there is nothing like actual inspection on the van ! the short answer is 'yes' ............but somebody needs to actually inspect it.

some front end shops will do a free front end inspection. they're hoping to find worn stuff on your van and get the job of replacing the worn parts and doing an alignment. they tend to oversell a bit ........ but you might get a 'real' front end inspection that way. and if they are helpful and caring ( a rare thing , lol ) they will let you know exactly which , left, lower, right etc. ball joint or other parts are worn. and a front end shop can inspect lower ball joints 'better' than you can tell just by jacking up and wiggling. lower ball joints fortunately.........mostly...........last really really well. I don't automatically condemn them just because the boot is cracked. When there's a spilt in the boot...........on a lower ball joint......it sorta tends to stay closed anyway, and you can lube the ball joint though the hole in the boot forever. But commonly, any shop that sees any shot boot, on a CV joint or ball joint or whatever, will usually condemn the part completely. Seldom are just boots only replaced. Not practical. btw..........the parts that wear the most are upper ball joints and inner upper a-arm bushings. Lots of people don't realize that running with worn shocks, or out of balance, or feathered/cupped tires, also trashes the front end. it all adds up. Scott www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Anthony Egeln" <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2008 3:25 PM Subject: Re: Ball joints

> Is it ball joint when there is a kind of klunk when turning the steering > wheel....mostly in reverse? > > Anthony > '89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo) > > --- On Sun, 9/21/08, John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET> wrote: > From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET> > Subject: Re: Ball joints > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 8:40 AM > > Chris, > > Ball joints themselves aren't that expensive, but the labor for the R&R > surely is. > > The upper can be replaced fairly easy, Just some bolts with take care of > it. But the lower is a bit of a bugger. As I recall there is a tack-weld > on it that will have to be ground off - that's no big deal - but you > will need a press to finish the removal job so the new one can be > installed - which also presses in. > > It can all be done at home if you don't mind running down a shop that > will do the pressing for you. The rest just takes a few wenches. > > John Rodgers > 88 GL Driver > > Chris Snyder wrote: >> I took my 1987 Vanagon for the Missouri State Inspection and it failed >> because they said the ball joints had to much play in them. >> >> Can someone please tell me how much it should cost to get these replaced > as I >> am not able to do this job my self. Also, what is involved and what is >> the >> time to do this job? >> >> Thanks in advance, >> >> Chris S. </HTML> >> >> >>