I’ve been having all these symptoms with my car where it was very difficult to fight vehicle wander, so I’ve had multiple alignments done between part changes, (did find I had a cupped tire, and a weakening wheel bearing) had my suspension checked out by different shops, all was apparently “well”. But shocks were weak. Went and changed the rear shocks myself but had a shop do my struts. STILL A PROBLEM. I finally had it and bought a small camcorder and mounted in the wheel well where it could record my suspension in action. Took it for a quick 15 minute drive and noticed that my wheel was consistently “wobbling” to and fro, lifted both front tires off the ground and you could clearly see the drivers side tire would lean in more than the passenger side. so I took off my wheel not 20 minutes ago and saw that my ball joint bushing was absolutely SHREDDED. How the hell did no professional even catch that?? Especially the shop that changed my struts for me?? I’m an absolute amateur and I saw it within 5 minutes. I’m livid considering I literally drive my vehicle for hours every day at higher speeds on generally narrow and curving two lane highways and have been doing this for months. My vehicle has been a ticking time bomb. Imagine if my wife or infant child were in the car with me and the worst happened because all these experts said it was “fine”.
That’s so crazy literally my whole situation. With my car finally took it to a good shop and it was both upper ball joints car was driving so bad . Finally good
We need to start holding these shops accountable. I had a wheel alignment done and they never said anything. I had my daughter driving back to school (2 hours) and the car kept pulling left and right. I think about it and it burns me up how the big name tire repair shop did NOT see that. Not to mention how the hell did they complete the wheel alignment with the ball joints in such bad condition.
I have experienced that pop ou ball joint just today. I was driving my gf´s fother´s ATV Lyda 203e. I was just on the way home after some fun time with qouadbike - driving some fields, mud, some roads etc... So I am on the way home, driving trough the fields. I was not going fast or smth, just calm drive. Suddenly I had feeling that I can not steer, but I wasnt paying to much attention to it. And after few more meters I triend to go to thre right... All of a sudden I was rolling just on my front wheels almost fell of, but not yet. After few meters I got kicked to the frond - I flew few meters and after few seconds I had quadbike on my legs (kinda kicked the quad bike out of me). I looked at the quadbike and the front left wheel was dropped lil bit. So I take a better look and saw that the lower ball jont was popped out. I think I am lucky that it happened just on the way home when I was driving slowly. Because at least hour before this accident I was driving lil bit crazy trough the fields and I can not image what would happened. So this is my story. It is a reason that I found this video. So drive safe guys. And sorry for my EN.
I drive a 2012 cx9. Grand touring. 99000 miles. My mechanic told me recently that both joint boots were ripped and recommended joint replacement. The one joint was really loose. Got it done. Glad I did.
Yes ,it did help, In my case 98 explorer, i drive 110 miles a day, 100 of them is on Highway, 80 miles a hour I been hearing clack noise and very hard pull , especially when turning I was told the ball joint lower, since the car is old keep going . Your explanation show me how dangerous it is and for save me of a terrible accident Thank you so much
Thanks for this sir. Very informative. Today I noticed several of the symptoms for bad ball joints that you stated: while i drove the vehicle, it was tending to go to the left a bit, and heard some clicking noises when turning. So took the vehicle for a check up and was told that the boot was torn. Will definitely be changing them ASAP.
today i was riding doing 40 ball joint snapped and axle popped out and i flipped knocked myself out i’m lucky to be alive may have broke 2 finger and broke my nose. definitely should look at your ball joints guys very dangerous!
Damnn the same thing happen in my grand marquis but the car just dropped to the ground and it couldn’t move, no bent fender or other suspension components damage. Happened 2 times in 2 different vehicles
My front driverside suspension was making an awful creaking sound when I cornered at low speeds but was fine in a straight line. I thought about getting it checked out in a couple weeks but I had a day off work unexpectedly, decided to take my car to a shop right away. Turned out to be a ball joint. Fixed it right away. Safety over everything.
Literally within 2 week I had both lower ball joints go on my 93 civic. First time I was turning left onto a street and the front right end of the car just dropped to the ground,messed up the quarter panel. 2 weeks later I was turning right into my back lane to go home,front left end dropped to the ground,buggered up my quarter panel and I had to literally have my car towed 6 BLOODY HOUSES to my house. Keep on top of them because if one of these go while driving at higher speeds then I wouldn't want to be in that vehicle.
The worst case scenario happened to me yesterday too😭🙌lol it happened while on the freeway going 70 that shit was mad scary but thank god I was able to keep my chill and control the car
I just went to go get my Tacoma an alignment only to find out the prior owner didn’t put a LBJ back in when changing out the suspension…. Glad I went to get looked at as soon as I did.
I drove mine with a small hole in the boot for more than 6 months. I kept telling the garage about it and every time they would say it's still fine. And recently it started making a clunk when changing gears at low speeds, or clunk when pushing the clutch in during high torque. Then it started squeaking when turning the wheels, garage said it's still fine, as they could not feel any play at the wheel....omg, changed the garage and just asked them to replace it without any opinion on it :)) and all problems were solved. The old one was busted and had dirt in it. But with the wheel wiggle check, it wasn't showing any play. Anyway, just replace them if the boot is torn, at that point it's already on the way out.
The worst case scenario literally happened to me yesterday. I suddenly veered to the right after taking a right turn causing me to have a pretty nasty crash. I was lucky it was a deserted road. I didn’t hear any warning signs prior to it tho. I don’t know whether that’s possible
Yea its possible. It could be a sound as quiet as regular road noise. I think this is why people check once a year, soon as they see cracking they change it even though cracks on the outside of the rubber could last 20 years it's a decent reference that it's old. You could just grease it and coat the rubber with protectant and go 1 more year without checking it if it's not completely torn imo. You can also patch cracks with black silicone, I wouldn't repair rips with it tho, well maybe for a few days max but I'd swap it if its ripped or replace the boot.
I hit a curb and one of my ball joints ruptured. I ordered a replacement and my car drives so much better than it ever did,so I assume it has been bad for a while.
