Who installed your kit? It is very common for the rubber boots to get damaged when separating the spindle.

Usually you won't SEE the ball joint damage but rather FEEL the play/pop especially if you were to lift the front end and give a 6/12 push and pull

 

i had a local auto shop do my install, then had a well trusted tire shop do my alignment. i can't see the balljoint at all, only the boot that surrounds it and it completely torn and leaked the grease out of it. so i know that is what is causing my popping issue. it doesn't pop constantly, it's only intermittent right now. but it is getting fixed next week regardless. the shop that did my kit is replacing it free of charge.

 

Yea good deal. I would bet they damaged it so I'm glad they are doing you right.

 

After my 3" daystar kit was installed on my F150 screw with 50K on it, the mechanic said my ball joints were in bad shape. He said they looked like they had over 100K on them. Was never sure if the F150's have bad Ball joints, or they get damaged during the removing and reinstalling process. I'm interested to know which is which.

 

I don't understand how a dealer can not cover ball joints under warranty. When I was talking to a local dealers "aftermarket" dept, they said a level kit wouldn't put any of the factory parts out of spec. Which makes sense bc you can feel if the truck hits the travel limiters if you hit a big bump. Im sure I will be arguing with the dealer when I have a problem, but if I would have paid the dealer to install the kit everything would be covered.

 

a dealer has the right to not cover anything aftermarket that "could possibly" attribute to damage to any factory item. for example, the level kit put the A arm at more of an angle thus causing the ball joint to fail. i am not saying my dealer wouldn't cover it for me, i am simply not going to give them a chance. the shop that put my kit on agreed to repair it for me free of charge. i asked my dealer to install the level kit for me and they didn't want to do it, telling me it would throw the pinion angle off and stuff. so i had it done at a reputable shop near me. i have a great relationship with my dealership, so i don't want to give them an opportunity to deny a claim based on an aftermarket part. i will have it fixed elsewhere and be done with it.

 

It is interesting though, that these same dealers will offer to you (under warranty) fully lifted and large tired new trucks for sale at their dealership.

 

Yeah because they charge you 3000% what the parts are worth! That is how they can justify charging 8000 for a lift package. That way they could replace everything twice and still break even. I wonder if every Ford dealer would cover the lift parts though?

 

Yeah, you could buy a Raptor for the same price!!

 

the "aftermarket" law reads very tedious, but it does lend a hand when dealing with modified vehicles. for example, if you purchase a vehicle off a dealer's lot such as the truck show above, it is 100% covered under the manufacturer's warranty. they can sell you something "as is" but i highly doubt they would sell even one of these with no warranty. now if you take your vehicle and do this to it yourself, they CAN refuse warranty coverage for any part that could fail to the suspension being modified. like one poster said, they mark this stuff WAY up to cover their costs should anything ever happen. for the money, i would buy the Raptor and be done. it is 100% Ford and they could never deny warranty work for any reason.