Bad Ball Joint?????
Bad Ball Joint????? I've had a little bit (really small amount) of slop in the front right suspension for a couple weeks now. Lately its developed a slight vibration at anything above 55mph and the outside of the FR tire is wearing a lot faster than the rest. I'm no suspension expert so I'm trying to figure out if this sounds like a bad ball joint. Also, does anyone know the average cost to have a shop replace either one or all of the ball joints? Thanks a lot.
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Fort bragg Nc
If your gonna change one i would change the other. Take a look at your ball joints and see how they look, if there as bad as you say you should be able too move them with your hand, or twist them. Call a few local shops and see what they would charge, Its an easy fix i would reccomend just doing it your self.
might also wanna look into an alighnment.
J
might also wanna look into an alighnment.
J
They can be a pain to do, but they can be done by yourself. I ended up waiting for a set of Moog Heavy duty Lower Ball joints to come in, and got impatient so I went to a local GM dealer and got some stock ones and changed them out in about 2 hours or so.
Coincidentally I have the Moogs now still in their original wrapping I will sell for $55 shipped if you are interested.
Coincidentally I have the Moogs now still in their original wrapping I will sell for $55 shipped if you are interested.
Originally Posted by CALL911
They can be a pain to do, but they can be done by yourself. I ended up waiting for a set of Moog Heavy duty Lower Ball joints to come in, and got impatient so I went to a local GM dealer and got some stock ones and changed them out in about 2 hours or so.
Coincidentally I have the Moogs now still in their original wrapping I will sell for $55 shipped if you are interested.
Coincidentally I have the Moogs now still in their original wrapping I will sell for $55 shipped if you are interested.
Lower ones were much easier than the top ones. At first I though my noise was my upper ones so I replaced them as well (took about 6 hours and was a royal pain in the a**)
Lower ones I believe just pressed in, however my old ones were really shot so the hardest part was getting them out.
Lower ones I believe just pressed in, however my old ones were really shot so the hardest part was getting them out.
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I appreciate all of the advice so far, so pretty much all I need to do is jack the wheel off the ground and play with it to see if the ball joints have a bunch of play in them?
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Jack the front up and shake it side to side and top to bottom... the steering wheel will have some play in side to side. A the garage I'll use a 4x4 and use a 4 foot prybar with the car jacked up and you put the bar under the tire and use the block for leverage and push down and see if you feel play. If your not sure, go to a garage and let them check... last thing you want is a balljoint falling apart!
Well I finally got around to checking this out and I found that the wheel is relatively easy to move side to side but not up and down. I checked everything else down there just to be safe but it all felt pretty solid. That means its a lower ball joint, right? How do I get that out and the new one pressed in? Just take it to a machine shop?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 345
Likes: 1
From: TX
There is a special tool for that. It's like a clamp, but instead if 2 jaws squeezing together, it has a receiving pocket that the ball joint gets squeezed out into. Shops have them, can do a ball joint quick with it. Maybe Auto Zone has it as part of their loaner collection. I think it's official name is ball joint press. A pic: http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech/balljoint08.jpg
There is also the ahem... innovative... way of doing it. Involves a solid block, pipe, and a big hammer. If you can't figure it out from those clues, might want to not try that.
Did you try to use a lever to try and move it up and down as suggested? Can't just do it by hand.
There is also the ahem... innovative... way of doing it. Involves a solid block, pipe, and a big hammer. If you can't figure it out from those clues, might want to not try that.
Did you try to use a lever to try and move it up and down as suggested? Can't just do it by hand.