This happened to me 2 days ago in my 2012 edge limited my steering wheel shot to the right and my car slid over to the side of the road.... Had to get a tow. I'm very lucky I wasn't on the highway
My cars ball joints broke as soon as I pulled into a driveway for school, I wonder how lucky it was that it didnt break while I was going down a highway or at any other time
Just broke ball joint and axel last night on 2011 Kia. Concerns about trans right now and wondering if they’ll know and check damage. I don’t want it going out later.. it locked up to a screeching halt. The passenger tire turned sideways, to where the outer tire and hub cap faced the the rear, the inner faced the front. Dangling pieces and parts were everywhere and I didn’t expect it to move but it wouldn’t come out of drive. Very grateful wasn’t on the highway! Jerked me around something crazy! So- what did I insist they check to help insure I don’t get it back with a bad trans, as these repairs really need to be done at once per loan/insurance etc thanks!
Had a ball joint break on me today pulling into a gas station. Luckily I had replacement control arms at home. My father came through and we swapped out the one with the broken ball joint on the spot.
I'm guessing that you own a little older vehicle? I could do the same on the 1990 3/4 ton Suburban I owned but I am not going to attempt doing it myself on my 2007 Honda Element. It's a little trickier. In fact, I personally replaced the entire front end on my 1971 MGB GT to include the tapered king pins.
My thought on this is that if you put a new boot on the one in the example and some nice thick grease it would be roughly the same resistance as the one to the left. Could be wrong of course but that's how it looks to me.
Fantastic video, very informative and exactly what I was looking for. Was just replacing my steering knuckle on my Jeep Cherokee XJ 1995 and, as I was bashing it off, I feel I damaged one if not both the ball joints. I used a fork to get in between the boots but I also had to hit it with a sledgehammer. The wheel had no play so I don't believe the ball joints were bad before I whacked the steering knuckle off. Could I have damaged it or was it likely already worn?
@@BarboursAutoHelp Am I incorrect in my assertion that ball joint failure is typically the result of the boot being overfilled with grease causing the boot seal to fail?
My ball came out of the socket yesterday and it’s really upsetting just pulling off at like 5 mph and it happens as he said car bellyfloped a bit and came to a sturdy stop whole wheel basically hanging by a thread and tilted all the way to the right absolutely leaving my car imobile to anything but a tow, really shitty stuff rn
Both my upper ball joints come right out when i left up on the upper control arm but i cant afford to fix them so i just wrapped a chain around the arm and the joint and put a pad lock on it so it dont pop out when i hit a bump or something when im driving but havnt gotten into a car accident yet so my chain rig must be working
I did have a ball joint problem which broke on one side and the right side and the car slammed to the ground. Fortunately I was in my driveway I had just put on the brakes and stopped. both ball joints were replaced in a Lexus GS300. To the tune of $1,000. Now I'm driving my second car which is a Honda 2007 Accord, should I expect a specific sound before the ball joints go out? Can the ball joints be diagnosed while getting brake shoes? I love this channel
Ball joints should be inspected every oil change while the vehicle is lifted. Usually they will squeak or clunk. But you want to catch it before it starts doing this.
What could cause ball joints to start failing after being replaced and only about 300 miles or driving? On my vehicle the boot looks totally cracked and leaking grease, it has already started clunking again. There is separation at the top of the boot when the steering wheel is turned. What I have found is the bushings on the control arms arr rotted out (broken in half) and the axle is going out (has play and clicking but boot is still good). I did not do this job, I hired someone. Am preparing to redo it myself with help with all new control arm and replace the axles as well but want to verify what caused the problem so as to not repeat it.
I found "premium" ball joints on Rock Auto, and they're actually a few dollars cheaper than the "daily driver" ball joints. I might as well go ahead and get the premium line.
Got lucky today my 08 Mazda cx-9 2wd lower ball joint went for beginning of week making noise to pulling in driveway and ball joint broke out of control arm and smash fender. So lucky that it didn't come out on highway.
Thanks, this helps! I had my old Volvo 740 checked up the other day and the mechanic said that when he pushes and pulls the tire sideways, he can see movement of the boot of the ball joint. Is that the sign to change the ball joint? Thank you,
Very informative, thank you! If one were to replace the ball joint, how much of that piece is replaced, the area that the ball joint is at (which appears to be bolted on from the other side) or that entire arm shown?
Depending on the car, you either have a mounting plate with the ball joint secured to it (search Toyota ball joint) and you replace that all at once, or you just replace the ball joint itself (search Subaru ball joint). You can search "[car model] ball joint replacement" on TH-cam to see how it's done for your car.
Let me ask a question of you guys. I brought a car 3 weeks ago had it towed straight to my mechanics shop. I told them I just bought the car and I wanted an inspection. They told me I needed front shocks and they suggested an oil change and spark plugs etc Drove the car about a mile to my tire shop and had them put for new Michelin tires on it. They don't do alignments so I had it taken back to my mechanic for an alignment. 10 days later the upper ball joint gave away. Does this sound strange to you?
I know its a old video but i was wondering if ball joints seep grease as they age? I have a 18 toyota corolla le with 60 thousand miles and I noticed a small bit of grease seeping from the seals. No noticeable play but is it something to worry about?
Is there anything you can do to make the ball joint a little safer to drive with while you're waiting for your parts or have emergencies and only one vehicle question
This just happened to my 03 mazda 6. There was like an inch of play at both wheels. My car has two lower and one upper. It's totalled until I can get around to replacing the lower control arms and upper ball joint myself, and new tires for how long I've been driving it like that..
Exactly, I was removing an ball joint yesterday with a jack up push against the rotor, and as soon as the ball joint out, the axle plumped out also. Now imagine that happening on the road as you have the tire up against the rotor
Hey, thank you for the really informative video, I am current facing very similar issue with my Vw t6 van, when turning vehicle it feels like steering in locking on one position and van will roll over . On uneven surface I hear thuming noise too. I have changed the dropping links on my van which were also bad. Do you think it could be ball joints in my case or also could be cv joint is causing the problem. Many thanks
@@BarboursAutoHelp cheers thanks for the prompt reply, I'll take to different garage tomorrow. As my mechanic is not confident wether it's ball joint or drive shaft.
