Ball Joint Diagnosis?

[Guest jclay]

Hi all,

 

I'm wondering if there is an easy way to determine if a ball joint is bad? What would the symptoms be? My front end is feeling a little squirrly, for lack of a technical definition! (97 legacy 2.2)

 

Thanks!

[nipper]

its easy. first off is the car tracking strraight, or is it fightiing against ruts and seems in the road. thats the first flag that something is up.

Make sure the lug nuts are tight. Jack up the wheel of the car (pick one) remove the wheel cover. You may need a freind to help. grab the tire at 3-9 postion and shake it. listen and feel to see if there is any play at the center of the wheel (bearing). Next do this and look at the tie rod end, there is to be zero play. Next take a 2x4 or pipe and pry the tire up and down. Again there should be zero play Also during this tim look at the lower control arm bushing, it should not be moving aside from up and down. Look at the sway bar bushings. If you have done all this and still feel something loose, i would suspect the wheel bearing (its hard sometimes to diagnise if you never done it before, and its just starting to go).

Repeat on the other side.

Also while the tier is up in the air, spin it. Make sure it is round and true, look for dimples in the sidewalls.

 

nipper

[fishy]

What he said ^

 

also if you grab the tire at 12 and 6 and try to push/pull it that way it might rattle a loose balljoint. Some cars have to be nearly falling apart for that one to work though and others will rattle regardless if anything is loose or not (especially american cars ).

[nipper]

im sorry yes i maent that too. if the ball joint has an internal spring they can only be tested with the prybar, but the pyrbar works for both.

Of course there is the subtle hint when the wheel falls off ..

 

nipper

[The Dude]

Hi all,

 

I'm wondering if there is an easy way to determine if a ball joint is bad? What would the symptoms be? My front end is feeling a little squirrly, for lack of a technical definition! (97 legacy 2.2)

 

Thanks!

 

 

FWIW, mileage may be as a good an indicator as any. I replaced the ball joints on my 99 Forester at 170,000 miles, but they could have used replacement at about 150,000 miles. The original ball joints proved to be extremely worn when they were replaced. Replacement ball joints were only $35 a copy, and I was able to replace them myself.

[Gnuman]

Of course there is the subtle hint when the wheel falls off ..

nipper

 

Well, that could be the lugnuts being loose. . .

[nipper]

if the car has alot of milage, for the cost of the parts, i would just replace the tierod ends, balljoints and sway bar bushings and be done with it.

 

 

nipper

[frag]

I just replaced the right ball joint on my car.

Test: put the car on a lift or on stands. Place yourself on the inside of the wheel, push and pull on the bottom part of tire or wheel while looking closely at the ball joint where it goes into the knuckle. Even slight wear will show a noticeable movement there. If it does'nt move but the rubber bellows is torn, replace.

[vic/se]

I just replaced the right ball joint on my car.

Test: put the car on a lift or on stands. Place yourself on the inside of the wheel, push and pull on the bottom part of tire or wheel while looking closely at the ball joint where it goes into the knuckle. Even slight wear will show a noticeable movement there. If it does'nt move but the rubber bellows is torn, replace.

 

 

Had you trouble removing the bad one?

[frag]

No, cause I had replaced it two years ago and had smeared everything with a thick coat of antiseize grease. I had to replace it again cause the protective rubber boot got caught on something and teared.

One thing though that I learned replacing those things (two on a Loyale and now three on my actual Legacy) is that it's much easier to get the head of the joint out of the knuckle if you first raise the wheel a few inches. My car is on stands and I put a piece of 2X4 on my hydraulic jack just under the brake disk and lift about 4 inches. If you dont do that the control arm is near the lowest point of its travel and will not easily go any further down. After that I remove the joint from the control arm with a pickle fork and install the new one. To put the head back in the knuckle, I remove the jack, install the new joint in the control arm and then push down on the control arm with a big crow bar using the end of the sway bar as a fulcrum. I then guide the knuckle back over the ball joint with my right hand and let go.

If the pinch bolt resist removal, you'll have to heat it to red and then let cool before resuming your efforts. Take care cause I've already broken two (one on the Loyale and one on the Legacy) and had to drill them out and replace with longer bolts and locking nut. It works fine though and is much easier to remove afterwards.

Good luck!