bad upper ball joint?

[exprunner11]

almost all the time i'm getting a clunk when i make a corner or once in a while over a bump in road in the drivers front wheel and now the vehicle pulls to the left and the drivers tire is wearing more on the inside of tire (like a negative camber problem) but the problem is the ball joints have no play but the upper ball joint looks to original to the vehicle. can it be possible the upper ball joint is bad but there is no play in it.

 

[alohamonte]

I've replaced mine three times already. Yours are definately shot if original, all 4.

 

[koda2000]

how are you checking your ball joints for wear? you should lift from the lower control arm (not the frame) until the tire is just off the ground. then push/pull at 12:00 and 6:00. any movement means your ball joints are shot. jacking the truck up from the frame doesn't work very well.

 

[exprunner11]

how are you checking your ball joints for wear? you should lift from the lower control arm (not the frame) until the tire is just off the ground. then push/pull at 12:00 and 6:00. any movement means your ball joints are shot. jacking the truck up from the frame doesn't work very well.

Koda2000 I did put the jack under the control arm like you said and did the 6:00 and 12:00 but got nothing. Although i'd just remembered a month ago that there was a click when i had both hands at the 12:00 position but there still wasn't any play in it.

 

[Dave98XLT]

Check your sway bar to frame bushing if you are getting a loud clunk. If there is room between the sway bar and the bushing it will clunk when going over bumps. Easy and cheap to replace.

Next most likely suspect is the lower ball joint. Uppers only if the uppers and sway bar are good.

 

[exprunner11]

I'd replaced sway bar bushings and end links last summer and also had the the passenger ball joints done but I never replaced the drivers lower ball joint but looks as if it has been replace before just by how the boot looks but i'm pretty sure that the upper drivers is original to the vehicle and is causing my negative camber.

 

[drdoom]

Absolutely, I had the same thing happen. The clunk, tire destroyed, etc. Had to put upper control arms on, and ended up going back and putting a camber kit in the left side.

 

[exprunner11]

Absolutely, I had the same thing happen. The clunk, tire destroyed, etc. Had to put upper control arms on, and ended up going back and putting a camber kit in the left side.

thanks drdoom I was hoping someone would of had the same problem i'm going to order a new control arm since its probably original with 146K on it and see if the aliment shop needs to put a camber kit in it.

 

[Torqueranger]

thanks drdoom I was hoping someone would of had the same problem i'm going to order a new control arm since its probably original with 146K on it and see if the aliment shop needs to put a camber kit in it.

Also check the front ride height before you get the alignment cause the cambe to be out ...