I've had to replace my ball joint twice is there a reason that would keep happening like another part that made make the ball joint wear exceptionally fast it's on the front passenger side
*Yes, it has a domino effect eventually... it can turn into a very expensive mess! and potentially life threatening, at that.* "If the wear becomes severe, the stud may separate from the housing resulting in immediate loss of control of your vehicle." This information was founded from MOOG parts website.
Ball joints dont usually fail unless the boot is deteriorated and all the grease leaked out, otherwise as long as boot isn't leaking the ball joint is fine.
Hi, my toyota belta has a high vibration when drive more than 110 km/ h speed, tyre new and wheel alignment has done after replacing the tie rods. Could it happen due to ball joint issue, let me know your pretty answer pls 🤔🤔👍
Any tips for working a street corner to afford the shop cost of replacing them all? I hear fishnets are pretty popular, but I'm not familiar with this market.
I got a question for you my upper control arm ball joint had a busted boot and I am getting a clunking noise going over large bumps but no noise on small bumps I used a prybar to check for play and it seems to be solid I wrapped it in duct tape to try to keep dirt from getting in there and pumped more grease into it how safety you think that is Obviously it’s not ideal but I need to get to work to fix it and let me know what you think
I just watched a video of a guy working under a truck and they said the ball joint blew up. Is that even possible? They said the guy heated something up to loosen a bolt. Maybe it is possible huh?
Best thing to do is call around to different shops in your area and get prices from them. It's highly unlikely that the price will be the same throughout the world.
@@BarboursAutoHelp I drive a 1989 GMC Sierra SLX 5.7 2wd and I replaced my my upper and lower ball joints around September 2019 and today 2023 march 27 one of my lower ball joints came out of A-arm again out of no where when turning a corner going 15 mph I bought a whole kit from 1A auto online for about $105 they only lasted 3-4 years why? I did look at the packaging and they’re made in China Im gonna replace both lowers only but this time I’m gonna use moog the problem solver ball joints or is there a better alternative? I might do the upper ball joints later but from what I hear all the stress is in the lower ones also my truck is a project truck I hardly drove and drive it since it’s problematic as hell from being 34 years old
Its very strange, if I grab the wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock and try to shake it, it feels stiff. If I grab it at 3 and 9 o'clock it wobbles a bit, but only at the 3 o'clock side. Upon further inspection, it looks like my lower ball joint is shifting a little. The ball joint itself seems to have no play but the whole thing is moving out of alignment. Should I replace the ball joint or is it the control arm? Or do I need to take it apart for further inspection? My car does not make any banging noises or squeaking, that is common with bad joint but it does randomly start to shake/wobble when driving, especially at higher speeds. Sometimes its barely noticeable and sometimes its rather intense and kind of scary. At first I thought it was a wheel bearing, until I seen this today when I was replacing a bad break caliper. What should I do? please help! Btw good vid, I thought it was more detailed than most of the others I've seen on TH-cam, seems like you know your s#!+ 😁👍
Not sure what to tell you to do. Its hard to say not being able to see the vehicle myself. If you not sure of what to do it never hurts to take it into a shop.
I would like to replace a ball joint,let me ask you , is it true these have to be replaced in pairs both sides, if one goes bad ? Also how come it seems a full control arm with ball joints costs less than just a ball joint I have seen pairs of control arms with ball joints at 50 60 70 dollars on amazon but a single ball joint is 100$ at my local parts store.
It's typically best to do things in pairs. I recommend it. Is it absolutely necessary?... maybe not depending on the situation. As far as the price issue you bring up, don't know.
I just had my lower ball joint replaced but right away I experienced a vibration which got worse. I was told it was my new tires or new rims . After many trys to troubleshoot I found my lower ball joint in crooked and NOT seated properly. Is this dangerous and the cause of my vibration?
@@RobertTaylor-cj7zd thank you I drove for 4 months and car shook shimmed wondered vibrated at speeds different daily. I replaced coils struts tires 4 times rims tie-rods balanced 4 times high speed 4 times all suggested by 4 different shops all thinking front end was 100%. Then went to same chain and they said ball joint was in crooked and they HAD TO CHANGE IT. Then the car was great..
I turned a corner a few weeks ago and heard a kind clunk sound and the car Keke. Almost felt like I hit something like metal and hard. Made a turn and looked to see if I hit something. There was nothing anywhere in sight I could have hit. Since then my car vibrates when it gets up to speed. My husband took it into the shop and had my tires balanced. They were off really bad. He got home, told me to drive it but I didn't go far or get up in speed. I said, it's OK but still shakes some. Well it still vibrates to the point of it killing my ear drums from the sound. Anyone think that its the ball joint? If not any ideas what it could be? Now I'm scared to drive it. I don't want to get into an accident or flip my car.
I have a bad ball joint I have it scheduled at the end of the week to get it fixed is my truck safe to drive until then. I don’t go over 40 miles an hour and don’t take the truck more then 5 miles
Hey there, thank you for this video!! Just a question. I changed my suspension for H&R springs on my BMW a week ago and I made the mistake of not securing everything after I unhooked the old suspension and the ball joint popped out. We did manage to get the ball joint back in and secured but there’s a tiny tear in the rubber boot so I know I need to replace it. It just happened so I’m sure I can get away with just replacing the boot. My question is what will I need for tools to replace the boot? Obviously the tools to get to it but I guess I will need a ball joint press? More ball joint grease? Sorry for the large comment I just wanted to be detailed. Thank you!
Hey there, This is Saturday evening 5-8-2021 GMC Sierra - I do have bad ball joints, tires bald on the inside. Now I have a vibration like if I was on rough road while I am on smooth road. No pull left or right... My question is: Is this how the ride feels just before a wheel comes off and the fender wells get damage + on the ground??? and colud it be safe to drive 5 to 15 miles real slow (if) I can get it in somehow on Monday???
I replaced upper and lower ball joints and control arm less than a year and I also had new struts put on 1 week ago and front wheel lined,My tire caved in and the Macanic said it was my lower ball joint. Need to know what happened
@@BarboursAutoHelp I had 2 mechanic s work on the truck one did the control arm and Axcle and sway bar link along with upper and lower ball joint because My upper ball joint snapped last September ,Then I had another Mechanic that told me it was the lower ball joint when it snapped yesterday after He put on 2 new struts last week when I told him I heard squeaking noises when I turn the wheel
I'll take " I don't know" for 500 Alex. Lol. As mentioned earlier I can't give you a good answer. I don't know all the circumstances surrounding the situation.
