Slab-side front end rebuild

[rapidtrans]

Got the Monaco back from shop after front end rebuild. Had everything replaced with Moog pieces except lower ball joints. These were still tight so left them in place.
Steering is now nice and tight with no rattle or knock while navigating Michigan roads.
Question #1
Do lower ball joints wear less than the rest of front end components or faster and maybe these were replaced before?
Question #2
Anyone else run into shops that cannot align these cars. This shop alignment equipment would not fit on rear wheels do to the small rear wheel well openings. Have to take it up to my Belle tire guy. Yeah, i know but this guy is pretty sharp. He actually knows how to adjust the t-bars!

Just curious.

 

[traintech55]

Many new shops rely on the computers today. Back when our cars were new, many things had to be taken into account when aligning a front end. Tire size, and type, average crown of the road, and weight of the driver, (yes a driver who weighs 300 lbs, will make a car drive differently from a driver who weighs 200 lbs. Take your car to the old timer, he has the experience. As far as the ball joints, I have seen them last a very long time if kept lubed with the proper grease.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

.Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance, the lower ball joint carries all the weight the top is just there to keep it standing up. I would not have a alignment shop put the stock specs in.

 

[mrfury68]

The lower ball joints are pretty robust. Grease is the cheapest maintenance you can do to your car. Chrysler had a heavier suspension than Brand X cars IMO. I worked on quite a few over the years & was always impressed how much "beefier" Ma Mopar built them.

 

[rapidtrans]

The lower ball joints are pretty robust. Grease is the cheapest maintenance you can do to your car. Chrysler had a heavier suspension than Brand X cars IMO. I worked on quite a few over the years & was always impressed how much "beefier" Ma Mopar built them.

That is a fact.
Dad dealt with many suppliers as an engineer at Chrysler. Often vendors would tell him that your spec is much tighter or robust than brand "x and brand "y". Didn't GM invent the "planned obsolescense" concept?