So 4 weeks ago I dropped off the MINI to get some things corrected, one thing was a cluck when the clutch engages. So they did some testing and determined that it was bad ball joints, they ordered the parts and I took the car in two weeks ago. So when I picked the car up and started driving off I found that my alignment was off, now my wheel is cocked at about 15’ when I am going strait down the road, and the clunk is still there. Well I call make another appointment and last night dropped the car off.

When I mentioned the alignment issues I was told this, we replaced the ball joints so the alignment should not have been changed and we did not due one. So after some pushing on my end the Service writer agreed to take it up with his manager as to weather I would have to pay for the alignment. I hope they will address it free of charge.

So I have two questions for the wisdom of the masses, does pulling the ball joints affect the alignment and if not how pissed should I be about what did while my car was in there care?

 

According to this article on the web, you should get an alignment after installing new ball joints.


Auto: Replacing Ball Joints
Tom Morr

As people as diverse as Liz Taylor and Eddie Van Halen can attest, joints wear out. In cars, ball-in-socket joints degrade over time (similar to their human counterparts). Lack of lubrication and dirt inside moving parts will accelerate the demise of a vehicle's joints.

Balljoints are the vital connectors between the steering linkage and axle assembly. Just as when baseball pitchers need rotator-cuff surgery, use and abuse can wear down balljoints, requiring replacement. Unfortunately for the do-it-yourselfer, many automotive manufacturers rivet the balljoints to the control arms in newer vehicles. As a result, removing original-equipment balljoints can require finesse and patience.

Shown here is a balljoint removal-and-replacement job on a typical front-wheel-drive car that has one joint per side. Trucks and older vehicles often have both upper and lower balljoints on each side; a hydraulic press is often required to service the uppers.


Installation Tips

• Refer to a service manual for fastener torque specifications and for any procedures that are unique to your vehicle.

• Unlock the steering wheel before jacking up the vehicle. This allows the steering linkage to be positioned for the best possible access to the balljoints. Grab one of the axle hubs to move the linkage.

• Secure the vehicle on jackstands before removing the tires and wheels.

• Buy name-brand balljoints (for safety's sake).

• If the balljoints' mounting socket is “egged,” replace the control arm also.

• Have the vehicle professionally aligned afterward.

 

load of sheit indeed.... my SA tried that garbage on me but lost that battle quick

--good find daleCarlsbad!!

 

With a strut frontend these have ball joints? Or do they mean tie rod ends?

 

Your SA is full of it. Any machined parts have random variation in the dimensions of the parts from one to another. This variation will be small (0.01 to 0.001 mm for example), but still there. Any time you change a part in the alignment change (ball joints, tie rod ends, etc....) you need to at least check the alignment to see if the next part kicks it out.