So I bought a car that was sitting for 8 years (runs fine) and the rear caliper hasn't been working, I figured this out when I was trying to bleed my brakes. The caliper had no fluid going to it and I recently discovered it was one of the hoses, do you know how I could unclog it? Seems as if its rusted shut
The caliper is probably junk and seized up, better to just replace it IMO. I'm no expert but seems like you should probably replace break lines too. Who knows how much rust and debris is in the old lines. Breaks are fairly easy for anyone who is somewhat mechanically inclined. It's also one thing you don't want to take any chances with, ya know?
@@TheHephaestus05 I had a truck that I took to the shop in the next county for an enhanced inspection. They put it up on the lift and the brake line BROKE in their hands. That was just the start of the horror. Now I have a Honda Accord that lights up like a holiday tree. That is going to cost me 2k +.
How can that little ball joint take the weight and pressures of a typical vehicle that weights well over a ton? Especially with all the force pushed on it at high speeds going over uneven ground??? It's just a little teeny thing.
@@BarboursAutoHelp Is It normal when I am at idle, the gear in park or drive, and I am pressinge the brake, the steering wheel is a little bit harder to turn and it is not smooth. Its like there’s something preventing the steering wheel to turn. I also checked that the lower ball joints are hard stiff and hard to move. Is it possible that it is because of the ball joints?
What if lower control arm/outer tie rod boots are intact and there is no play, but when turning the steering wheel(to the left) to a certain degree, makes a pop sound?
@@BarboursAutoHelp 2 technicians from different shops few weeks ago looked at the car but couldn't find issue. That noise is intermittent and I believe happens when outside is a bit warm such as 45 F or more but at the time techs looked at the car, I didn't know that issue could be temperature dependent. It went away for a few days or so then came back.
Can a ball joint sound like a bearing failure? I replaced the bearing and still hear like a wowowowowowoooo sound when driving. I can move the wheel and see the ball joint flopping all around. That has to impact drivability right ? Sounding similar to a bearing when it is failing? Maybe I should just replace it and see right ? :p
@@BarboursAutoHelp thanks for the reply. Yeah I think I'm in denial. The only thing I haven't replaced is the passenger side bearing. Will do this weekend fingers crossed. I broke pinch bolt and all that good fun. 😅 thanks again
my passenger side ball joint separated at 70MPH. I DO NOT know why I'm alive. The car just steered itself to the side of the road as though I planned it. 345K miles on my Volvo s60. Was actually on my way to my garage to investigate 'this weird noise' - never made it. Anyway- happy ending; new ball joint, new tripod joint, boots & grease for axle, new strut. Mad at myself for not checking this sooner but glad to be alive and glad I didn't take someone else out on the highway. Drive safe everybody.
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I’ve been having all these symptoms with my car where it was very difficult to fight vehicle wander, so I’ve had multiple alignments done between part changes, (did find I had a cupped tire, and a weakening wheel bearing) had my suspension checked out by different shops, all was apparently “well”. But shocks were weak. Went and changed the rear shocks myself but had a shop do my struts. STILL A PROBLEM. I finally had it and bought a small camcorder and mounted in the wheel well where it could record my suspension in action. Took it for a quick 15 minute drive and noticed that my wheel was consistently “wobbling” to and fro, lifted both front tires off the ground and you could clearly see the drivers side tire would lean in more than the passenger side. so I took off my wheel not 20 minutes ago and saw that my ball joint bushing was absolutely SHREDDED. How the hell did no professional even catch that?? Especially the shop that changed my struts for me?? I’m an absolute amateur and I saw it within 5 minutes. I’m livid considering I literally drive my vehicle for hours every day at higher speeds on generally narrow and curving two lane highways and have been doing this for months. My vehicle has been a ticking time bomb. Imagine if my wife or infant child were in the car with me and the worst happened because all these experts said it was “fine”.
That’s so crazy literally my whole situation. With my car finally took it to a good shop and it was both upper ball joints car was driving so bad . Finally good
We need to start holding these shops accountable. I had a wheel alignment done and they never said anything. I had my daughter driving back to school (2 hours) and the car kept pulling left and right. I think about it and it burns me up how the big name tire repair shop did NOT see that. Not to mention how the hell did they complete the wheel alignment with the ball joints in such bad condition.
I have experienced that pop ou ball joint just today. I was driving my gf´s fother´s ATV Lyda 203e. I was just on the way home after some fun time with qouadbike - driving some fields, mud, some roads etc...
So I am on the way home, driving trough the fields. I was not going fast or smth, just calm drive.
Suddenly I had feeling that I can not steer, but I wasnt paying to much attention to it. And after few more meters I triend to go to thre right...
All of a sudden I was rolling just on my front wheels almost fell of, but not yet. After few meters I got kicked to the frond - I flew few meters and after few seconds I had quadbike on my legs (kinda kicked the quad bike out of me).
I looked at the quadbike and the front left wheel was dropped lil bit. So I take a better look and saw that the lower ball jont was popped out. I think I am lucky that it happened just on the way home when I was driving slowly. Because at least hour before this accident I was driving lil bit crazy trough the fields and I can not image what would happened.
So this is my story. It is a reason that I found this video.
So drive safe guys.
And sorry for my EN.
My mechanic told me that I needed to replace my truck's ball joints. Super useful, thank you!
Glad it helped!
I drive a 2012 cx9. Grand touring. 99000 miles. My mechanic told me recently that both joint boots were ripped and recommended joint replacement. The one joint was really loose. Got it done. Glad I did.
Yes ,it did help,
In my case 98 explorer, i drive 110 miles a day, 100 of them is on Highway, 80 miles a hour
I been hearing clack noise and very hard pull , especially when turning
I was told the ball joint lower, since the car is old keep going .
Your explanation show me how dangerous it is and for save me of a terrible accident
Thank you so much
Glad to help. You definitely don't want to "keep going" on something that is unsafe.
Thanks for this sir. Very informative. Today I noticed several of the symptoms for bad ball joints that you stated: while i drove the vehicle, it was tending to go to the left a bit, and heard some clicking noises when turning. So took the vehicle for a check up and was told that the boot was torn. Will definitely be changing them ASAP.
