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Re: Hard Steering: beware the dry ball joint

To: "Berghult, Bob" <bob.berghult@lmco.com>
Subject: Re: Hard Steering: beware the dry ball joint
From: robert.m.bailey@att.net
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 18:10:40 +0000
I want to add an extra word about ball joints.  Make 
sure you grease the lower joints regularly.  Soon after 
I bought my Series V in '86, my left ball joint exploded 
at the main intersection of Naval Station San Diego at 
Noon. Talk about embarrassing!  Fair amount of damage 
too!  I had no clue before it happened. When it goes, it 
goes with a BANG!

Around '93 my right lower joint exploded.  I made the 
most beautiful slide of about 50 feet down the road, 
along a ditch, and landed safely off the road into a bus 
pull off.  No real damage that time thankfully. That one 
I should have known better.  I could feel how hard it 
was to steer.  I guess I just didn't heed the warning.  
Kinda like the story of the frog in a pot of water who 
doesn't notice the temp is rising until it is too late.

Moral of the story is to check and grease often.

Robert Bailey
> After driving another Alpine, I noticed that my Alpine is very hard to
> steer.  Anyone out there have any ideas???
> Thanks,
> Bob Berghult
> Series IV, B9405637 LRX 39 (mine)
> Series 3 GT, B9203825 LRX 39 (son's)
> 
> [demime 0.97c removed an attachment of type application/ms-tnef]

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