What is the function of a ball joint in the steering system?
Ball joints of your front suspension provide pivoting movement between the steering knuckles and control arms to provide a safe, smooth ride and allow you to precisely control your vehicle.
How to check suspension ball joints while driving?
By listening to the vehicle while driving, feeling for any symptoms, and visually inspecting the ball joints while the car is raised, you can find out if your ball joints are causing issues with your car. Step 1: Take the car for a drive.
What happens when your steering wheel ball joint loosens?
Over time, a car’s ball joints may wear down. If a ball joint starts to loosen, you’ll hear clunking sounds from the front as the joint rattles in the socket. If it tightens up, the steering will bind so you can have a stiff spot as you turn the steering wheel.
What happens when a front ball joint fails?
Should a ball joint break, the wheel becomes totally free to move in any direction, which can damage the car’s fender, tire, and several suspension components, if not more. Usually, when front ball joints start to fail, the vehicle will display a few symptoms that alert the driver a problem has occurred.
What are the signs of worn ball joints?
These include: 1 Clunky or squeaky noises 2 Drifting to the side 3 Loose or shaky steering 4 Uneven tyre wear More …
What happens to your steering wheel when you wear a ball joint?
Steering – Worn ball joints can affect your vehicle’s steering, usually making the steering sloppy or stiff depending on how the ball joint is wearing. Feeling a vibration in the steering wheel while driving down a level, straight road, or your vehicle drifting to the right or left when going over bumps may also be signs of ball joint wear.
How can I check the ball joint on my car?
Figure out if your vehicle’s got a strut-style suspension or a control arm, then check the ball joint by either jacking up the control arm near the ball joint to check for wheel play, or by jacking up the car and using a pry-bar to check for wheel play in a strut-style suspension.
What are the symptoms of a bad suspension ball joint?
1. Clunking Noises From the Front Suspension One of the most common symptoms of a problem with suspension ball joints is clunking noises coming from the vehicle’s front suspension. As ball joints wear out they become loose in the socket and rattle and knock as the suspension travels up and down over the road.
Can a ball joint be removed from a steering knuckle?
In most cases, a ball joint press and ball joint fork will be needed to remove the ball joint and separate the control arm from the steering knuckle, which both of these are available for free through AutoZone’s Loan-A-Tool program. For ball joints that are bolted on, simply unbolting the bolts will separate the joint from the control arm.