Glad to help
@@BarboursAutoHelp thank you sir for the video
Time for car companies to figure out a way to make ball joints more durable.....and the boot!
Oh Wow 😞😞😞😩😩😩
Making a better ball joint is not profitable for corporations.
i think they intentionally make the rubber to wear out after a while.
tbh 100,000+ miles is not bad
@@drakesorkhab8124 right? The ball joints in my 95 Mercedes E300 are not great but I expect that with 260k miles on them.
today i was riding doing 40 ball joint snapped and axle popped out and i flipped knocked myself out i’m lucky to be alive may have broke 2 finger and broke my nose. definitely should look at your ball joints guys very dangerous!
Wow! Seriously? Man I'm glad your ok!
@@BarboursAutoHelp currently can’t bend down and can’t do much, i’ve learned my lesson but turns out ball joints had recall on them...
It must have giving you a sign but you ignore it
Damnn the same thing happen in my grand marquis but the car just dropped to the ground and it couldn’t move, no bent fender or other suspension components damage. Happened 2 times in 2 different vehicles
I have a very loose lower pass ball joint and I drive 85 on the freeway , what could happen
My front driverside suspension was making an awful creaking sound when I cornered at low speeds but was fine in a straight line. I thought about getting it checked out in a couple weeks but I had a day off work unexpectedly, decided to take my car to a shop right away. Turned out to be a ball joint. Fixed it right away. Safety over everything.
Literally within 2 week I had both lower ball joints go on my 93 civic. First time I was turning left onto a street and the front right end of the car just dropped to the ground,messed up the quarter panel. 2 weeks later I was turning right into my back lane to go home,front left end dropped to the ground,buggered up my quarter panel and I had to literally have my car towed 6 BLOODY HOUSES to my house. Keep on top of them because if one of these go while driving at higher speeds then I wouldn't want to be in that vehicle.
The worst case scenario happened to me yesterday too😭🙌lol it happened while on the freeway going 70 that shit was mad scary but thank god I was able to keep my chill and control the car
I just went to go get my Tacoma an alignment only to find out the prior owner didn’t put a LBJ back in when changing out the suspension…. Glad I went to get looked at as soon as I did.
I drove mine with a small hole in the boot for more than 6 months. I kept telling the garage about it and every time they would say it's still fine. And recently it started making a clunk when changing gears at low speeds, or clunk when pushing the clutch in during high torque. Then it started squeaking when turning the wheels, garage said it's still fine, as they could not feel any play at the wheel....omg, changed the garage and just asked them to replace it without any opinion on it :)) and all problems were solved. The old one was busted and had dirt in it. But with the wheel wiggle check, it wasn't showing any play. Anyway, just replace them if the boot is torn, at that point it's already on the way out.
The worst case scenario literally happened to me yesterday. I suddenly veered to the right after taking a right turn causing me to have a pretty nasty crash. I was lucky it was a deserted road. I didn’t hear any warning signs prior to it tho. I don’t know whether that’s possible
wow thank God your okay man
Yea its possible. It could be a sound as quiet as regular road noise. I think this is why people check once a year, soon as they see cracking they change it even though cracks on the outside of the rubber could last 20 years it's a decent reference that it's old. You could just grease it and coat the rubber with protectant and go 1 more year without checking it if it's not completely torn imo. You can also patch cracks with black silicone, I wouldn't repair rips with it tho, well maybe for a few days max but I'd swap it if its ripped or replace the boot.
I hit a curb and one of my ball joints ruptured.
I ordered a replacement and my car drives so much better than it ever did,so I assume it has been bad for a while.
This happened to me 2 days ago in my 2012 edge limited my steering wheel shot to the right and my car slid over to the side of the road.... Had to get a tow. I'm very lucky I wasn't on the highway
So happy your ok!
For me it happened today thank god it happened right after I got out of the highway like literally I’m so lucky 🍀
Great video, thank you for taking the time to put this together and sharing. Really helpful.
No problem
My cars ball joints broke as soon as I pulled into a driveway for school, I wonder how lucky it was that it didnt break while I was going down a highway or at any other time
Pretty lucky
@@BarboursAutoHelp wow. Thank you for telling me. I love your channel btw
Just broke ball joint and axel last night on 2011 Kia. Concerns about trans right now and wondering if they’ll know and check damage. I don’t want it going out later.. it locked up to a screeching halt. The passenger tire turned sideways, to where the outer tire and hub cap faced the the rear, the inner faced the front. Dangling pieces and parts were everywhere and I didn’t expect it to move but it wouldn’t come out of drive. Very grateful wasn’t on the highway! Jerked me around something crazy! So- what did I insist they check to help insure I don’t get it back with a bad trans, as these repairs really need to be done at once per loan/insurance etc thanks!
Thank you for this information.
Just waiting to get my ball joint fixed on my atv, but now I know I should not drive with it.
This was really useful and informative, thank you 🙏
Had a ball joint break on me today pulling into a gas station. Luckily I had replacement control arms at home. My father came through and we swapped out the one with the broken ball joint on the spot.
I'm guessing that you own a little older vehicle? I could do the same on the 1990 3/4 ton Suburban I owned but I am not going to attempt doing it myself on my 2007 Honda Element. It's a little trickier. In fact, I personally replaced the entire front end on my 1971 MGB GT to include the tapered king pins.
@@RobertTaylor-cj7zd it was a 2007 Mustang GT not so old but old enough lol
I had it happen when i went to take off...tire folded up under car and looked horrible...only cost 180 to fix including tow.
Eventually the ball joint will pop out and the wheel falls off. Scary
My thought on this is that if you put a new boot on the one in the example and some nice thick grease it would be roughly the same resistance as the one to the left. Could be wrong of course but that's how it looks to me.
Fantastic video, very informative and exactly what I was looking for. Was just replacing my steering knuckle on my Jeep Cherokee XJ 1995 and, as I was bashing it off, I feel I damaged one if not both the ball joints. I used a fork to get in between the boots but I also had to hit it with a sledgehammer. The wheel had no play so I don't believe the ball joints were bad before I whacked the steering knuckle off. Could I have damaged it or was it likely already worn?
