Is my ball joint bad (picture included)?

[jdmitrswapped]

I watched several videos on how to check but I'm still not sure after tugging the wheel in different directions. This is picture of the passenger but the driver side is the same.

My steering shakes around 70-75mph. I'm not sure how well the new wheels / tires were balanced, that there are no hub adapters (I don't trust that the special lugs would center the wheel that well), or that my driver strut and possibly the ucas ball joints are bad.

I didn't have shake when the wheels were installed but about a week after I began noticing it at high speed. I been keeping to low speeds for now.


The driver side strut is bad because it bounces. I can't tell if I need to do the ucas too. Probably can't hurt I guess at $55/each on amazon.

 

[03Explo20]

That's the ball joint on the upper control arm over the steering knuckle.

There have been some here who have changed out just the BJ but it's recommended you change out the whole control arm. I recently did this on both sides as my BJ's were looking just like yours. Being I'm from Pa., the rust did a job on the nuts and studs making removal an all day affair! That front nut under the BJ isn't too bad but those side nuts, lookout! I used PB Blaster, heat, and finally a cutting wheel to get mine off.

I think either way you're going to need to remove the UCA anyway as you cannot press out the BJ with the arm on the vehicle.

Good luck and DO NOT buy any cheap crap UCA's from Ebay, especially from a company called "Detroit Axle / Fairborne Axle"!

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

I think either way you're going to need to remove the UCA anyway as you cannot press out the BJ with the arm on the vehicle.

You can press the ball joint out while still on the vehicle. With some kroil and a decent ball joint press it is not that painful to do.

 

[drdoom]

Josh I have done it that way, right on the truck.

 

[jayyzar]

By the looks of it it is bad. It is usually a good idea to replace them when the boot rips because dirt gets in and will soon (if not already) make ball joints bad. You can get a press or change the whole upper control arm. I did both on my Mounty. It took about an hour and a half for both sides. Just use lots of penetrating fluid to get the nuts of if their rusty. I used CRC freeze off and did it with a ½" ratchet that extends. Good luck with the method you choose!

 

[boominXplorer]

Put a pry bar next to the strut in the bucket and pry down on the upper control arm and watch for play. Any play and it's ready to be replaced.

 

[Onuma]

The rubber boot is split; it's bad. That split will allow water and other contaminants to get inside, which will degrade the metal over time. It may last a bit, but you should replace it now. Besides, if you're doing a ball joint by itself they're fairly easy. I personally replaced the control arm as well, as you'll see below.

Here are my own before & after pictures, for comparison:

 

[roush9799]

If I were doing the ball joint, I'd get the greasable ones.

 

[Exproblems]

I watched several videos on how to check but I'm still not sure after tugging the wheel in different directions.


.

The factory upper ball joints have 2 layers of boot surrounding them. The outer, gold colored boot and the inner, black rubber like boot that houses the grease. If the outer gold colored boots are just cracked or split, but the black colored, inner boots are still good (not cracked or split or leaking grease), the ball joint should still be useable because the grease should still be inside the black, inner boot. BTW, if the outer gold colored boots are cracked or split, the inner black boots probably won't last real long if exposed to harsh elements or weather conditions. Do what "BoominExplorer" said and do a pry bar test for a bad ball joint and change them if they fail the test with excessive movement within the ball joint itself. Also, check the boots for leaking grease (leaking thru cracks in boot) and change the ball joints if they are indeed leaking grease. I also agree with "Roush9799" and get the "grease able" ball joints that come with a grease gun nipple built into them. These will last a lot longer than the sealed, pre-greased ones. Depending on how much you drive, grease them up every 3-4 months or every oil change.

 

[jdmitrswapped]

Thanks for the responses. I'll definitely look into replacing the arms since I don't have a press. Summit was out of the moog arms until July but I can wait.

 

[jdmitrswapped]

Is there a diy for how to service just the ball joints? I think I saw that somewhere once but can't find it now.

 

[apenland01]

yes

Its a sticky on the top of the page. I just replaced my upper control arms 2 weekends ago. Drivers side took about 30 minutes and the passenger side took an hour and a half. Passenger side took more thought and puzzle solving skills than anything to remove the old one. You have to loosen the side nuts on the arms to move the bar back and forth to get it just right to come out of the spot.

Now that I've done it, I could do the arms with new ball joints on both sides in an hour.

I also installed Moog camber adjuster kits on both sides to make the alignment more accurate and easy to do. I have the lifetime alignment at Firestone, so I get it aligned like 4 times a year, whether it needs it or not.

I didn't realize my ball joints were all that bad until I replaced both front wheel bearing hubs. After installing the new hubs, the wheel still had a slight bit of play/movement and it was the upper ball joint moving, now that the wheel bearing was solid. Now both wheels are solid, no play.

 

[Onuma]

I've seen people take the joints out with an air chisel or a press. In a pinch, I've heard that a C-clamp can be an effectively impromptu press, if you do it right.

Good luck!

 

[Joe in NY]

You can do just the ball joints. Right after I got my explorer (my uncle picked it up and held in his shop in FL) he showed me how all 4 front ball joint had NO boots left. At only 63k! I did all 4 front ball joints in a day using his press. No need at all to replace or even remove the control arms.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

Thanks for the responses. I'll definitely look into replacing the arms since I don't have a press. Summit was out of the moog arms until July but I can wait.

You can rent the press for free from most auto parts stores. I would save the money buying from Summit and either get the ball joints from RockAuto.com or your local parts store.

 

[Onuma]

RockAuto is pretty good, and they ship very quickly.
There should also be some discount codes floating around here...mine expired last week.

Anyone have a 5% code they're willing to share?

 

[BarryCarey]

RockAuto is pretty good, and they ship very quickly.
There should also be some discount codes floating around here...mine expired last week.

Anyone have a 5% code they're willing to share?

If you have Amazon prime it usually works out better. Rockauto is always cheaper on the parts but once you factor shipping Amazon prime almost always wins.

 

[swshawaii]

RockAuto is pretty good, and they ship very quickly.
There should also be some discount codes floating around here...mine expired last week.

Anyone have a 5% code they're willing to share?

Always a sticky in the VENDORS sub forum.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=103

 

[jayyzar]

Before you do anything, I would check the control arm, and ball joints. I bought a Moog ball joint (i believe it was 8008 or 80008 double check that though) I had factory ball joints on one side. The car had 115,x.. miles on it and the ball joint was held in with a crushed ring to the control arm. I called the dealer and they said thats how Motorcraft made them for a lil bit. The other side had a snap ring. Either way the one side was tough to do with the ball joint press i borrowed from pep boys. It was a whole lot easier to just replace the whole arm. I was going to do the bushing as well. Hopefully you can press them out. if not or you prefer doing the whole arm, replace it.

 

[Onuma]

It was a whole lot easier to just replace the whole arm.

I found this to be true as well, for both the Upper and Lower Control Arms. Although I did run into complications with heavy corrosion, most ~10 year old X's won't have the levels of rust which mine had. Being parked on the Jersey shore for a decade really tore some things up.

Tangentially: I'll have to post some pictures of the rot above my rear wheel well some time...what a mess.