Upper ball joints

[The Dude]

Hey guys,

I have a NB8B with relatively low km's (57K) and i recently took my car to Pedders for a suspension check. They are saying that the upper ball joints need to be replaced. I took their word and got them to chase up some upper ball joints, but they struggled to find them other than genuine mazda which was probably too expensive. They never got back to me, so I went back there and inquired if they could find anything, and they asked me to source the ball joints.

After doing a bit of research online, it doesn't look like you can get just the upper ball joints as a replacement part, you need to either go second hand or buy a brand new upper control arm assembly.

So today I jacked the car up on the front axles to see if there was any play on the upper ball joints, and cannot feel any play whatsoever. I'm no mechanic so I am not 100% sure if they are shot or what test Pedders performed to determine that they are faulty, so I am going to take my car to Bob Jane tomorrow and see what they say, but yeah, I don't wan't to have to replace my ball-joints if they don't need replacing. The car has been garaged all its life, never seen the track, so its kinda weird why they would be shot.

If anyone here has replaced their upper ball joints for what ever reason;
Why did you get them replaced?
Could you feel any play in the wheels to determine that they are faulty?
Which path did you use? - service boots? - new control arm assembly? - What other options are available?
How many km's did your car have when they were deemed faulty? - Was the car dríven hard? - Was it in a smash?
What's the best way to check if the upper ball-joints are faulty?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers,
Craig

[ManiacLachy]

I'm a little suspect, I don't think there'd be anything wrong with so few KMs and without being thrashed.

But I wouldn't be going to chain shops such as Pedders/Bob Jane. Research a reputable suspension shop, preferably one that has experience with MX-5s, like where the track rats go, and use them.

[The Dude]

Thanks Lachy. Yeah I've taken your advice and booked the car at a more reputable mechanic known for specialising in track cars. I'll post their verdict next week.

Cheers,
Craig

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[chefie]

I'm a little suspect, I don't think there'd be anything wrong with so few KMs and without being thrashed.

+ 1

I have a 260K klm clubman with original upper ball joints. they rarely fail unless someone has damaged the grease dust boot trying to separate the ball joint and them running dry

[greenMachine]

I reckon it is highly unlikely to be a BJ at that mileage - unless you/PO rallied it ...

My 330k kms NB8A (extensively tracked on semis) never had a problem, and I think that is probably representative. There will be exceptions though, so a second opinion is worthwhile.

[The Dude]

Yeah you guys were on the money. Thanks for your feedback. Much appreciated.

My mechanic couldn't see anything wrong with them at all, in fact they looked brand new still. Luckily Mazda doesnt make them as a replacement part otherwise I would've taken their word and been sucked in and paid for the labour costs when it was not required. I understand now why they waived the suspension check fee and refused to give me a suspension report. I would have happily paid $30 for the suspension report if they were telling me the truth.

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[ManiacLachy]

Stay away from the big chain shops for this stuff, they make their money on things like this. I'm always wary of "free checks". Find a suspension specialist (and mechanic for that matter) that you trust, or is recommended by others who know.

[The Dude]

Yeah absolutely. Advice taken.

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[Rolley]

When the time does come Moog make a greaseable replacement.
http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/moog-k500210
All reviews of them on the Yank pages are positive and Moog overall have a pretty good reputation.