Check Your Ball Joints

[HHR]

Came across this deserted Toyota Tundra today. Skid mark showed that the right lower ball joint separated on a flat street with a 30 MPH limit. Could have been much worse at highway speeds.

 

[Alan L.]

We were fixin to go on a long road trip and so I had the front end aligned on our 2001 GMC Yukon XL. Discovered a loose ball joint and got it replaced before the trip. Glad we didn't have THIS problem on the road.

 

[JerryG]

I noticed my daughter's Tundra sitting low on one side of the front end one day. It was in the driveway. Got down to look and the lower ball joint was half way out. Thank God, we was able to find and fix it before she was injured or killed. I don't like the design.

 

[mark1]

Yeh ever since the auto companies found they could save a few cents by not using "greasable" front end parts we see more and more vehicles like this along the road. At least when they were greasable they had more chance of being noticed as getting bad by the garage people. Now in many cases you cannot even buy replacment joints that have grease fittings in them.

 

[mrmikey]

Greased for life, they just don't tell you the life is shorter than a greasable one....Mike

 

[slowzuki]

Not sure what you guys are talking about, I live on a rough road and can get 160,000 miles out of OEM non greaseable ball joints, they go bad about the same time as struts/shocks. The replacements never last as long, although I've learned some aftermarket ball joints have a very rough texture on the ball.

We have annual safety inspections here so its very rare to see a pigeon toed car.

 

[Katahdin]

I have a 93' GMC Yukon (full size 2 door) with 310K miles, original ball joints, and I've been snow plowing my 400' driveway with it the last 8 years. It was inspected annually before I took it off the road last year for body rust issues. I've just got too many other projects going on to to fix the rust and keep it street legal.

 

[Peacock]

I don't know that Honda has ever had any greasable joints, yet they are all of great quality. Usually the only models that require a ball joint replacement are 10yrs old and well in excess of 100k.

My '95 Accord has 296k on it and has all original non-greasable joints.

The quality of the joint means much more to me than whether or not it's greasable.

 

[timswi]

My prior 2 Chevy 1500 4x4's still had the entire original suspensions in them when I traded them at 200k each...They were worked hard too...Luck of the draw I guess...Every so often I see a broken ball joint stranded vehicle around here and we have yearly inspections..

 

[Peacock]

GM uses higher quality joints than either Ford or Dodge.

 

[crashz]

Wether the quality is better, I don't know. But my 2004 GMC 1/2ton had 178K miles on the original frontend, with terrible roads, and a heavy snowplow. I'm convinced that it lived as long as it did due to regular greasing every oil change.

In regards to the Tundra above, I'm surprised that a truck (or any vehicle) would have ball joints that are normally placed in tension. Most that I have seen (GM, Ford trucks, VW and Honda SUVs) have the A arm "pushing" down on the them in commpression. So a failure would result in a wobbly wheel, not a total structural failure.

 

[cdaigle430]

GM uses higher quality joints than either Ford or Dodge.

Yeah right-
I will never buy another POS Chevy or GM product as long as I live. I couldnt tell you all the bad experinces I've had with them in the 15 years I owned them. For so many years everyone was telling me how much better chevy products were to Ford or Dodge and I stuck with them for far too long. Had Chrysler Jeeps ever since then and though they may have had some issues I never looked back. Had the Jeep I own now for 5 years and "0" problems. My next purchase might be a Ford F150 if Jeep doesnt come out with their pickup version like they've been talking about for 10 years.

 

[Peacock]

Yeah right-
I will never buy another POS Chevy or GM product as long as I live. I couldnt tell you all the bad experinces I've had with them in the 15 years I owned them. For so many years everyone was telling me how much better chevy products were to Ford or Dodge and I stuck with them for far too long. Had Chrysler Jeeps ever since then and though they may have had some issues I never looked back. Had the Jeep I own now for 5 years and "0" problems. My next purchase might be a Ford F150 if Jeep doesnt come out with their pickup version like they've been talking about for 10 years.

I've been wrenching on all kinds for 12yrs now and I stand by my comment. GM joints are of higher quality than Ford or Chrysler.

Chrysler tie rods, ball joints and control arm bushing are of the worst quality in the industry. And it's not even close.

Ford seems to just be decent across the board. They just corrode at a much quicker rate than everybody else.

GM joints seem pretty good. It's the steering shafts that are terrible on them.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I am not going to bash GM here but I have owned about a dozen Fords, a Honda, a BMW, a Dodge, a Toyota, a Nissan, and 4 GM's. I have only ever had to change ball joints or tie rods on 2 vehicles, one a 2001 Saturn with 90,000 miles and a 1989 S-10 Blazer with about 30,000 miles.

Your mileage may very.

Chris

 

[sparc]

Yeh ever since the auto companies found they could save a few cents by not using "greasable" front end parts we see more and more vehicles like this along the road. At least when they were greasable they had more chance of being noticed as getting bad by the garage people. Now in many cases you cannot even buy replacment joints that have grease fittings in them.

They have been moving to ball joints w/o zerk fittings since the 70s. I was working in a shop that did lots of front end work and I remember them coming out. They didn't have a zerk fitting but were tapped for one and had a plug installed, the box was marked 'greased for life' or something to that affect.. We always removed the plug and put in grease fittings.

 

[tcartwri]

Just changed all the ball joints on my 05 Explorer (6). Ford in their infinite wisdom recomends changing the upper A arms (4) along with the joints. That's $250~300 per wheel.... It has just under 120,000 miles.

Ever drive an independant rear suspension 4x4 in the snow with bad ball joints... Not a good feeling. It will be the last independant rear 4x4 I ever buy.

 

[HHR]

Just changed all the ball joints on my 05 Explorer (6). Ford in their infinite wisdom recomends changing the upper A arms (4) along with the joints. That's $250~300 per wheel.... It has just under 120,000 miles.

Ever drive an independant rear suspension 4x4 in the snow with bad ball joints... Not a good feeling. It will be the last independant rear 4x4 I ever buy.

Why would they put ball joints in the rear? You don't have rear steer do you?

 

[UpNorth1]

My next purchase might be a Ford F150 if Jeep doesnt come out with their pickup version like they've been talking about for 10 years.

Would love to get one of these:
Jeep J-12 Concept Prototype Drive – Review – Car and Driver

 

[UpNorth1]

I have a Titan and to replace the lower ball joints the entire lower control arm has to be replaced....At least the replacement has zirks.

 

[tcartwri]

Why would they put ball joints in the rear? You don't have rear steer do you?

No rear stear, but they have a double wishbone rear suspension. Upper and lower control arms . The uppers are cast aluminum, and you are not supposed to change the joints on them. I did anyways.

The front uppers are stamped steel, with a press fit ball joint. Taking the old joint out distorts the control arm. So Ford will not sell you the ball joint alone.