Ford part or pattern part?

[lightning]

My van failed it's MOT today as the dust cover has split on the O/S front lower ball joint

Price for this part from Ford...£250! "It comes as a complete lower arm sir"

Pattern part...£50
Don't know if that is just the ball joint, but does it matter? Or should I fork out the £250 (which seems extortionate for this part)

Garage wants £50 to fit it and offered me the two options above

[blue estate]

How old and what do you use the van for ?

[lightning]

2008 Connect T200 TDCi

Light use(never carry heavy loads) and do about 15,000 miles per year

[Graham Taylor]

This is one way of looking at it:

Five pattern parts = one genuine Ford part. If one pattern part lasts one year (unlikely) you can replace (+labour) each year for next five years. Will you still have your van in five years?

[bortaf]

Jist buy a ball joint cover for £2.99 ?
if there's no play in the joint it seem silly change the whole arm

[lightning]

Can the ball joint covers/rubber seals be purchased on their own? The actual ball joint is still fine.

[Mylee]

Clean and super glue the split to get it through the MOT. Then you can decide a fix at your leisure

[paul2012]

My van failed it's MOT today as the dust cover has split on the O/S front lower ball joint

Price for this part from Ford...£250! "It comes as a complete lower arm sir"

Pattern part...£50
Don't know if that is just the ball joint, but does it matter? Or should I fork out the £250 (which seems extortionate for this part)

Garage wants £50 to fit it and offered me the two options above

WARNING THAT GARAGE IS RIPPING YOU OFF

FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT IS NOT PART OF THE LOWER ARM

This is the 0/S lower arm


Ball joint is a seperate part which is secured to the swivel hub by a circlip.


This is the actual part !


Genuine Front ball joint from EMG Ford Part No :- F4386870 £65.00 (Trade)

If I was you, I would report that garage to Trading standards, I guarantee if you opted for their "genuine part" at £250, they would change the ball joint only - with a pattern part !

[lightning]

Thanks for the advice and pictures.

This garage is usually very good, and not prone to ripping off. I heard the guy on the phone to his supplier say "you are joking" to the price of £250.
Then he came out of the office and said to me "The part is coming out at £250, I bet the pattern part is about £50"

They are not a Ford garage but a Land rover one. I overheard him ask for a "lower arm assembly" so guess he made a mistake on what was needed.
But if I had not known better I would have still ended up with a new lower arm that I did not need.

What I will do is order that part from Ford and give it to them to fit, as I don't have a ball joint splitter to fit it myself.

[lightning]

I am going to do this job myself.

QH ball joint £17.95, ball joint splitter £7 so I will save nearly £100 on what the garage quoted.

[liteace]

I am going to do this job myself.

QH ball joint £17.95, ball joint splitter £7 so I will save nearly £100 on what the garage quoted.

Have you got a bearing press, your going to need one to get that ball joint out

[paul2012]

I am going to do this job myself.

QH ball joint £17.95, ball joint splitter £7 so I will save nearly £100 on what the garage quoted.

Have you got a bearing press, your going to need one to get that ball joint out

Bearing press
You can't use one to remove ball joint. Due to shape of swivel hub & the way ball joint is mounted. Although can be used to fit new ball joint.

Ball joint is fitted this way (nut at the bottom)


the Remove it, First remove circlip from the top of ball joint. then using a prybar or Ford special tool (204-288A) - which looks like at a prybar
Insert it into the slot located between ball joint & wheel baring on swivel hub & lever the ball joint out. (it pushes the ball joint downwards & out from mounting)

Recover the heat shield, some aftermarket replacements don't come with it. Thoroughly clean area, then aline heat shield & push ball joint into place using a suitable sleeve & washer the flange stops it from being pushed through. Finally refit new circlip at the top, job done.

[liteace]

I am going to do this job myself.

QH ball joint £17.95, ball joint splitter £7 so I will save nearly £100 on what the garage quoted.

Have you got a bearing press, your going to need one to get that ball joint out

Bearing press
You can't use one to remove ball joint. Due to shape of swivel hub & the way ball joint is mounted. Although can be used to fit new ball joint.

Why cant you use a bearing press, I dont one today on a with a similar setup, just put pressure on tube (yellow) with a socket (red) over the ball joint while resting socket (red) on bearing press table (blue) EASY

[SWtechnologies]

i did this job on my van last week! no press needed just a little coffee and cake brake an idea and hay presto sorted!!!

[lightning]

Well, I couldn't budge the thing even with a pry bar so it'll have to go into the garage for them to do it.