Understanding
Ball Joints

A Ball joint is a flexible ball and socket that attaches the wheel hub to the rest of the suspension, that can move in every direction to help in steering and shock absorption. We recommend getting your ball joints lubricated or checked every time you have your oil changed, but if you’re hearing clicking, popping or snapping sounds when the wheel is turned, chances are your ball joints are failing. Replacing your ball joints is not part of routine maintenance, but eventually, the grease inside the ball joints will dry out, causing the joint to become loose or to fail. If ignored long enough, a worn ball joint can break - causing substantial damage to your steering and suspension system. Proper maintenance and replacement of your car’s ball joints is critical for your safety. If a ball joint fails at high speed, the damage could be catastrophic.From an environmental point of view, there is little or no impact from a failing ball joint.

 

Usually, when front ball joints start to fail, the vehicle will display a few symptoms that alert the driver a problem has occurred, including:

1. Clunking noises coming from the front suspension

One of the most common symptoms of a problem with suspension ball joints is clunking noises coming from the vehicle’s front suspension. As ball joints wear out they become loose in the socket and rattle and knock as the suspension travels up and down over the road. Worn ball joints may knock or clunk when traveling on rough roads, speed bumps, or when turning. Usually, the clunking will get continuously louder as the ball joints wear, or until they eventually completely fail and break.

2. Excessive vibration from the front of the vehicle

Another symptom of problematic ball joints is excessive vibration coming from the vehicle’s suspension. Worn ball joints will be loose in their sockets and vibrate excessively as the vehicle is in motion. The vibration will usually stem from the affected ball joint, either from the right or left sides of the vehicle. In some cases, the vibration may be felt through the steering wheel as well.

3. Steering wandering to the left or right

Another symptom of worn ball joints is wandering steering. Wandering steering is when the vehicle steering drifts from left to right on its own. When the ball joints are in good condition, and the wheels are in proper alignment the steering wheel should stay mostly straight and direct in response. Worn ball joints will cause the vehicle steering to wander to the left or right, which will require the driver to compensate for the issue.

Because ball joints are an important component of any vehicle’s suspension, when they begin to have problems or fail, the overall handling and ride characteristics of the vehicle are likely to become compromised. For this reason, if you suspect that your vehicle’s ball joints have become severely worn or need to be replaced, have the vehicle’s suspension inspected by a professional technician, such as your friends here at Monkey's Mobile Mechanics, to determine what the best course of action may be to keep you safely on the road.