Inspection place says Ball Joints.. i say NO WAY

[tpstaples]

So.. I had the inspection guy tell me that my ball joints are bad today... which i've been told before last time i had it in the shop.

HOwever.. I was going to replace them a while back.. but decided they weren't bad.. and that it must be something else..

reason? Cause when I grabbed the tire and pulled and pushed.. the ball joints didn't move AT ALL

so why would this inspection guy be saying this.... maybe cause he wants more mechanic work? and it's a 400 dollar job?

I dont know. .could it be anything else.. they said "the suspension is all over the place"

I recently replaced the front shocks.. so those are tight.

could it be tie rods??? maybe?

 

[Brock94]

I'm assuming you know how to check the ball joints-- why don't you have the shop put it on the lift and ask them to show you? You could take it to another inspection place and see if they say the same thing...

 

[Pheonixx77]

with the tires OFF the ground place your hands at 12 oclock and 6 oclock, then shake the wheel. then do the same thing at 9 oclock and 3 oclock. i did'nt think my ball joints were bad until i had them replaced...they were as loose as one of those noise maker things you use on new years. the truck drove fine for 8 months. then after replacing them i was having trouble steering, wheel joints were bad CAUSE? bad ball joints put too much stress on the wheel joints. so 350$ for ball joints and another 400 for wheel joints.

 

[sploder92]

Wheel joints?

Wheel joints???

Phoenix77
Are you talking about tie rod ends or wheel bearings?

Wheel joints

 

[cjbarron5]

with the tires OFF the ground place your hands at 12 oclock and 6 oclock, then shake the wheel. then do the same thing at 9 oclock and 3 oclock. i did'nt think my ball joints were bad until i had them replaced.

this is the standard way to check them i know in missouri the tire cannot move at all(any more than normal) i inspected a car that drove fine on the road (straight as an arrow and no unusual tire wear) but when i put it on the rack the lower ball joint fell apart!!!!!! im not sure what your states requirements are but you should be able to get it reinspected somewhere else free of charge if you have your first fail slip

 

[Hartman]

How many miles do you have on your truck?

 

[Jeeps&Fords]

Jumping in kinda late here...

I had a clunk in my front end also, and it totally felt like a ball joint. When I jacked it up and gave it the "standard" check, nothing moved, so I thought it must be something else. Finally pulled the tire off last weekend to give it a good inspection. Turns out that it is a lower ball joint. The only way I could find it was to grab the knuckle with my 24" channel locks and move it up and down - it was very easy to see. I put the tire back on and I still can't feel it using the "standard" test.

 

[JasonF]

One thing to keep in mind, is that if you jack the truck up at the frame so the suspension goes to full droop, your ball joints will be at a flexed position and not where they normally are when you are driving. Because of this, they may appear much tighter than normal. Be sure to jack up the tire by the suspension arm, so that the shock compresses some like when the truck is normally driving. This will put your ball joint in its most worn position so you can feel it.

Jason

 

[Glacier991]

Good point Jason. Often missed. Usually just enough to unload it is all it takes.