Probably already worn.
@@BarboursAutoHelp Am I incorrect in my assertion that ball joint failure is typically the result of the boot being overfilled with grease causing the boot seal to fail?
Yes and no. Many ball joints today are not equipped with zerk fitting to allow the ball joint to be greased. They still fail..
My ball came out of the socket yesterday and it’s really upsetting just pulling off at like 5 mph and it happens as he said car bellyfloped a bit and came to a sturdy stop whole wheel basically hanging by a thread and tilted all the way to the right absolutely leaving my car imobile to anything but a tow, really shitty stuff rn
Both my upper ball joints come right out when i left up on the upper control arm but i cant afford to fix them so i just wrapped a chain around the arm and the joint and put a pad lock on it so it dont pop out when i hit a bump or something when im driving but havnt gotten into a car accident yet so my chain rig must be working
I did have a ball joint problem which broke on one side and the right side and the car slammed to the ground. Fortunately I was in my driveway I had just put on the brakes and stopped. both ball joints were replaced in a Lexus GS300. To the tune of $1,000. Now I'm driving my second car which is a Honda 2007 Accord, should I expect a specific sound before the ball joints go out? Can the ball joints be diagnosed while getting brake shoes? I love this channel
Ball joints should be inspected every oil change while the vehicle is lifted. Usually they will squeak or clunk. But you want to catch it before it starts doing this.
Hi. People like you are very valuable to us and your information. Thank you 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
What could cause ball joints to start failing after being replaced and only about 300 miles or driving?
On my vehicle the boot looks totally cracked and leaking grease, it has already started clunking again. There is separation at the top of the boot when the steering wheel is turned.
What I have found is the bushings on the control arms arr rotted out (broken in half) and the axle is going out (has play and clicking but boot is still good).
I did not do this job, I hired someone. Am preparing to redo it myself with help with all new control arm and replace the axles as well but want to verify what caused the problem so as to not repeat it.
I found "premium" ball joints on Rock Auto, and they're actually a few dollars cheaper than the "daily driver" ball joints. I might as well go ahead and get the premium line.
Got lucky today my 08 Mazda cx-9 2wd lower ball joint went for beginning of week making noise to pulling in driveway and ball joint broke out of control arm and smash fender. So lucky that it didn't come out on highway.
Thanks, this helps! I had my old Volvo 740 checked up the other day and the mechanic said that when he pushes and pulls the tire sideways, he can see movement of the boot of the ball joint. Is that the sign to change the ball joint?
Thank you,
Very informative, thank you! If one were to replace the ball joint, how much of that piece is replaced, the area that the ball joint is at (which appears to be bolted on from the other side) or that entire arm shown?
Depending on the car, you either have a mounting plate with the ball joint secured to it (search Toyota ball joint) and you replace that all at once, or you just replace the ball joint itself (search Subaru ball joint). You can search "[car model] ball joint replacement" on TH-cam to see how it's done for your car.
Thank you so much for the video I did help me a lot
Let me ask a question of you guys. I brought a car 3 weeks ago had it towed straight to my mechanics shop. I told them I just bought the car and I wanted an inspection. They told me I needed front shocks and they suggested an oil change and spark plugs etc
Drove the car about a mile to my tire shop and had them put for new Michelin tires on it. They don't do alignments so I had it taken back to my mechanic for an alignment. 10 days later the upper ball joint gave away. Does this sound strange to you?
Thought it was the sway bar because it felt like it would sway to one side
Can ball joints shakes steering wheel at high speed?
If u have no symptoms but zerk fittings are frozen and boot missing , is it OK to replace only those 2? And save$?
I know its a old video but i was wondering if ball joints seep grease as they age? I have a 18 toyota corolla le with 60 thousand miles and I noticed a small bit of grease seeping from the seals. No noticeable play but is it something to worry about?
Is there anything you can do to make the ball joint a little safer to drive with while you're waiting for your parts or have emergencies and only one vehicle question
I don't think so.
Drive Slow.
how much does it cost to replace or repair this issue in Canada?
My ball joint slipped out the socket today. Is it okay to just change out the ball joints or do I also need to change the control arms?
This just happened to my 03 mazda 6. There was like an inch of play at both wheels. My car has two lower and one upper. It's totalled until I can get around to replacing the lower control arms and upper ball joint myself, and new tires for how long I've been driving it like that..
How long have u been driving like that?
Thank you very much. So informative.
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome tip. Thanks for sharing.
Exactly, I was removing an ball joint yesterday with a jack up push against the rotor, and as soon as the ball joint out, the axle plumped out also. Now imagine that happening on the road as you have the tire up against the rotor
Hey, thank you for the really informative video, I am current facing very similar issue with my Vw t6 van, when turning vehicle it feels like steering in locking on one position and van will roll over . On uneven surface I hear thuming noise too. I have changed the dropping links on my van which were also bad. Do you think it could be ball joints in my case or also could be cv joint is causing the problem. Many thanks
No way I could answer that. You'll need a tech to look at it personally if you not confident you can figure it out.
@@BarboursAutoHelp cheers thanks for the prompt reply, I'll take to different garage tomorrow. As my mechanic is not confident wether it's ball joint or drive shaft.
Can i repair the spindle in the ball joint or replace it or buy a new ball joint
Gotta replace them
Very informative. Thank you.
I've had to replace my ball joint twice is there a reason that would keep happening like another part that made make the ball joint wear exceptionally fast it's on the front passenger side
Thank you this help me alot.
Could you please tell me if someone had a bad ball joint, could it make someone lose control of their vehicle? Or their steering function completely?
*Yes, it has a domino effect eventually... it can turn into a very expensive mess! and potentially life threatening, at that.* "If the wear becomes severe, the stud may separate from the housing resulting in immediate loss of control of your vehicle." This information was founded from MOOG parts website.
Ball joints dont usually fail unless the boot is deteriorated and all the grease leaked out, otherwise as long as boot isn't leaking the ball joint is fine.
I got really lucky, I didnt know my ball joint was bad. Didn't notice anything but heard a clunk when I pulled into my driveway. Rusted right off.
thanks for the info
Honda Accord 1999 to 2002 has frequent ball joint problem, how can one do that?
