Do you know a lawyer? If so, she might be willing to send the offending shop a letter that outlines the next steps in detail to secure restitution for the damage. This might make them decide to pay you off to get rid of you. The shop may have insurance to pay for their errors. Hopefully, the letter would be free, if you know the lawyer well enough. You don’t have to do anything in the letter. The idea is to intimidate the shop into getting rid of the problem fast.
There was a lot going on in the post and it seemed that after the ball joint was replaced the half shaft was replaced.
Now that you have a second opinion, I’m going to say what I wanted to say earlier. I suspect your first mechanic may have been doing unnecessary work, and the more unnecessary work done, the greater the chances of something like this happening.
Now I can’t be sure because I have not personally seen all the components before they were replaced and I do not know what problems you were having that prompted you to get this work done in the first place.
If you just took your vehicle in for an oil change or something and the mechanic starts pointing out that you need a lot of work done to make the vehicle safe, many times (not all the time) this is bogus. If you were having drivability problems, then maybe all the work is justified. However the order the work was done according to your posts seems a bit confusing.
What I am trying to get at is car repair is a business transaction so treat it like one. Unsolicited advice on “needed repairs” should be treated somewhat like a robocall. If you are in doubt get a second opinion or third. If you bring it to a shop for a problem, taking it to a second shop for a second opinion would be a good idea also, but that could cost you a second diagnostic fee. But unneeded repairs often cost a lot more than a second dignostic fee.
Edit: Please ask here before spending any money, we will be glad to help you as much as we can in an internet post.
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I don’t believe that tool can be used on the OP’s car. The CV joint is in the way…
Then you use this tool.
Or you have the complete set.
Tester
I don’t recall ever needing to press a ball joint out of a FWD but it’s been a while. As I recall the lower control arm on suspension like the OP’s needed to be held up with a jack when the ball joint stud nut was removed and if the tapered stud was frozen holding one sledge hammer on one side of the knuckle and hitting the other side released it. On the old American iron I used the impact hammer and fork as a rule. But like I say, it’s been a while. As for the tools whatever you need you gotta get it or get out of the business. Customers don’t have a clue what’s invested in a tool cabinet.
I have a cheap set of tapered stud presses like the one above and we have the manufacture specific presses in the tool room. With today’s aluminum steering knuckles and control arms shocking the stud loose with a hammer is taboo.
Years ago I had a stuck ball joint on my old VW Rabbit. The How to Keep Your VW Rabbit Alive (by Richard Sealey) repair manual suggested that idea. I never believed it would possibly work, but I gave it a try anyway. “Whop” … “Boing” … worked the first try. I think the reason it works so well is b/c there’s a lot of elastic tension in that configuration and that elastic force is in the direction to break it free.
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Have your car towed to the shop of your choice.
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Avoiding this type situation was my reason for insisting on installing OE or equal quality parts in repairs that would paint me into a NO WIN situation if the part failed. Ball joints in particular can leave me working for free while facing a disgusted customer or worse an attorney representing an injured customer. Insisting on installing only top quality name brand parts and marking them up 40% to cushion the ‘free’ warranty labor sent price shoppers down the road.
I am unable to recognize what failed on the car here but never in 20+ years did I ever face such a life threatening problem and for that I am very grateful. In much less critical problems I paid a wrecker to bring the car in and inspected the car. If work that I had done was even remotely involved the car was thoroughly repaired at no cost to the customer. I was able to handle things that way because warranty returns never reached 2% in any year. Most years comebacks never reached 1% in fact.
But all my bragging is to encourage car owners to search out shops with good reputations. Price shoppers are putting the best shops out of business.
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