How long do ball joints last on a car?
between 70,000 to 150,000 miles
Generally speaking, you should expect to have to have your ball joints replaced between 70,000 to 150,000 miles of driving. Excessive play in the joint can cause additional wear, and if a ball joint fails, your car’s suspension could collapse and you could lose control of the vehicle.
How do you replace ball joint on McPherson strut?
Leave the castellated nut in place, just a few turns in to keep it in a safe place. If you’re working on a McPherson strut suspension remove the “pinch bolt” that clamps the ball joint stud. Pop loose the ball joint.
How do you know if ball joints need to be replaced?
Inspect the ball joints to make sure they need to be replaced. 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.
How many ball joints are there in front suspension?
Usually there are four ball joints in a car’s front suspension, with an upper and lower one on each wheel. Depending on the wear pattern on the suspension system, it can be necessary to replace one, two or all four ball joints. Typical costs:
How much does it cost to replace a ball joint in a Ford Explorer?
A CostHelper reader in Illinois reports buying parts for a 1995 Ford Explorer for $50 at Autozone in 2010, and paying a local mechanic $200 for labor to replace the ball joints. Ball joint replacement can be done at a car dealership, an independent repair shop or car-repair chains like Firestone [ 4] , Midas [ 5] , Pep Boys [ 6] or Sears [ 7] .
What are worn ball joints on Mercury Sable?
Worn ball joints on a Mercury Sable have several indicators. They cause a shaking in the steering wheel when encountering rough road surface, severe wear on the front tires and a knocking noise over bumps in the road. They are used on the lower control arm to secure the spindle to the arm and allow the spindle to turn or swivel.
Usually there are four ball joints in a car’s front suspension, with an upper and lower one on each wheel. Depending on the wear pattern on the suspension system, it can be necessary to replace one, two or all four ball joints. Typical costs:
How do you remove a ball joint from a front suspension?
Place the remover in between the lower part of the spindle and the lower control arm. Strike it hard with the hammer and the ball joint will pop out of its tapered hole in the spindle. On a strut type of front suspension, it is safe to remove the lower ball joint without supporting the arm because there is no spring tension on the arm.
A CostHelper reader in Illinois reports buying parts for a 1995 Ford Explorer for $50 at Autozone in 2010, and paying a local mechanic $200 for labor to replace the ball joints. Ball joint replacement can be done at a car dealership, an independent repair shop or car-repair chains like Firestone [ 4] , Midas [ 5] , Pep Boys [ 6] or Sears [ 7] .