Replacing lower right ball joint 1994 Chevrolet Corvette
Do you have to remove shocks to replace front lower ball joint?
My car has 206000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there – it CAN be done without removing the shock, and removing the lower control arm from the chassis, but it’s tough. The old ball joint has to be pressed out, and the new one pressed back in. Tough to do with all the other bits installed. Best to remove the shock, and remove the control arm from the chassis. Some consideration to purchasing a new lower control arm with the ball joint already factory installed should be given as well. Since the control arm is aluminum, pressing the old one out, and the new one in will leave the new ball joint less tightly fit (interference fit) to the control arm as well – something important when cornering in a spirited fashion. For assistance, I recommend a control arm replacement service performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, and give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
If a customer needs a new ball joint, recommend replacing all of the joints at the same time. If one joint has failed, chances are the other joints may be nearing the end of their service life, too.
The replacement of a ball joint which is pressed into the track control arm, in most cases requires a removal of the track control arm. You should therefore consider replacing the complete track control arm.
The lower ball joints are attached to the control arm and are primarily responsible for transferring loads from front tires to the axle. They also help in providing stability and accuracy when turning corners.
Q: Should I Replace All Ball Joints at the Same Time? A: Plenty of mechanics will recommend that you replace both the upper and lower ball joints at the same time. They may also recommend checking related components at the same time, such as the stud hole in the steering knuckle.
There`s no denying that it`s very important to replace your ball joints when needed. However, it`s worth noting that doing that doesn`t necessarily mean you need an alignment. The only time you need one after replacing the ball joints is if the previous alignment was performed when ball joints were not in good shape.
Sound — Usually the first indication of worn or loose ball joints will be a faint, intermittent clunking noise that seems to be coming from a corner of your vehicle. The sound may be more pronounced when going over a bump or a dip or when going around a corner.
As ball joints wear, this can hamper your ability to steer and control the vehicle. If a ball joint fails, a vehicle`s suspension can collapse or the wheel could fall off causing the vehicle to lose control. A bad ball joint is extremely dangerous and can cause serious accidents.
Ball joints typically cannot be replaced separately, so the entire control arm needs to be replaced. The ball joints are critical to vehicle alignment, so these control arms should also be replaced in pairs.
The lower ball joint usually takes the biggest hits and wears out first. Not only does it need to handle the load of the vehicle, but it also absorbs the shocks of potholes and other bone-jarring road hazards.
Loose or shaky steering.
Bad ball joints can cause a car to feel shaky and unstable. This symptom is especially worrisome because it can cause drivers to feel like they don`t have control over their vehicle, possibly resulting in accidents.
The lower ball joint usually takes the biggest hits and wears out first. Not only does it need to handle the load of the vehicle, but it also absorbs the shocks of potholes and other bone-jarring road hazards.
A ball joint replacement will typically take around one hour, but it can take less or more time depending on several factors.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
When replacing ball joints can you just replace the ball joints or do you need to just replace the control arm?
ANSWER : Suspension components on modern vehicles are not as heavy as they used to be. Components like control arms can be lighter and thinner. Ball joints are riveted or pressed into control arms. Sometimes bolted/screwed. Since replacing a ball joint will usually involve removing the control arm from the vehicle to either press or drill rivets out – which is more labor intensive, it can be a time and money saver labor wise to simply replace the entire control arm.
You are removing the old control arm and replacing it with a new one, complete with new ball joint and control arm bushings. Even if the control arm bushings are in good shape at the time the ball joint is replaced, they will eventually require replacement. You then have parts and labor involved again to remove the control arm, replace the bushings, then reinstall it on the vehicle.
Sometimes the ball joint replacement can be more cost effective in the long run, to simply replace the entire control arm. If you’d like to have this done, consider YourMechanic, as one of our mobile technicians can come to your home or office to service your ball joints.
When replacing ball joints can you just replace the ball joints or do you have to replace the whole control arm?
ANSWER : The ball joint on this vehicle can be replaced separately from the lower control arm. However, on this vehicle it is also a known problem where the ball joint becomes loose inside the mounting in the lower control arm and will not hold tight any longer. This will require the entire lower control arm to be replaced. [https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/control-arm-assembly-replacement]
In order to know if just the ball joint or the whole complete lower control arm needs replaced, the lower ball joint will need to be disconnected from the steering knuckle and checked to see if it fits tight in the lower control arm. If it is loose, then replace control arm. If it fits tight then you will need to remove the ball joint from control arm and see if a new ball joint will fit tight in the control arm or control arm still will need to be replaced. This is why you were advised to replace the whole control arm.
