Ball Joint Question

CapitalTruck · May 31, 2011

I have 140k mi on my truck, original ball joints (up and down). I've kept them lubed religiously. Would a bad ball joint cause a shake at highway speeds? What are the symptoms of a bad ball joint?

ifshinxs · May 31, 2011

I have 140k mi on my truck, original ball joints (up and down). I've kept them lubed religiously. Would a bad ball joint cause a shake at highway speeds? What are the symptoms of a bad ball joint?

Quick answer is NO...Having said that, if you have an out of balance tire, seperated tire or even hit a pot hole or bump in the road, bad ball joints will make the issue worse..Ball joints themselves cannot cause a shake..But if they are worn out or out of spec under the right conditions you might feel like your front end is coming loose. As another note some guys over lubricate the ball joints..What I mean by this is at every oil change you might grease the ball joints...This isnt nessary..Infact you can blow the rubber boot all to hell and now you've got grease everwhere and Dirt loves grease..Drive around with dirt in your grease for awhile and you have a bad ball joint in no time. As long as the rubber boot is intact and feels or looks like it contains grease leave it alone. The grease hasn't gone anywhere from the last time it was grease unless you have a torn or ripped boot. Depending on what year and model truck alot of these joints are now sealed so they can't be over greased and become contaiminated.

Bad ball joints can cause a popping sound when turning or going through a dip in the road . They will cause tire wear because they allow your front tires to move out of alignment spec. This can be up and down and maybe even side to side. The way to check for play is to support your truck by the lower control arms. Then see if your wheel will move up or down and then check in and out, side to side if that makes sense. If you have any noticeable movement its probably time to replace them. Disclaimer; All of this forementioned stuff is usually better handled by a trained mechanic or a experience backyard guy. This is long winded but I hope I answered your question..

CapitalTruck · May 31, 2011

Definitely good information, thanks for that. Next time I rotate my tires I'll investigate that. I like to think I'm experienced to some degree. I've done that wheel movement test before BUT I wasn't supporting the lower control arm. I can see where if it was at maximum extention down the wheel wouldn't shake because of the extreme angle. Thanks again for the good info.