Ball Joints On My 73 Dart

[Mike's Dart]

I'll tell you what, I have not spent this much time in parking lots chatting with folks I have never met prior to purchasing my old Dart! After another "nickel tour" of my old car this afternoon, the gentleman mentioned that one of the few faults with the Dodge Darts of this era was the ball joints were weak. Now I have driven this car about 800 miles and find nothing odd about how it handles or rides. Is there anything I should be looking for that might indicate the ball joints may need replaced? Thanks in advance!

Mike

 

[AJ/FormS]

Well the 73s were stronger than the 72s!
Your BJs are the same type and size, that came in the E-body Challengers/Cudas and the B-bodies. Those Joints supported Hemi's, and went 150mph.
Your helpful parkinglot-friend is neither helpful nor a friend.

If he wants to talk weak, he should be talking about the teensy spindles on the 9inch drum cars from 72 and older. That is the only weaklink I have seen.And really they do a fine job in the 6-cylinder cars that they came on. They don't all just give up either, the moment you put a 360 on them. But if you start stuffing them hard into corners with one, there's a pretty good chance, sooner or later,a wheel will be wheeling on down the road without you.I remember this one time... in about 1978 or 79........

 

[Mike's Dart]

Well the 73s were stronger than the 72s!
Your BJs are the same type and size, that came in the E-body Challengers/Cudas and the B-bodies. Those Joints supported Hemi's, and went 150mph.
Your helpful parkinglot-friend is neither helpful nor a friend.

If he wants to talk weak, he should be talking about the teensy spindles on the 9inch drum cars from 72 and older. That is the only weaklink I have seen.And really they do a fine job in the 6-cylinder cars that they came on. They don't all just give up either, the moment you put a 360 on them. But if you start stuffing them hard into corners with one, there's a pretty good chance, sooner or later,a wheel will be wheeling on down the road without you.I remember this one time... in about 1978 or 79........

That's good news!! As I mentioned, handles real nice and rides the same! I did purchase a spare ballast resister today. Better to have one and not need it, rather than need one and not have it!

 

[attenuated]

I would recommend a shot of grease on the lower ball joints frequently. If you drive it daily, a shot once a month is cheap insurance.

 

[doogievlg]

I bought my 73 swing 11 years ago with 31,000. I do not drive it a ton but I grease the ball joints once in the summer and once in the winter. I have never heard them make a peep and the car drives better than my two other much newer cars. Mine will be getting replaced this winter when I switch to disc brakes but it is not because they are failing.

 

[Mike's Dart]

I bought my 73 swing 11 years ago with 31,000. I do not drive it a ton but I grease the ball joints once in the summer and once in the winter. I have never heard them make a peep and the car drives better than my two other much newer cars. Mine will be getting replaced this winter when I switch to disc brakes but it is not because they are failing.

Nice car!! I will get after some grease on the ball joints! Thanks for the advice!
Mike

 

[RedFish]

I don't know if any one ball joint is notably weaker than another. I've replaced crowd of them in every brand. Most recent completely separated lower ball joint I saw was a 2001 Mustang. The owner suggested that a speed bump in his apartment complex that he crossed while turning in and out of his parking space day after day might have been a contributing factor. Right there is where it broke apart so who knows?
I know he bought the car used about a year earlier. I found that it had been wrecked in that left front corner. I know we replaced the OEM ball joint. Was it damaged in the collision? Anyway...
Use, pot holes, egg shaped or out of balance tires, etc... are the wear factors for all suspension components.
As for grease... I wish I had a nickel for every blown out boot, huge gob of grease I've seen. Grease isn't a cure, too much does more harm than good.

 

[doogievlg]

I don't know if any one ball joint is notably weaker than another. I've replaced crowd of them in every brand. Most recent completely separated lower ball joint I saw was a 2001 Mustang. The owner suggested that a speed bump in his apartment complex that he crossed while turning in and out of his parking space day after day might have been a contributing factor. Right there is where it broke apart so who knows?
I know he bought the car used about a year earlier. I found that it had been wrecked in that left front corner. I know we replaced the OEM ball joint. Was it damaged in the collision? Anyway...
Use, pot holes, egg shaped or out of balance tires, etc... are the wear factors for all suspension components.
As for grease... I wish I had a nickel for every blown out boot, huge gob of grease I've seen. Grease isn't a cure, too much does more harm than good.

I just replaced the ball joints on my 2000 Mustang. The left side made some noise for a day then stopped. A month later both started to make really bad noises the same day and it was to the point where I was nervous to drive it over to my parents to tear into it.