Our 2008 Patriots ball joints are nearly gone at only 30k miles. I guess Chrysler dropped the ball on having the lower control arms and ball joints all-in-one and no zerks.
Heres a fun thread (//www.jeeppatriot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37926)with the countless patriot owners with the same problem.
Heres the cheapest and only solution: keep putting the same defective part on every 30k miles. ::ouch:: $100 a side on ebay or $240 a side at Church and Sons Collision.
Left front lower control arm (//cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lower-Control-Arm-w-Ball-Joint-Bushings-LEFT-FRONT-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQfitsZYearQ3a2008Q7cModelQ3aPatriotQQhashZitem51988eff3cQQitemZ350451859260QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories)
Right front lower control arm (//cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lower-Control-Arm-w-Ball-Joint-Bushings-RIGHT-FRONT-/350450007185?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AJeep%7CModel%3APatriot&hash=item519872bc91)
Some bean counter probably thought eliminating the grease fitting would save a couple of bucks. It's not a new story - most of the early '70s Ford unibody cars had no grease fittings on the upper control arms and no way to get to them. Most creative mechanics (mine was a '74 Maverick) simply hacked a hole through the inner fender to install a greasable upper ball joint.
I suppose that's a good reason why the Patriots were a tad cheaper. Oh well, I'm sure after gas goes up some more it will take maybe 6 more years until the next "fix". I'm glad they aren't any more than 100 a piece.... That was a ripoff what the collision place was going to charge at $250 a side.