One of the main structural pivot points of your suspension is its Ball Joints. They are a wear item and their lifespan will vary depending on the road conditions the vehicle is driven on. As you can imagine, the pothole-ridden streets of New Orleans can take a toll on your vehicle’s ball joints!
Symptoms of worn ball joints often include:
1) A rattling or looseness when driving down an uneven road
2) A grind or groan noise when turning at low speeds
3) Excessive slack when being measured by a professional
If you notice a rattle or clunk noise when traveling down a rough road, that could be an indication of slack in ball joints. The vibration created by the rough terrain transfers to the joint with excessive slack. That can create a low clunk or rattle.
If you notice a grind or groan noise from the front wheels when turning at low speeds, that could be an indication of ball joints with excessive slack. Joints that have excessive slack can have deteriorated or missing dust boots. That can allow contaminants to get into the socket which can lessen the effectiveness of the lubrication. The grind/groan noise is the ball pushing into the base of the socket with poor lubrication.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, let the mechanics at Tim's check your suspension. Part of our suspension check is measuring internal slack in the ball joints. Any more than 1/16 of an inch up and down is excessive in most vehicles. ANY side-to-side movement in ball joints is excessive.
Let the mechanics at Tim’s check out your suspension system. Make an appointment today!