Ball joints rubbing rotors.

Picture . I kinda doubt it . But something's rubbing ? You hear it? Be tough to do even with incorrect parts.

 

Maybe the tie rod ends. They look like ball joints

 

I've heard people trying converse about this before but I don't think that's necessarily correct your lower control arm on most vehicles has a bushing and a bolt running through it so whether there's weight on it or not you're in position on that end of the lower control arm with the bolt bushing and the nut I do realize on some of the newer cars where they're mounting points are different but still basically the same You shouldn't really have to load them up too much . I'm out at a jacked up '07 right now looking at the lower control arm trying to figure out how I could extend it enough to make the ball joint get even close to the rotor If anything it would be close to the backing plate which may be it could push into the rotor and cause a rub but boy that's a stretch seems like to me these lower control arms are brand new? I mean the only other thing I could think to do with the thing mounted to the vehicle like it is is take the tire off jack up that side of the car under the jack point provided and then take a long iron bar in between something and the lower control arm and try to pry it towards the front of the car and then towards the back of the car and see if you get any movement like that there should be like none. I've had my lower control arms off of two of the four generation twos that I have kind of a pain but I can't see how I would get the ball joint to be rubbing on the rotor backing plate or any of that maybe with the longer incorrect ball joint assembly which is separate from the lower control arm that could be possible like trying to put a Corolla lower ball joint where you need the one for the Prius they're similar I don't think they'll interchange but I don't have the Corolla here to see. As far as I know personally I haven't had to preload lower control arms when I'm putting on car. But the way I do it is I have the hub assembly off of the car disconnected from the strut the sway bar and all that sitting on the ground I bolt the ball joint to the hub assembly while there's no drive axle going through the business blocking the nut so then when I put the hub back on the car the ball joint is sitting there ready to drop on to the two studs and have the two bolts slid through the strut assembly and then put back all the ancilliaries.

 

You sure it's not the rear shield that's rubbing? Those are easy to bend and do that.

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I would like to see a picture of your wheel turned all the way to whichever side. You should be able to easily slide your telephone down there and get a nice decent picture not too close.

 

That's a good call and I would be looking at that first especially if you're getting the scrapes scrapes scrape business going on that's the first thing you do is reach around the wheel with your finger and just push back on the lower edge of the backing plate You're not trying to push it to the other side of the car just a little bit quarter inch something you'll feel it bend under your pushing of your thumb now spend the wheel or drive the car 20 ft Do you still hear the scrape Wella

 

Take this car to a PROFESSIONAL shop; cause someone didn't know what they were doing and everything is way off. I can't even imagine how the ball joints can even get close to the rotors - let alone touch it!! Did they also change the muffler bearing too??
Seriously; even a "green" mechanic just out of school shouldn't have let that car leave the shop. Then again, I haven't been back to school in 40 years - I just can't imagine that standards has slipped so drastically.

Jacking up a car and not knowing that it's normal for the front tires to toe-in a-bit; tells me you don't know what your doing or just haven't noticed from the other times you may have jacked up a car. It's those small details that'll get you in trouble. While it's good that your asking, some things shouldn't be messed with - especially a 2-ton car that you can easily lose control of, if things aren't put back together properly.

Just my two cents....

 

I'm sorry to hear about that; but a shop like that shouldn't be allowed to operate. I'd call the BAR (Bureau of automotive repair), to get their license yanked. A shop that would put cars on the road like that, not only places the drivers at risk - but also the public at large. If you have a local or consumer tip line, ask them for help. Local news agency or city offices is a good place to start.

 

I was going to say while I'm looking at the first picture of the lower control arm does not look a fixed to the ball joint properly and it sure isn't and you should be pissed that's unbelievable holy Christ you're driving with I don't know how much negative camera that would add That's very wild so obviously you taking the nuts out and flipping the thing to the bottom of the control arm and all that business 14 mm wrench socket etc that is truly something wow. But when you said the antics that were going on at the garage I was wondering.

 

Yep, they swapped the LCA, left side with right side.

Here's a reference from the service manual.

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Yeah I adjust those all the time Little bit of heat some croil and good to go That's not very rusty You should see them from Western Massachusetts holy Jesus