How To Replace Control Arm Ball Joint

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A worn-out ball joint will pin horizontally and vertically, negatively affecting your handling at low speed, and becoming especially dangerous at high speeds. Recognizable for a knocking sound in the wheel well as you execute a turn, fixing quondam ball joints is an important part of keeping your vehicle route-safe. You can do it yourself for the price of the parts and the right approach.

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Prep the piece of work area. Park on a flat surface and cake both rear wheels, front and back. Jack both front wheels off the footing and support the vehicle with jack stands. Chock the back tires to make sure nothing will move anywhere while you're working.
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Inspect the ball joints to make sure they need to be replaced . Effigy out if your vehicle'southward 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 cheque for wheel play, or by jacking upwards the machine and using a pry-bar to check for wheel play in a strut-fashion break.^[1]
- There should exist no space betwixt the ball articulation and the point of contact. If you see any space, or the wheel moves considerably, the articulation needs to be replaced.
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Purchase the correct replacement ball joint associates for your vehicle. Go to the auto parts store and get a replacement office appropriate for your make and model. All you've got to know is the type of vehicle and you should be able to use the guidebook in the aisle, or ask for help and they'll be able to direct yous.
- Typically, a solid brawl articulation replacement will run about $80 or $ninety new. Compared to the several hundred to a thousand dollars they'll charge at the store, this can exist a very price-effective DIY project.
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Remove the wheel and access the brawl joint. Depending on the steering assembly, you may as well accept to motility bated the brakes. If so, use a wire to hang the brakes and don't dangle them by the brake lines. You'll likewise need to loosen the mounts holding the control arm or sway bar in place to give you more room to move suspension parts away.^[2]
- If it'south at all possible, try to piece of work around the brake rotor, caliper, and the line without removing the associates. If you do, you lot'll have to bleed the brakes, making this a much bigger job.
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Soak all the bolts with WD-40 or PB Blaster. The ball joints can exist some of the gunkiest components on the entire undercarriage, quite caked with dirt and other road grit, and it can be a behave trying to get the ball joint loose from that build-up. To make it easier on yourself, spray some metal cleaner on all the bolts to try to get them to sideslip off somewhat more easily.^[iii]

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Pull the cotter pivot and loosen the large castellated nut. The top should look like a crown, or castle, at the bottom. Exit the castellated nut in identify, just a few turns in to keep information technology in a safety place.^[4]
- If you're working on a McPherson strut break remove the "pinch bolt" that clamps the ball articulation stud.
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Pop loose the ball joint. The goal is to try to guide information technology through the hole in the upper half of the steering knuckle. It can be somewhat difficult because of the extremely tight fit which helps hold the ball joint in identify and the road grime built up around the break, and then you volition near probable demand to employ a hammer and a special tool chosen a "pickle fork" or tie rod separator to get enough leverage to maneuver.^[5]
- With the wrench, remove the largest nut from the joint, replace with the new nut, and so drive the pickle fork between the control arm and the steering knuckle. You'll probably take to hammer information technology, and don't be agape to become crude.This will probably ruin the gasket around the ball articulation, then make sure you've got one to replace information technology.
- By putting the castellated nut on before hammering away, you'll avoid having the brawl joint pop completely out and drib onto the floor, or more likely your foot.
3
Remove the allen bolts and slide the command arm free. Loosen bolts or drill out rivets holding the brawl articulation in place, and slide out the ball joint. Sometimes, it's helpful to estrus especially corroded components with a torch to endeavor to loosen them. Be conscientious if you endeavour this.^[6]
- If your motorcar's break uses pressed-in ball joints, you'll need to remove the lower command arm and take the associates to a mechanic with a hydraulic press, who tin can printing the old ball joint out and the new ball articulation in.

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Guide the new articulation through the knuckle hole. Slide the new rubber boot over the ball articulation's stud and guide the new ball joint back up through the steering knuckle hole, where information technology came from.^[7]
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Bolt the joint into place using the hardware included. It's not ordinarily advisable to re-use onetime bolts or rubber boots that covered the old ball joint, which will probably exist too corroded if the ball joint wore out.^[8]
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Torque the bolts to the proper specifications. Refer to the manufacturer's service manual and use a torque wrench to tighten the bolts and castellated nut to specified levels; reinstall the pinch bolt if working on a McPherson strut.^[9]
- Generally, the specs volition be well-nigh 44 pounds per foot on the screws and around eighty for other bolts. Always defer to the owner's manual for accurate numbers, withal.
4
Screw in the new grease fitting and pump grease into the assembly. If y'all removed the brake or wheel, reattach them and lower the vehicle back downward to test out the action. Drain the brakes, if necessary. It's a expert opportunity to practise any other repairs you might need to do with the brakes, since you've got them off.
- Replacing a ball articulation tin bear on alignment. If a ball joint is worn enough, and the vehicle was previously aligned, it might exist wise have the vehicle realigned.

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Consider ball joints as a set. Check to see whether each wheel has ane or 2 brawl joints (upper and lower) and replace both; likewise replace both left and right sides since you lot take the entire front lifted.
Always accept a wheel alignment performed afterward replacing ball joints. Getting an alignment will ensure that all pause and steering components are at the correct manufacturer's specified angles for proper performance and prevent your tires from wearing prematurely.

Things You'll Demand

jack
wire for hanging brakes
hammer
rod separator ("pickle fork")
drill
torque wrench
grease pump

About This Article

Article Summary X

To replace ball joints, remove the bicycle and soak all the bolts in WD-xl or some other metallic cleaner to make the bolts easier to remove. Then, unbolt the control arm and slide out the ball articulation. If your vehicle uses pressed-in ball joints, you'll need to remove the lower control arm and have the associates to a mechanic with a hydraulic printing to bandy the joints out. Slide the new articulation into place and pump information technology full of grease. For advice from our Mechanic reviewer on how you can know when the brakes are bad, coil down!

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