97 t-bird lower ball joint keeps popping out. Why?

Asked by fleagle Aug 05, 2019 at 03:35 AM about the 1997 Ford Thunderbird LX RWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 97 thunderbird and I keep having the lower ball joint pop out on the
passenger side. I pressed the ball joint out once and pressed the new one in, it
seated just fine. Drove it to the store and when I backed up it popped out.
Thought that maybe I didn't get it pressed all the way. Took it to a shop and had
them press it out and replace it. Drove it home and turning into the driveway it
popped out. Figured the lower control arm was bent or out of tolerance, so I
replaced the control arm, the new one had the ball joint already inserted. Put it
on and was driving down the road at highway speed when it popped out again,
burying the wheel assembly back into the wheel well. Needless to say that I was
incredibly lucky that I wasn't killed. Why is this happening? The car has never
been in a wreck and is very well maintained. One thing I noticed was it looked
like the strut tower is separating from the body. Each time the alignment was
corrected before I drove it. I'm at a loss on what to do, except junk it if I can't
find an answer. Any ideas?

2 Answers

They seem to be in good condition, but after this last incident I think I might call into question the whole front end. I don't know. The struts before the accident also seemed to be fine.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Larry Sturgis
    Reputation
    2,960
  • #2
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    2,080
  • #3
    MrBlueOval
    Reputation
    1,570
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Ford Mustang
30 Great Deals out of 1,599 listings starting at $7,999
Used Chevrolet Corvette
19 Great Deals out of 777 listings starting at $18,999
Used Chevrolet Camaro
15 Great Deals out of 467 listings starting at $11,999
Used Jeep Wrangler
139 Great Deals out of 5,916 listings starting at $2,995
Used Ford F-150
303 Great Deals out of 13,538 listings starting at $3,888
Used Mazda MX-5 Miata
4 Great Deals out of 180 listings starting at $6,995
Used Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
7 Great Deals out of 118 listings starting at $9,055
Used Porsche 911
16 Great Deals out of 243 listings starting at $22,980
Used Ford Bronco
11 Great Deals out of 1,979 listings starting at $39,999
Used Ford Taurus
7 Great Deals out of 82 listings starting at $4,990
Used Chevrolet Impala
8 Great Deals out of 130 listings starting at $3,495

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.