Originally posted by Sandman333:
First, stop crying about the ball joints being riveted on. MANY cars have this. My buddy's 78 Mustang has this, as do many non-Ford vehicles. You can actually drill the rivet heads off and replace the ball joint without removing the arm (the new joint will bolt to the arm).
Does the fact that other cars have riveted ball joints make it right? That's like saying if someone else jumps off a bridge, then it must be OK.
Look - the fact is ball joints are normal wear and tear items on the front suspension that are sometimes replaced on high mileage cars, as they simply wear out. Ford knew they would be replaced eventually by an owner, and chose to ignore that fact and go with the cost cutting solution and rivet them on. Probably saved them a dime per car over using bolts.
I'm well aware I can drill the rivets out. My point is I shouldn't have to do this. Ford should have used bolts - no excuses. The other thing is I don't need new ball joints - I need new control arms! The ball joints are fine!
I like the Contour very much. However, as far as ease of maintenance and repairs go for the do-it-yourselfer, the car leaves a lot to be desired. Hell, ask any mechanic who has worked on a Contour. They will tell you that without question, the car is a major PITA to work on. Fortunately, my car has not needed many repairs.