Hi, my toyota belta has a high vibration when drive more than 110 km/ h speed, tyre new and wheel alignment has done after replacing the tie rods. Could it happen due to ball joint issue, let me know your pretty answer pls 🤔🤔👍
Not familiar with Toyota Belta.
Why is my steering stiff after ball joint replacement. For long time..
I recently got a 84 scottsdale and it feels like I'm driving drunk
Any tips for working a street corner to afford the shop cost of replacing them all? I hear fishnets are pretty popular, but I'm not familiar with this market.
Fishnets just get in the way 😭
Thanks for the thorough explanation!
Sure thing
Do I need to get my truck an alignment after replacing the ball joints
I would recommend it.
I got a question for you my upper control arm ball joint had a busted boot and I am getting a clunking noise going over large bumps but no noise on small bumps I used a prybar to check for play and it seems to be solid I wrapped it in duct tape to try to keep dirt from getting in there and pumped more grease into it how safety you think that is Obviously it’s not ideal but I need to get to work to fix it and let me know what you think
I'd have a tech look at it and tell you what he or she to thinks. No way I could tell you if it's safe.
I have a bad lower ball joint can that cause my wheel to drag?
This video helps me thank you
Glad it helped
I just watched a video of a guy working under a truck and they said the ball joint blew up. Is that even possible? They said the guy heated something up to loosen a bolt. Maybe it is possible huh?
Can anyone help me with info? How much to replace a ball joint and how’s much to replace a control arm for a Ford Edge 2008 sel?
Best thing to do is call around to different shops in your area and get prices from them. It's highly unlikely that the price will be the same throughout the world.
@@BarboursAutoHelp I drive a 1989 GMC Sierra SLX 5.7 2wd and I replaced my my upper and lower ball joints around September 2019 and today 2023 march 27 one of my lower ball joints came out of A-arm again out of no where when turning a corner going 15 mph I bought a whole kit from 1A auto online for about $105 they only lasted 3-4 years why? I did look at the packaging and they’re made in China Im gonna replace both lowers only but this time I’m gonna use moog the problem solver ball joints or is there a better alternative? I might do the upper ball joints later but from what I hear all the stress is in the lower ones also my truck is a project truck I hardly drove and drive it since it’s problematic as hell from being 34 years old
Is this the cause of a "loose" steering wheel?
It very well could be.
Its very strange, if I grab the wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock and try to shake it, it feels stiff. If I grab it at 3 and 9 o'clock it wobbles a bit, but only at the 3 o'clock side. Upon further inspection, it looks like my lower ball joint is shifting a little. The ball joint itself seems to have no play but the whole thing is moving out of alignment. Should I replace the ball joint or is it the control arm? Or do I need to take it apart for further inspection? My car does not make any banging noises or squeaking, that is common with bad joint but it does randomly start to shake/wobble when driving, especially at higher speeds. Sometimes its barely noticeable and sometimes its rather intense and kind of scary. At first I thought it was a wheel bearing, until I seen this today when I was replacing a bad break caliper. What should I do? please help! Btw good vid, I thought it was more detailed than most of the others I've seen on TH-cam, seems like you know your s#!+ 😁👍
Not sure what to tell you to do. Its hard to say not being able to see the vehicle myself. If you not sure of what to do it never hurts to take it into a shop.
I would like to replace a ball joint,let me ask you , is it true these have to be replaced in pairs both sides, if one goes bad ? Also how come it seems a full control arm with ball joints costs less than just a ball joint I have seen pairs of control arms with ball joints at 50 60 70 dollars on amazon but a single ball joint is 100$ at my local parts store.
It's typically best to do things in pairs. I recommend it. Is it absolutely necessary?... maybe not depending on the situation. As far as the price issue you bring up, don't know.
I just had my lower ball joint replaced but right away I experienced a vibration which got worse. I was told it was my new tires or new rims . After many trys to troubleshoot I found my lower ball joint in crooked and NOT seated properly. Is this dangerous and the cause of my vibration?
You better that is. Whoever installed it would be doing again at their cost if it were me. GUARANTEED.
@@RobertTaylor-cj7zd thank you I drove for 4 months and car shook shimmed wondered vibrated at speeds different daily. I replaced coils struts tires 4 times rims tie-rods balanced 4 times high speed 4 times all suggested by 4 different shops all thinking front end was 100%. Then went to same chain and they said ball joint was in crooked and they HAD TO CHANGE IT. Then the car was great..
I turned a corner a few weeks ago and heard a kind clunk sound and the car Keke. Almost felt like I hit something like metal and hard. Made a turn and looked to see if I hit something. There was nothing anywhere in sight I could have hit. Since then my car vibrates when it gets up to speed. My husband took it into the shop and had my tires balanced. They were off really bad. He got home, told me to drive it but I didn't go far or get up in speed. I said, it's OK but still shakes some.
Well it still vibrates to the point of it killing my ear drums from the sound.
Anyone think that its the ball joint? If not any ideas what it could be? Now I'm scared to drive it. I don't want to get into an accident or flip my car.
You’re amazing thanks for the help!
Happy to help!
I have a bad ball joint I have it scheduled at the end of the week to get it fixed is my truck safe to drive until then. I don’t go over 40 miles an hour and don’t take the truck more then 5 miles
There is absolutely no way I can tell you that....
The video really helped me, thanks allot
Not a problem
Thank you for this
My pleasure!
Hey there, thank you for this video!!
Just a question.
I changed my suspension for H&R springs on my BMW a week ago and I made the mistake of not securing everything after I unhooked the old suspension and the ball joint popped out.
We did manage to get the ball joint back in and secured but there’s a tiny tear in the rubber boot so I know I need to replace it.
It just happened so I’m sure I can get away with just replacing the boot.
My question is what will I need for tools to replace the boot?
Obviously the tools to get to it but I guess I will need a ball joint press? More ball joint grease?
Sorry for the large comment I just wanted to be detailed.
Thank you!
If you're popping it out, you might as well get a new one.
I was gonna buy the lexus gs300 until i seen the ball joint complaints 😂
Thanks alot you did good
Can I ask you something ?
