Do my Lincoln's ball joints need replacing?

I just got my 1997 Lincoln Continental's oil changed at a Mr. Muffler. One mechanic told me that my front ball joints needed replacing, and he showed me that if he worked at it, he could make one of my front tires jiggle up (he said there was an inch of %26quot;play%26quot;). I thanked him for the information and said that I would make arrangements with my mechanic to get them replaced (actually, my mechanic recently retired/closed down his shop, but I didn't want to be pressured into a quick decision). As I was leaving. Mr. Muffler called out that he'd charge a $145 each...he didn't mention any other associated costs. My car runs great, no wobbles, no noises, no problems.

Should I get the replacements made? What is a good price? What extra costs are going to be added to fees for parts and for replacement of the front ball joints? Is it best to go to a dealership for this work?
Do my Lincoln's ball joints need replacing?
Go to the dealer for an estimate. I would never get work done at a muffler shop, other than repairing a muffler. If your ball joint was loose he should have been able to lift the car and show you the worn ball joint.



Ask your retiring mechanic who he trusts.
Do my Lincoln's ball joints need replacing?
That sound high for replacing ball joints. There are 4 of them on your car. If you replace 1 you should replace all of them. If one went out the other three are not far behind. Call around to different shop and ask them how much to change your ball joints. I would have a real mechanic look at your car before have them replaced. I just replaced all 4 of mine in a 1994 Chevy truck. It cost me 120 for all 4 joint. I put them on myself. 1 inch sound like a lot of play for a ball joint. It could be wheel bearings.
Hello I am a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury factory trained technician. My labor time standard book (ALLDATA) indicates that for 1 side it should be 1.9 hours and for both sides 3.5 hours plus the cost of the ball joints. So you should be able to contact a shop and find out what their hourly rate is and multiply that by 3.5. I work outside Washington D.C. and our labor rate is up to $105 per hour so $145 a side, if that includes parts sounds very reasonable for my area.



I have been recently using a site that allows car owners to get real time quotes from mechanics to fix their car. Since the mechanics are working after hours you can save a significant amount of money. You might give them a shot, however I think they are primarily operating in the Washington D.C./Maryland/Virginia area.



http://howmuch2fixmycar.com



Good luck with your repair James
Take it to another place to get it checked out. Take it to another company that does front end alignments, dont mention anything to them about that you think or were told the ball joints are bad. Dont even say it or give them any clue. They will check your car out before the do the alignment and if your ball joints are bad they will notice and tell you. If they dont tell you then you know that the other place was pulling your leg-trying to rip you off.
Get a second opinion.



To the inexperienced eye, I can take a brand new car and show you an inch of play in the front tires.



If you do have a little bit of experience, the do this. Take your tires off. Grab the rotors at the top and bottom. Now try to wobble it. If there is play, see if the play is in the rotor or the ball joints. The ball joints are the joints where the V-shaped arms attach to your spindles. If the play is in your rotors, then your problem is in your wheel bearings. If there is little or no play at all, put your tires back on and drive it like you stole it.

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