Would a cheap ball joint press from harbor freight good enough for a one time use?

 

CV joint makes a clicking sound when you are driving constantly and moreso when you are turning. if you put your truck in 4x4 and turn sharp at slow speeds a worn cv will click like hell.

 

For a one time use you can barrow one from advance auto.

 

I would do a BJ check before installing new one's. Very easy and only takes a few minutes.

 

how do you do that?

 

One method is the jack the wheel off the ground a couple of inches and stick a 3' bar under the wheel and lift the wheel. This will pop the joint if it is lose. Good luck...

 

That is the same ball joint press that the autoparts places use for rentals. My buddy has one. Between the two of us we have used it at least 20 times in the last few years. It would be pretty hard to break that thing, there's not much to it.


Oh, also. This may sound stupid but look under your seat or on the floorboard in the backseat. More than once I have seen cars and trucks taken apart because of an untraceable noise in the front end just to find out it was a flashlight or other heavy object bouncing on the floor by the drivers feet. Not kidding.