Some SLA designs have the coil spring seat integrated into the upper control arm, where the upper ball joint becomes the load-carrier and the lower ball joint acts as the follower. Advertisement In the popular McPherson strut suspension, there is only a lower ball joint. In this design, the lower ball joint is a follower, with the bottom of the strut connected directly to the steering knuckle and wheel.
In addition to theoretically sharing the same load and wearing at similar rates, lower ball joint replacement on these axles requires removal of the upper joint before accessing the lowers, so replacing both joints at the same time is a good idea. In the first SLA example, the loaded lower ball joint is located below the centerline of the wheel, and the sprung weight of the vehicle is pressing down on the lower control arm. This creates a tension load, as weight tries to pull the lower ball joint away from the knuckle.
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Ball joints play a major role in the steering and suspension of cars and can last a long time. However, driving on bad ball joints can cause major damage and total ball joint failure can be fatal. Discover long-lasting parts and problem-solving tools that make ball joint replacement easy.
Read more. Seven reasons to visit a mechanic. How much does it cost to fix your car's suspension. How a car steering system works: easy guide. Please review and accept our Privacy Policy before signing up for the newsletter. Find My Part. Do you notice that your steering wheel is pulling too much toward either the left or right? Get the ball joint replaced right away if it ends up being the culprit.
There will be added fees and taxes applied to these prices as well. It is not an overly expensive procedure to get done, but you should still shop around at various repair shops in your area to see which one will provide you with the cheapest hourly labor rates. Table of Contents. Looking for Replacement Parts? The OE service manual recommends replacing the entire control arm.
However, aftermarket lower ball joints are available for these applications. Using a suitable press, press the original ball joint down and out of the control arm.
Replacement greaseable ball joints are available with a larger diameter flange that press into the control arm in the downward direction same direction as pushing out the OE joint. The installation process places significant demands on the upper ball joint design. The upper and lower ball joints on these axles may not be perfectly aligned. The OE ball joints deform to comply with this alignment issue. The ball joints should be replaced if any side-to-side or radial play is discovered vertical-only movement is considered normal.
Press-in ball joints in some upper arm locations are designed with an elliptical stud opening. Failure to properly align the ball joint in the control arm during installation when replacing with either OE or aftermarket upper ball joint can easily result in joint binding and failure. If an elliptical ball joint is pressed into the control arm without regard to orientation, normal suspension movement will cause the ball joint stud to contact the housing.
Note that elliptical openings are not visible if the joint features a pre-installed boot. If the boot is already in place, work the stud in various directions until you find the location of the furthest stud travel.
Make a mark at this travel plane. Aftermarket replacement ball joints that feature an elliptical opening may feature an alignment mark. The mark needs to face outboard when installed. Elliptical joints were featured in a variety of vehicles starting in around and through including brands such as GM, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Honda vehicles. Some OE dust boots featured on tie rod ends and ball joints feature a blue color. Depending on the formulation of the boot polychloroprene as an example , the color aspect of the boot may feature a reduction of carbon black strengthening filler.
Reducing carbon black can reduce material strength, resulting in shorter life as the boot may degrade quicker allowing contaminants to enter the joint. An example of prematurely degraded blue boots has been observed on a GM Silverado with as little as 17, miles. Examples to cite only a few of just one brand include Chrysler , Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger and the Dodge Magnum.
The lower ball joints on many Hondas and Acuras are pressed into the steering knuckle and are difficult to remove and install, especially with age. Commonly, technicians beat and hammer the ball joints out and in, which is time consuming and can damage the steering knuckle and the new ball joint. For removal, separate the ball joint from the lower control arm, remove the snap ring where applicable and using a C-clamp style ball joint press and appropriate sockets, push the ball joint out of the steering knuckle.
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