Bad ball joints on truck???

spottedhawk36 · 10-20-2008, 12:18 AM

I was just curious on how you can tell if your ball joints are going bad? i know you can jack it up and pull the tire side to side and also grab the tire from top and bottom and try and tweak it and you dont want ti too move around, i am curious as to how bad ball joints affect the handling of your truck, as to what are things while driving that could tip you off that they are going bad?

1pump · 10-20-2008, 02:11 AM

I usually just jack the front end up so the tire is about an inch off the floor and stick a big pry bar under the tire and watch the ball joint while I try to wiggle the tire back and forth and up and down. A teeny bit of movement is OK, but no more than that (like maybe 1/32nd of an inch). That way you don't confuse a loose wheel bearing with a bad joint.

I don't know what kind of truck you have, but most of the OEM joints made in the last 25 years don't have zerk fittings. They die early. A lot of times they dry up rather than get loose, and the truck won't to return to center when you let go of the steering wheel after a turn or lane change. If you can get to the joint boots, pull them up (carefully) and take a peek inside. If there's a bunch of rusty looking crud in there, it's time for them to go. Most aftermarket ball joints have zerks so they can be greased.

Mr. Carp · 10-20-2008, 12:50 PM

I've got an 02 F-350 Diesel with only 62000 miles and they are already going bad.

Mine drives like a Cadillac, so no prior warning or signs.

tt3886 · 10-20-2008, 01:03 PM

Easy.

Jack and support the front of the truck (tires off the ground) on the frame. Do not place the jack stands under the suspension (the suspension needs to hang free). Now, take the floor jack and place it under the left or right side lowest suspended object (shock mount/lower A frame), and jack it up only until you just take the droop pressure off the suspension (approximately 1/2~3/4 inch). Now grab the wheel at the 12:00 and 06:00 position, and rock gently towards you, and away from you. If the ball joints are excessively worn, it will be readily apparent.

spottedhawk36 · 10-20-2008, 01:32 PM

Ive got a 1996 f-250, how long is a long life for a set of ball joints?

Firedog · 10-20-2008, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Carp

I've got an 02 F-350 Diesel with only 62000 miles and they are already going bad.

Mine drives like a Cadillac, so no prior warning or signs.

My 02 F350 crewcab has 96k and both were replaced last year. Truck is in the shop right now having the motor that engages the 4X4 replaced and one of the auto locking hubs also.

adobe wall · 10-20-2008, 03:44 PM

If they're really bad the steering wheel will float back and forth without the wheels turning.

Odds are good if you think they're bad, they are.

regards, aw

SImudBogger · 10-20-2008, 03:47 PM

it can also be your tie rod ends. I had the same problem on my ranger and thought it was ball joints, it turned out to be tie rod ends. Les schwab fixed it, they will diagnose it for you, only takes a few minutes.

spottedhawk36 · 10-20-2008, 04:02 PM

Does les schwab do ball joint replacements too?

jordanb38 · 10-20-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spottedhawk36

Does les schwab do ball joint replacements too?

yeah, and at a reasonable price generally

Mr. Carp · 10-20-2008, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firedog

My 02 F350 crewcab has 96k and both were replaced last year. Truck is in the shop right now having the motor that engages the 4X4 replaced and one of the auto locking hubs also.

Yeah, both of my hubs are stuck. They are on Auto right now and work, but I can't turn them. Guess it's pretty common with Ford's stock hubs.

Mr. Carp · 10-20-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordanb38

yeah, and at a reasonable price generally

I called Six States Distributing, they'll do my truck for over half off of what Vancouver Ford wanted. Six States is a great place to take stuff. They have good people working there and do great work with the best quality parts.

Mr. Carp · 10-20-2008, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tt3886

Easy.

Jack and support the front of the truck (tires off the ground) on the frame. Do not place the jack stands under the suspension (the suspension needs to hang free). Now, take the floor jack and place it under the left or right side lowest suspended object (shock mount/lower A frame), and jack it up only until you just take the droop pressure off the suspension (approximately 1/2~3/4 inch). Now grab the wheel at the 12:00 and 06:00 position, and rock gently towards you, and away from you. If the ball joints are excessively worn, it will be readily apparent.

I don't know why the suspension needs to hang..... Just jacking the truck up should be sufficient. I just did it on mine.

SImudBogger · 10-20-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spottedhawk36

Does les schwab do ball joint replacements too?

When i thought that was the problem on my truck they quoted me nearly HALF what the other places i called. The guy at schwab said they are cheaper becasue they usually don't have to special order the parts and they are able to get it done fast because they do it so often. You save big bucks on the labor.

Beefcake · 10-20-2008, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SImudBogger

it can also be your tie rod ends. I had the same problem on my ranger and thought it was ball joints, it turned out to be tie rod ends. Les schwab fixed it, they will diagnose it for you, only takes a few minutes.

I just had a bad experience with Les Schwab for front end work. I set an appointment for last Saturday to have the front end aligned on my old explorer because my regular mechanic doesn't have an alignment rack. The rig is a '93, but it only has 75k original miles on it. Anyway, they called me about 2 hours after I dropped it off and said that they couldn't perform the alignment unless I authorize them to do a $1000 front end rebuild first because "it's an old car with over 175k miles and the whole front end is loose". Well, I knew they were full of crap, so I picked up the car and took it to another shop; turned out that my wheel bearings were a little loose and they recommended new front shocks while I was at it - came to a whopping $220. So, Les Schwab, why replace $800 worth of suspension parts that weren't worn out? Sorry, "sudden service" isn't worth being ripped off.

Scott Johnson

djb · 10-20-2008, 07:32 PM

Les Schwab has great customer service but I would not use them on front end repairs and brake work. They are very expensive. Tires and batteries- yes. Front end,suspension,brakes, no no no. You should be able to get a free suspension check at Les Scwab. Get a estimate and then call your local dealer and a few independent Ford shops. Price the job out.

jordanb38 · 10-20-2008, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Carp

I don't know why the suspension needs to hang..... Just jacking the truck up should be sufficient. I just did it on mine.

Because your ball joints need to be unloaded to check for play...

suckerfish · 10-20-2008, 11:16 PM

Dana 50, 60, 70 etc. are the old model numbers, so you won't find them anywhere on the unit. The new model numbers are:

Dana 50 = 229
Dana 60 = 248
Dana 70 = 267
Dana 80 = 286

The three digit model number is cast into the center section, upside down, on the passenger side above the horizontal reinforcement rib. The three digit model number is also on the paper assembly tag in a box in the bottom right corner.
In my case, a 2003 F350 has a Dana 60 or Model 248.

I believe all f-series superdutys prior to year 03 had dana 229. These modles were pron to premature ball joint and rotor failer. The heavy diesel was a component killer. The upgraded heavier front end cured alot of front end issues.

tt3886 · 10-21-2008, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Carp

I don't know why the suspension needs to hang..... Just jacking the truck up should be sufficient. I just did it on mine.

I suppose that would work for some applications. I do it this way, so that it relieves the tension on the ball joint, and gives you a pretty accurate confirmation. I'm sure that there are many different ways to confirm suspect ball joints. I'm just describing one way.

infinity22 · 10-21-2008, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordanb38

Because your ball joints need to be unloaded to check for play...

there will not be any pressure on the ball joints once the tires are off the ground. think about it!!!!

suckerfish · 10-21-2008, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinity22

there will not be any pressure on the ball joints once the tires are off the ground. think about it!!!!

No, but the steering componets add considerable latteral force when the suspension is loaded. best to check these components with the suspention relaxed.

suckerfish