Hey there, This is Saturday evening 5-8-2021 GMC Sierra - I do have bad ball joints, tires bald on the inside. Now I have a vibration like if I was on rough road while I am on smooth road. No pull left or right... My question is: Is this how the ride feels just before a wheel comes off and the fender wells get damage + on the ground??? and colud it be safe to drive 5 to 15 miles real slow (if) I can get it in somehow on Monday???
Bad struts you got
If you think it's possible your vehicle is unsafe i would never tell you to drive it. Id have a tech look it over asap.....
great video
Thank you
I replaced upper and lower ball joints and control arm less than a year and I also had new struts put on 1 week ago and front wheel lined,My tire caved in and the Macanic said it was my lower ball joint. Need to know what happened
I'm not sure I can answer that. I think that would require an answer from the tech that looked at it. What did your mechanic say?
@@BarboursAutoHelp I had 2 mechanic s work on the truck one did the control arm and Axcle and sway bar link along with upper and lower ball joint because My upper ball joint snapped last September ,Then I had another Mechanic that told me it was the lower ball joint when it snapped yesterday after He put on 2 new struts last week when I told him I heard squeaking noises when I turn the wheel
How could the lower ball joint brake that fast?
I'll take " I don't know" for 500 Alex. Lol. As mentioned earlier I can't give you a good answer. I don't know all the circumstances surrounding the situation.
My balljoints were just like that, I got a CVPI
Yup. Happens all the time.
So I bought a car that was sitting for 8 years (runs fine) and the rear caliper hasn't been working, I figured this out when I was trying to bleed my brakes. The caliper had no fluid going to it and I recently discovered it was one of the hoses, do you know how I could unclog it? Seems as if its rusted shut
The caliper is probably junk and seized up, better to just replace it IMO. I'm no expert but seems like you should probably replace break lines too. Who knows how much rust and debris is in the old lines. Breaks are fairly easy for anyone who is somewhat mechanically inclined. It's also one thing you don't want to take any chances with, ya know?
@@TheHephaestus05 yep it ended up being a clogged caliper hose so I just bought a new one and it works fine now. Still appreciate the advice though.
@@TheHephaestus05 I had a truck that I took to the shop in the next county for an enhanced inspection. They put it up on the lift and the brake line BROKE in their hands. That was just the start of the horror. Now I have a Honda Accord that lights up like a holiday tree. That is going to cost me 2k +.
How can that little ball joint take the weight and pressures of a typical vehicle that weights well over a ton? Especially with all the force pushed on it at high speeds going over uneven ground??? It's just a little teeny thing.
It's a link. The most important one. Most links need not be bigger than the parts they are linking.
Can it cause stiff steering when the ball joint is too stiff?
It could.
@@BarboursAutoHelp Is It normal when I am at idle, the gear in park or drive, and I am pressinge the brake, the steering wheel is a little bit harder to turn and it is not smooth. Its like there’s something preventing the steering wheel to turn. I also checked that the lower ball joints are hard stiff and hard to move. Is it possible that it is because of the ball joints?
Really no way I could diagnose that without seeing your vehicle. You'll need a hands on tech to properly diagnose that for you.
Will it also cause a tire wobble and tilt off its normal axis
Perhaps a bit.
the boot on my ball joint was broken and there was so much wear on the ball joint itself that it popped right out of the socket
It really does happen. Nobody got hurt right?
@@BarboursAutoHelp no luckily it happened while entering my garage but thanks for the informative video. I'll be checking all my balljoints now
What if lower control arm/outer tie rod boots are intact and there is no play, but when turning the steering wheel(to the left) to a certain degree, makes a pop sound?
It could be so many things. Hard to say. Having a tech look at it may be your best option.
@@BarboursAutoHelp 2 technicians from different shops few weeks ago looked at the car but couldn't find issue. That noise is intermittent and I believe happens when outside is a bit warm such as 45 F or more but at the time techs looked at the car, I didn't know that issue could be temperature dependent. It went away for a few days or so then came back.
Don't know. Sorry bout that.
@@BarboursAutoHelp I guess, time will tell. Thanks :)
I had that same point coming from y truck looked at the ball joint boot and saw it was torn up.
What about the upper ball I have been driving awhile with that
What do you mean?
@@BarboursAutoHelp my upper joint on my driver side is bad but been driving with that for a while .My every other ball joints is good
Whats your question?
@@BarboursAutoHelp Ik the answer is no it because it’s gonna put more pressure on my lower ball joint and soon or later my wheel is gonna fall off
I still don't know what question you wanted answered but I'm glad you figured it out.
how long can you drive with them bad?
No way I can tell you that. Id say if they are bad replace them immediately.
“All the way to the scene of the crash”
my car bellyfloped today ripping the cv axle out what a great day!
Do you trust parts from ebay?
I've never gotten parts from ebay. That's not saying anything bad about them but I just use other sources.
Can a ball joint sound like a bearing failure? I replaced the bearing and still hear like a wowowowowowoooo sound when driving. I can move the wheel and see the ball joint flopping all around. That has to impact drivability right ? Sounding similar to a bearing when it is failing? Maybe I should just replace it and see right ? :p
Never experienced a ball joint making a wowowowo sound. However, I'd say if you ball joint has play in it you surely need to have it replaced.
@@BarboursAutoHelp thanks for the reply. Yeah I think I'm in denial. The only thing I haven't replaced is the passenger side bearing. Will do this weekend fingers crossed. I broke pinch bolt and all that good fun. 😅 thanks again
@@BarboursAutoHelp yeah I figured out it was the one bearing I didn't replace. I was clearly in denial lol thanks
Thank you sir
Sure thing.
@@BarboursAutoHelp How much is labor for mechanic to replace ball joints in 2003 Mustang GT?
Don't know. Don't own a labor guide.
my passenger side ball joint separated at 70MPH. I DO NOT know why I'm alive. The car just steered itself to the side of the road as though I planned it. 345K miles on my Volvo s60. Was actually on my way to my garage to investigate 'this weird noise' - never made it. Anyway- happy ending; new ball joint, new tripod joint, boots & grease for axle, new strut. Mad at myself for not checking this sooner but glad to be alive and glad I didn't take someone else out on the highway. Drive safe everybody.
I’m glad you’re ok too! Yes, drive safe everyone. Thanks for sharing.
thank you
Yep