Ball Joint Question
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Joined: Feb 2006
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Ball Joint Question
A shop has told me that I need new ball joints on my F-250 SD. They demonstrated this by jacking up under the axle until the wheels cleared the floor. Then raising and lowering the wheels up and down verically to show me how much up and down play there was in the ball joints. What bothers me about this is that this is not the way that the ball joints function normally. That is the knuckles (wheels) are normally pushing up against the top of the ball joint socket, and the way the shop demonstrated it the knucles were hanging down on the bottom of the ball joint socket. It seems like the ball joints should be tested for play in the normal mode by strongly pushing and pulling on the top of the wheel while checking for play. Does any of this make sense? I know ball joint replacement has been the subject of much forum discussion, but let me know what you think about a reliable method of actually testing for loose ball joints.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,859
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From: USA
Ball joints are tested in a up down motion as described.
Look at it this way when your traveling down the road and the suspension sees a dip in the road,this unloads that ball joint slightly, over time this wears the socket part of a ball joint, thus the play.Which if let go too long,i've seen them pop out.
Don't ask me how they could even drive the vehicle though.
your shop is doing the right test.
Rich
Look at it this way when your traveling down the road and the suspension sees a dip in the road,this unloads that ball joint slightly, over time this wears the socket part of a ball joint, thus the play.Which if let go too long,i've seen them pop out.
Don't ask me how they could even drive the vehicle though.
your shop is doing the right test.
Rich
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