Subscribe Feed (RSS)How to do a Ball Joint Replacement at Home
What can start out as a simple mild tap in the steering wheel could end up giving car owners a very big mechanical problem in the future. A bad ball joint can start out silently, but as the mileages build over the next few days, the tapping gets stronger. When this happens, a ball joint replacement is required. The front suspension will eventually wear out sooner or later, but a sudden onset of slop from the cars ball joint means that there is a lubrication failure present. Ball joints that are permanently lubed despite manufacturers claim for an infinite life do still have a definite life span. When this happens, it is important to replace it as early as possible.
As always, consult the car’s manual first before taking any mechanical action. To save car drivers from taking a trip to the mechanic, here are the steps on how to do a ball joint replacement at home. Before starting a ball joint replacement, it’s best to use premium-quality ball joints for this because of their durability and their odds of outlasting OEM parts due to their built in grease fitting feature.
1. Park the car and block both rear wheels in both directions. Loosen the lag nuts, making a half turn and jack up the vehicle. Provide support by using cements or an old stump. Remove the wheel and place them somewhere underneath the car for added security just in case something goes wrong with the support.
2. Lift the entire car’s front end and drop off both of the suspension’s sides. Avoid attempting to lift up only side of the corner.
3. Remove the disc and the caliper from the strut to gain access to the ball joint. Avoid hanging the caliper from flexible rubber hose. Instead of hanging them, use a piece of wire to suspend them. Loosen the sway bar to lower the control arm.
4. After this, remove the pinch bolt located in the bottom of the strut. Give the lower control arm and the stud a good blow enough to tap them smartly using a bigger hammer to make the stud move. There is a thick bar that is up against the bottom of the control arm that prevents any type of movement. Deal with this by raising the strut and moving it enough to hold one corner of the car.
5. Before proceeding, remember that the suspension needs to have a full droop to allow clearance. Ball joints might be attached to the control arm, just remove the bolts and install in the new parts. After this eyeball the stud, slide the boot over including the stud back up into the strut. Reinstall the pinch bolt, screw the grease fitting, and pump grease into it until some of the grease comes out. Just do the exact opposite of what’s been done earlier and everything will turn out fine.
