ball joints?

[Willard]

i was sitting in a parking lot the other day, talking to some friends while people were bouncing my explorer up and down for fun. i watched the front wheels and noticed you could see them tilt in and out as the vehicle bounced. someone there said my ball joints are worn. there are no sounds, it runs straight, and the steering is tight and trouble-free. do i need new ball joints?

 

[JDraper]

That doesn't necessarily mean the balljoints are bad. To check them, jack the truck up and grab the wheel at the top and bottom. Try to rock the wheel back and forth while someone looks at the balljoints. If you see any play, you should replace them.

 

[Willard]

thanks for the reply, i'll definitely give it a try and see how it is

 

[Willard]

if its not the ball joints, tho, does that mean something else is going bad on me? ive abused the hell outta that suspension, never had any problems, so it wouldn't surprise me if things were a little worn

 

[little x]

That is how our suspension is supposed to work. Try searching on you tube or something for a video of a 1st gen four wheeling, where you are looking at the truck from head on. You'll see the wheels moving up and down, tilting in and out. Your friends were just bouncing your truck so much that you could see the suspension cycling some.

Honestly, to bounce it that much means that your shocks are probably bad (especially since you say you abuse it). But that is your only problem.

 

[Willard]

yea, the shocks are definitely bad, if you push hard on a front corner it takes about three cycles to stop. also, when i stop on a bumpy surface, it bounces a couple times. but thats a different problem.