Replacing lower right ball joint 1994 Chevrolet Corvette
ANSWER : Hi there – it CAN be done without removing the shock, and removing the lower control arm from the chassis, but it’s tough. The old ball joint has to be pressed out, and the new one pressed back in. Tough to do with all the other bits installed. Best to remove the shock, and remove the control arm from the chassis. Some consideration to purchasing a new lower control arm with the ball joint already factory installed should be given as well. Since the control arm is aluminum, pressing the old one out, and the new one in will leave the new ball joint less tightly fit (interference fit) to the control arm as well – something important when cornering in a spirited fashion. For assistance, I recommend a control arm replacement service performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, and give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.
lower ball joint broke in half
ANSWER : To give you a usable answer, we (and possibly a lab) would have to have the failed part in hand to determine the failure mode. The problem is there are quite a few disparate causes for a failure of the type that you are describing which includes improper assembly, metal fatigue around the joint, product and/or design defect and so forth. Depending on the failure mode, and the full set of circumstances, this might be a situation where the failure should be reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the event that you have unwittingly stumbled on a "product defect" (such reporting could save other people’s lives and that is no understatement). These reports to NHTSA are easy for consumers to enter online at www.nhtsa.gov and/or you can simply call their 800 number to make a report.
Ball joints are obviously designed to withstand tremendous impact forces and thus are not typically "broken" by even substantial potholes. That fact has meaning of course because you claim to not have even hit anything and yet the part failed. Obviously, you don’t want that happening at 65 miles per hour while trying to negotiate a winding curve.
Consequently, in your circumstance, what I would do, is first ask the shop WHO the manufacturer of the control arm is. Aftermarket parts are not created equal. Depending on exactly what company manufactured the part, I might be able to offer more specific advice as to how to interpret this or what action to take.
But, what I would do is take that "who" information to a Mechanic who is highly knowledgeable about the "parts" aspect of the automobile repair business and both get his view and have him re-examine the OTHER side. Going forward, generally, a SAFE choice for parts is OEM (dealer). A lot of repair facilities will not use OEM parts, or the BEST parts, and yet charge you full fare. It may be best to have a second opinion on the work that was already completed. A certified technician from YourMechanic can perform a thorough inspection of your vehicle and provide necessary information to address this. Hope this helped.
Torn lower ball joints and torn tie rods – 2006 Nissan Sentra
ANSWER : Hi there. Unfortunately, diagnosing what type of service may have been performed by a different mechanic without physically inspecting the vehicle is difficult, as is knowing how long your vehicle can be driven with worn out ball joints and tie rods. The problem with worn out suspension parts is that they can fail and break, which can cause an unsafe driving situation.
It might be a better idea to have a professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location to inspect all the front end components for damage and give you an idea as to how much longer you can drive your vehicle before you must replace the damaged parts or buy a new vehicle.
I replaced my balljoints upper and lower on both sides but now the ball joints don’t sit against the control arms
ANSWER : Hello, and thank you for writing in. Without having the vehicle to inspect, it is difficult to tell. The assembly of the hub and control arms to the ball joints can be difficult, and making sure it goes back exact is critical. There was likely a mistake made when reassembling the components. The replacement could have also been a mismatch depending on where you got it from. Without taking it in, or having us out to inspect it, you should start by taking wheel and rotor back off, and giving it a full visual inspection, of not attempting to realign it. Make sure you are following torque specifications on the repair as well. For more help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
I replaced the lower ball joint, but when I try to tighten the nut, the ball joint stud just turns
ANSWER : A lot of times, when you’re installing a ball joint into the lower control arm and trying to tighten the nut to lock in the ball joint shaft, the shaft will spin if you do not have enough pressure on the lower control arm. You will need to use a jack under the control arm as close to the ball joint as possible to push up on the joint so that the weight of the vehicle pushes the ball joint tight; then you should be able to tighten it. Make sure when using a jack under the lower control arm that you keep the vehicle supported with jack stands. If you need any professional assistance with this repair, you can always contact a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.
I have gotten my ball joints replaced and a new spindle and my wheel still keep coming off the ball joint keep coming apart
ANSWER : Hi there. Something is apparently being overlooked, concerning the lower ball joint replacement. The lower part of the ball joint is inserted into the control arm (retained by a circular clip) and the upper part is inserted into the steering knuckle (retained by a through bolt). Repeated failure would, lead me to believe, there is a fitment problem and/or undo stress is being placed on the ball joint. This could be the result of a bent lower control arm. It could be result of a bent subframe and/or bent strut assembly placing undo stress on the lower ball joint. An alignment may help identify the area of concern. I recommend having your vehicle’s repeated lower ball joint failure be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.
