General Inspection – BALL JOINTS
PURPOSE
Ball joints are a component that connects the control arm to a stub axle, making it a very important component. Some ball joints are serviceable with a grease nipple. Ball joints should be checked every 10,000Kms.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR
A ball joint may produce a slight or heavy metallic noise as you turn the steering wheel or it may wear or elongate without producing any noise. The best way to check a ball joint is to jack the vehicle up, but before you do, watch the video, because there are different types of ball joint testing procedures for each type of suspension. Also for your safety, always use jack stands when jacking up any vehicle.
IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
Ball joints cost around $60.00-$90.00 including fitting, plus the cost of a front end alignment. Your local spare parts dealer should stock the most common brands at a fair price.
TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
Replacing the old ball joints with new ball joints is recommended as there are no temporary repairs to ball joints.
This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009