What kind of ball joints do front wheel drive cars use?
Unloaded ball joints do not carry weight. The upper ball joints on an SLA suspension and on rear-drive vehicles and the lower joints in front-wheel drive vehicles that use MacPherson struts are examples of such ball joints.
How do you lubricate the ball joints of a car?
Refer to the owner’s manual for maintenance procedures on lubricating the ball joints of your vehicle. Lift the front end of your vehicle with a floor jack. Lower the vehicle onto two jack stands.
How many ball joints are there in front suspension?
Vehicles with strut suspension have two lower ball joints in the front suspension. The exception to this is vehicles equipped with wishbone strut suspension; such vehicles have four ball joints. Front-wheel drive vehicles that have independent rear suspensions differ again, often having rear ball joints as well.
How can you tell if a truck has lower or upper ball joints?
Most trucks and a lot of SUVs have both lower and upper ball joints. The easiest way to tell is if the vehicle has front shocks or struts. If it uses MacPherson front struts, it should not have upper ball joints. Another telltale sign is the presence of an upper control arm.
Where are the ball joints on a car?
Put on the safety glasses and grab the grease gun that is preloaded with a grease cartridge and primed, shop rags, and the creeper, and crawl under the front end of the vehicle. Locate the lower ball joint on one side. It connects the steering knuckle to the lower control arm.
Why do car ball joints need to be lubricated?
The lower ball joint usually takes the biggest hits and wears out first. Not only does it need to handle the load of the vehicle, but it also absorbs the shocks of potholes and other bone-jarring road hazards. It is for these reasons that ball joints should be lubricated and inspected according to proper service schedule intervals.
Most trucks and a lot of SUVs have both lower and upper ball joints. The easiest way to tell is if the vehicle has front shocks or struts. If it uses MacPherson front struts, it should not have upper ball joints. Another telltale sign is the presence of an upper control arm.
Where are the ball joints on a MacPherson car?
If it uses MacPherson front struts, it should not have upper ball joints. Another telltale sign is the presence of an upper control arm. An upper control arm will be connected to the top of the steering knuckle by an upper ball joint. If present, locate the grease fitting and fill accordingly.