ball joints
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 23
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RE: ball joints
Having just done mine, it was pretty easy to tell when they are bad.
Lift a front tire off the ground, and grab the tire top and bottom and pull back and forth. You should not feel any movement at all. Have someone do it and watch the upper ball joint and you will see movement there if they are bad.
To check the lower, put a 3 to 4 foot bar under the tire and lift up. My lowers you could see moving around a lot with that test.
Mine were bad enough that just shaking the steering knuckle you could see and feel movement.
They are not that fun to change. One thing I read said 3 hours. Maybe if you are a pro and have all the specialty tools. A local shop wanted about 800 dollars to change them. The hub bearings were very hard to get off on my truck, maybe because it was bought from near the ocean, but I think they are all like that. With the right tools it is doable. Now that I've been through it I would have gotten a slide hammer and hub puller attachment. No one mentioned these and I didn't know they existed. I think it would have made it a lot easier. It is done anyway, and also did all the tie rods.
Lift a front tire off the ground, and grab the tire top and bottom and pull back and forth. You should not feel any movement at all. Have someone do it and watch the upper ball joint and you will see movement there if they are bad.
To check the lower, put a 3 to 4 foot bar under the tire and lift up. My lowers you could see moving around a lot with that test.
Mine were bad enough that just shaking the steering knuckle you could see and feel movement.
They are not that fun to change. One thing I read said 3 hours. Maybe if you are a pro and have all the specialty tools. A local shop wanted about 800 dollars to change them. The hub bearings were very hard to get off on my truck, maybe because it was bought from near the ocean, but I think they are all like that. With the right tools it is doable. Now that I've been through it I would have gotten a slide hammer and hub puller attachment. No one mentioned these and I didn't know they existed. I think it would have made it a lot easier. It is done anyway, and also did all the tie rods.