2002 AWD Montana Rear Ball Joint

[gct4122]

I have a 2002 AWD Montana. I took it in to the dealer at 70,000 KMs for a creaking noise in the left rear. They took it for a test drive, bounced it up and down and no noise occurred.
Well at the 77,000 KMs, the left lower rear ball joint broke while driving. The rim was not bent, thus no curb was hit. Has anybody had the same problem with ball joint breaking loose?
Also the dealer said they cannot replace the ball joint alone but they have to replace the complete bracket which included the top and bottom ball joints (Cost 416.00 Part alone). Is it possible to replace the ball joint by itself?

A picture of the broken Ball joint is located at:

http://www.mts.net/~gtereck/

[cdru]

I haven't had one break on a vehicle that I own, but I have had to replace one that was starting to go south on a Talon I owned a while back. I have also been in a Bronco-like vehicle when one let loose. So yes they do wear out and/or break.

It's possible that the dealership doesn't replace JUST the ball joint but rather the entire lower control arm. Remember they don't use aftermarket parts. They use factory parts, of which the ball joint may not be available seperately. That doesn't mean the ball joint isn't replacable seperately though. My talon was this way. You had to press the old ball joint out and press the new one in if memory serves me correctly.

You might call a 3rd party suspension shop or mechanic to check and see if it can be done for your vehicle. Or check in a Haynes manual but I'm not sure if Haynes has a manual for a 2002 AWD.

If you do have to get the whole control arm, go to an online GM parts dealer like GMPartsDirect.com which will give you a heafty price break over the "MSRP" you get at your dealer.

Here is a suspension diagram from GMPartsDirect. It shows what appears to be a ball joint-like part (#5) is available seperately although they call it a "tube connector". It's $23.96SUD which makes me wonder if that is just the boot and not the actual joint. The control arm (#4) is $130.88USD. Even with currency conversion, it goes to show you what dealer markups are...

[Mines69Olds]

Yes they are pressed in. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I supported the lower control arm and used a (BFH) to pop the balljoint out. When it was out I cleaned the hole and to get the new one in I simply pushed it up with a jack until you it presses in. Dealerships are funny to deal with, that is why I don't. By the way I just want to ask do they seriously have CV joints on the rear of that van?

[gct4122]

Well after I read the reply and the cost of the part through GMPartsDirect.com. I did some complaining about the cost of the part. They then reduced the cost of the Left Lower Control Arm Assy to 299.06cdn from 416.00cdn. Still a little steep from the $130.88USD. They tried to source the ball joint separetly, but it came as a complete assembly. 2 hours labor to replace assembly.

I was talking to the mechanic after and he said the ball joint had very little grease in it. I thought these units were sealed and came from the factory filled with grease. Also I checked to see if grease nipples could be put on and none were available. All are sealed with no spot for the nipple.

The speed sensor cable also ripped out but they did not have the part to replace it. This has now disabled my AWD. I can get the part for about 75.00cdn. Is this part pluggable on both ends and is there anything difficult about replacing the cable.

[1999montana]

Originally Posted by gct4122

....the ball joint had very little grease in it....Also I checked to see if grease nipples could be put on and none were available. All are sealed with no spot for the nipple.

The speed sensor cable also ripped out but they did not have the part to replace it....

I would think that if you are careful and at all mechanically inclined, you could drill a hole slightly smaller than the grease nipple threads and screw a fitting in. The metal the grease fittings are made of is pretty tough, I did this with some ball joints that were not greaseable some years back.

As far as the speed sensor is concerned, it may be and probably is serviced as a complete assembly terminating somewhere on the chassis.

Should be easy to remove and replace. There are clips that mount it to the knuckle too. You should probably check to see if the sensor comes with new mounting hardware and if not, order it too. If you don't use it you can always return it.

.

[gct4122]

I decided to replace the Speed sensor cable myself and yes it was straight forward. Two plug in connectors, one at the wheel and the other end terminated against the chassis only two feet away. No difficulty in doing this yourself.

I was looking closer at the ball joint and I believe you can put a grease nipple at the bottom of it. I do have extra grease nipples that I bought in 1988 to replace the front ones that had little bolts in place of the grease nipples. Would these nipples work and if I do drill a hole is there anything inside the ball joint I could damage if the drill bit goes in to far?

Thanks in advance,

[1999montana]

Originally Posted by gct4122

...Would these nipples work and if I do drill a hole is there anything inside the ball joint I could damage if the drill bit goes in to far?....

I've done this with tie rods that have a recess in the underside where a nipple would go. I've also done it with ball joints that had nothing more that a steel plate on the bottom. Typical GM.

First, drill a hole with a drill bit size smaller that the threads on the nipple being very careful not to jam the drill bit in, but let the drill do the work. After you break through fish any stray cuttings out. A small screwdriver with a magnet on one end works well for this.

You have two options once you have the hole cleaned up.You either force the nipple to screw in without cutting any starter threads (you'll need a little patience to get it started) or you can use a small tap to cut the threads and then screw the nipple in. Of these two alternatives both work but the right way is to tap and then screw it in.

The bottom of the ball joint is usually a pressed in steel plate, but it is not hardened steel. The nipple is a lot harder than the bottom you will drill through. Behind the plate is a spring (typically) that pre-loads the joint and surrounding the spring and joint surfaces is a glob of grease. The boot on the stud side is supposed to keep dirt and water from contaminating the surfaces or the grease inside, but you know how well that works, huh? So adding grease every oil change will force any old grease and contaminates out and you should be 'good to go'.

There may be others reading this thread who wish to offer their thoughts on this as well.

.

[1999montana]

After doing the ball joints on my 1999 van yesterday and today, the advice I posted here in September last year would be inappropriate for these vans and most GM cars built in the last 10 years.

The new TRW ball joints have a grease fitting and come packed with high quality grease from the factory. The location of the grease fitting is on the underside, opposite the middle mounting hole.

I examined the old ball joint. The casting has the same location for a grease fitting, but has not been drilled out to accept one.

Best leave well enough alone on this, and if necessary replace the worn parts with ones that can be greased.

[gct4122]

Good News Story,

General Motors has decided that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in the 2002-2004 Pontiac Montana (AWD). The independent rear suspension of your vehicle, which provides a smoother ride by permitting controlled up and down travel of the rear wheels as your vehicle goes over bumps and potholes, has two lower control arm ball joints. If your vehicle is operated at extreme cold temperatures and on rough roads, water and salt may get past the ball joint seals. Corrosion and premature ball joint wear can then occur. If the ball joint wear progresses to the point of separation from the lower control arm, a loss of vehicle control may occur.

To prevent this from occurring, your GM dealer will replace both rear ball joints. This service will be performed for you a no charge. If you have already paid for some or all of the cost to correct the condition in this recall, and you have not received reimbursement under a Vehicle Service Contract, you should contact your dealer to seek reimbursement.

This is great news that I will get my money back and the other ball joint will be replaced. This has been hanging over my head that the other would go anytime. Made a trip last week and travelled 3000 kms and everytime I heard a noise, the first thought was the ball joint. I will be phoning GM on Monday to have this replaced.

There are several other vehicles related to the same issue.