Ball joint fell out of LCA??????

[Robotazky]

So the shop that's installing my Koni FSDs called at 4:30 today, after the car going in at 9:00 am, to tell me that "the ball joint on the driver's side fell out of the control arm". I looked at the LCA and they had tried to TIG weld it in the LCA. There were also some decent gouge marks in the knuckle where the ball joint had been. I think somehow the mechanic f***** it up. Can anyone think how during installation of a strut that a stupid mechanic could have actually caused the ball joint to come out of the LCA? It's hard to imagine, but at the same time, I really have a skeptical eye on Mazda having the nerve to make an LCA/ball joint that is so crappy that they just came apart. The whole thing just pisses me off. I'm only paying $106 for a Moog replacement, no labor, so it's not the end of the world, but damn this sucks.

 

[phunky.buddha]

You sure you can't get the shop to cover the part too? Sounds like they screwed it up in the first place- it shouldn't just fall apart like that.

 

[Davicho]

You sure you can't get the shop to cover the part too? Sounds like they screwed it up in the first place- it shouldn't just fall apart like that.

100% agree with him...^^

 

[tech_az]

I doubt it just "fell out". The arm probably broke at the point where it connects to the ball joint as a result of them using excessive force.

 

[Robotazky]

I have very little doubt after the amateur trashed my interior that it fell out. But here's more evidence:

1.) I asked them why they were planning to buy another LCA and not just press a new ball joint in. The manager responded by saying it took enough labor that it was more effective to just replace the LCA. Fair enough.

2.) I saw the LCA in a vice with slag on it where it had been welded on.

If the ball joint had deteriorated into more than one piece, they wouldn't have tried welding it back in. This means it wasn't the ball joint. It also means that the LCA would have been defective in some way if it wasn't the ball joint. So, why then would the manager have not just said the LCA should not be reused? Busted.

I don't know how they trashed it, but I know they did and told him that. After several thousand $$$ in tires and other work they've done for me, I'm done with them. It's OK to make mistakes, but not to pass the buck on to the customer and lie about it.

Luckily, I have so far been able to get about 80% of the oily dirt off the door fabric with a lint roller. It's the kind without tape. The really sticky stuff. They are miraculous at picking up dirt, unless you have an idiot like my Mazda dealer who got dirt on there and when asked, looked at it, then just rubbed it in. I seriously yelled, "you idiot"!! Damn the world is full of some really, really stupid people. But, my sticky roller helps to nullify their stupidity on a regular basis, so I'm happy about that.

 

[phunky.buddha]

Sweet, will have to try the lint roller.