. After I changed the review. The sob NEVER made it right with me.
 

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