Car Suspension ball joint

Ball joint or axial joint serves to provide slip joint between the wheel bearing housing and the wishbone. It is mounted into a wishbone eye. The mechanical stress, which is a ball joint must withstand, is very high. Therefore, car parts makers provide a big size of this car part. However, wear or material defect may the reason of damage. Fracture of the ball joint can have serious consequences up to loss of the wheel. Therefore, defects should be immediately repaired.

A typical sign of damaged ball joint is crash when cornering at low speed. It often disappears at higher speeds. The reason is that the load on the steering at low speed is stronger than at high speed. Crash may appear because of other car parts failure (for example, failure of the wishbone). In any case it is necessary to visit a repair shop if there is any defect. To replace the ball joint you need special tools to pull and press the joint.

After the ball joint has been installed, it is necessary to align wheels. This is especially important if the wishbone has been dismantled. In many vehicles, the disassembly of the ball joint is necessary or advantageous. In any case, it is necessary to install a new ball joint, as it is not expensive. In addition, it makes sense to replace ball joints at both axes. In our online store you can also order door handle and thermostat. Do you search guide / deflection roller, evaporator, washing nozzle, timing belt cover or any other spare car part? Our Internet store is the best online shop of car parts where you can order necessary spare parts.

How to detect a faulty ball joint

First, inspect the protective boots. If the protective boots are not damaged, check the lateral and axial free play. This can be done using a vibration stand at a service station.

You may notice that the ball joint requires diagnostics by the following symptoms:

• deteriorated vehicle steerability;
• extraneous sounds are heard during movement;
• creaking sound is heard when cornering;
• tires wear out unevenly;
• cornering is difficult.

The reasons of ball joint malfunction

During operation, the component undergoes serious loads. Driving at a high speed on poor quality road increases the risk of component deformation. Damage may also be caused by impacts during road accidents or applying excessive force during installation.

Abrasive wear of the ball joint often happens when the protective boot is damaged. Water and mud infiltrate through the cracks in the rubber boot, which soon results in washing out the grease and component corrosion.

An increased gap between the housing and the stud of the ball joint is due to wear of the contacting surfaces. Most often, this is due to materials aging. The greater the gap is, the more loosened is the stud in the housing.

The ball joint premature wear may also be caused by its poor quality. Solid-forged models last longer. They are the best option for vehicles that are used in the conditions of high loads.

Repairing and replacing ball joints

Ball joints are to be replaced at a service station after every 70-100 thousand kilometers of mileage. In case of small defects, the component may be restored with the use of a liquid polymer. A ball joint can also be altered into a disassembling one for this purpose. To get rid of the problems with free play, adjust the component by tightening the nuts and replacing the lubricating fluids.