How to Replace Ball Joints

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How to Replace Ball Joints

• By Alex Yager

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What is a Ball Joint?

• A ball joint is a flexible coupling that connects
  the control arm to the steering knuckle
• Some are required to be greased periodically,
  while others never require any

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What does a ball joint do?

• A ball joint help supports weight and acts as a
  pivot site linking the suspension and the tires
• As this joint wears, it becomes loose, which can
  result in excessive suspension noise and wheel
  misalignment

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Types of Ball Joints

• There are three different types of ball joints
• A bolt/rivet ball joint
• A pressed fit ball joint
• A screw in ball joint

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Bolt/Rivet Ball Joint
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Pressed Fit Ball Joint
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Screw-in Ball Joint
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Tools Youll Need

• Ratchet and Socket Set
• Pickle Fork
• Ball Joint Remover
• Jack and Jack Stands
• Spring Compressor
• Wrench
• Ball Joint Press

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Removal (1)

• First, place the car on jack stands and remove
  the front wheels

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Removal (2)

• Remove the shock absorber and install a spring
  compressor on the coil spring

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Removal (3)

• Unbolt the steering knuckle and separate the
  knuckle and joint
• This can be done by using a pickle fork and a
  hammer

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Removal (4)

• The ball joint may be pressed, riveted, bolted,
  or screwed into the control arm
• First, you must remove the nut on the bottom of
  the bolt to allow you to fully remove the ball
  joint
• For a pressed ball joint, a pickle fork can be
  used with a hammer to remove the pressure from
  the fitting, and allow you to remove it
• For a rivet joint, you must first remove the
  rivets by either drilling or tapping them out,
  then the ball joint will come out by giving it a
  small tap with a hammer

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Removal (4) Continued

• For a bolt-in ball joint, you must first remove
  the bolts holding the ball joint in place
• If it doesnt come out right away, loosen it up
  with a hammer and remove it
• For a screw in ball joint you must select the
  right socket or wrench size, and carefully loosen
  it up and remove it. Screw in ball joints have
  very fine thread, so it is crucial to make sure
  that you are very careful with these types of
  ball joints

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Maintenance

• Ball joints are relatively low maintenance
  components
• The only thing needed to keep them from
  prematurely wearing out is to grease them once
  every 6 months

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Replacement

• After releasing all of the pressure from the
  joint, and removing the castle nut on the bottom
  of the bolt, the ball joint is ready to be
  removed
• If the joint is completely shot, then it must be
  replaced
• Ball joints can be ordered at a nearby dealer, or
  by simply going on the internet and purchasing
  them on a parts website such as Napa or Autozone

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Reassembly (1)

• The first thing you must do to reassemble
  everything is to put the ball joint back in its
  socket
• For a pressed ball joint, you need to put it back
  into place on the control arm and use a ball
  joint press to put enough pressure on it to
  attach it to the control arm correctly, then put
  the locknut back on the end
• For a screw in ball joint, you must rethread the
  ball joint back in the control arm until it
  seats, and then attach the locknut on the end
• For a bolt/rivet ball joint, you must reattach it
  to the control arm by reinserting the bolts in
  the holes and tightening them, or snap in new
  rivets with a rivet gun

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Reassembly (2)

• After you have the ball joint back in place, you
  can now reattach the steering knuckle to the
  control arms
• When you that is completed, you can reattach the
  shock absorber to the control arm and the frame

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Reassembly (3)

• Now that you have the suspension put back
  together, you can reattach the wheels and take
  the jacks out
• Now youre done!!!

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Price

• The price of a ball joint varies greatly on the
  make, model, and year the car was made
• The price range of ball joints range from about
  20 to around 100 for top of the line cars from
  such companies as Mercedes Benz and Jaguar
• Although they can get a little pricey, most sell
  for around 30

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QA

• What are the three different types of ball
  joints?
• How often should ball joints be greased on an
  automobile?
• How much would it cost to buy a replacement ball
  joint?
• What is the first thing you should do when
  starting the removal process?

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QA (Continued)

• What is a sign that your ball joints need to be
  replaced?