ball joints - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Jeremy_5 · 04-15-2004, 06:40 PM

My boots in both my upper and lower ball joints are shot, how do I know if the actual ball joints are bad too? Also does any supplier just sell the protective boots?

jku72 · 04-15-2004, 09:24 PM

If the boots are bad, that means that dirt has gotten into them. The ball joints might not be bad now, but they will be shortly.
The only way to check them is to jack up the front, and with a big bar, try to move the wheel, while a helper eyeballs the upper ball joint. If theres any play at all, its bad. The bottom one can be a bit trickier. You have to jack up the wheel using the frame, not the a-arm. Then use a second jack under the a-arm, if, when you start to jack on the a-arm, there is any movement between the a-arm and the spindle, the ball joint is bad.
I mention the second part to check the lower a-arm because many bad lower ball joints have been checked by just moving the wheel, but the front spring tension is such that it is too tight to move, even if the joint is loose, so you might miss it. By using the second jack method, you are using a lot more power and can get a much more accurate picture of the condition of the lower ball joint in particular.
By the way, most garages do not use the second method using two jacks, and twice in my life now I have had catastrophic failure of lower ball joints immediately after having them checked at inspection stations. Both were in classic vehicles, and both led to serious damage to the cars, and both times I was lucky not to be seriously injured or killed.
In my opinion, if you dont use the two jack method, you are not really checking the lower ball joint at all.

*Cruiser71* · 04-16-2004, 12:00 AM

Correct. Jack it up and grab the tire. Ive driven several years with bad boots. Most of the time, it happens because a kid at Wal-Mart is over zellos and lubes the heck out of the zerk.

chickenwing · 04-16-2004, 02:36 AM

If you are gonna go through all the trouble of replacing a boot, why not just replace the whole balljoint? You are allready there...might as well.

Jeremy_5 · 04-16-2004, 03:16 PM

chickenwing, good point

Thanks for the help guys.

04-15-2004, 06:40 PM	#1
Jeremy_5 Truck addict Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lincoln, California Posts: 497	ball joints My boots in both my upper and lower ball joints are shot, how do I know if the actual ball joints are bad too? Also does any supplier just sell the protective boots? __________________ 1956 Chevy Napco 1972 Cheyenne Super 1970 K20

04-15-2004, 09:24 PM	#2
jku72 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: cornville, maine Posts: 659	If the boots are bad, that means that dirt has gotten into them. The ball joints might not be bad now, but they will be shortly. The only way to check them is to jack up the front, and with a big bar, try to move the wheel, while a helper eyeballs the upper ball joint. If theres any play at all, its bad. The bottom one can be a bit trickier. You have to jack up the wheel using the frame, not the a-arm. Then use a second jack under the a-arm, if, when you start to jack on the a-arm, there is any movement between the a-arm and the spindle, the ball joint is bad. I mention the second part to check the lower a-arm because many bad lower ball joints have been checked by just moving the wheel, but the front spring tension is such that it is too tight to move, even if the joint is loose, so you might miss it. By using the second jack method, you are using a lot more power and can get a much more accurate picture of the condition of the lower ball joint in particular. By the way, most garages do not use the second method using two jacks, and twice in my life now I have had catastrophic failure of lower ball joints immediately after having them checked at inspection stations. Both were in classic vehicles, and both led to serious damage to the cars, and both times I was lucky not to be seriously injured or killed. In my opinion, if you dont use the two jack method, you are not really checking the lower ball joint at all. __________________ jku Cornville, Maine 68 C10 burb 42 Willys MB 46 Dodge WF-32 1.5 ton 53 & 56 Olds' 60 Cadillac 22 Dodge Brothers

04-16-2004, 02:36 AM	#4
chickenwing Lovin' Life in Miss.! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Puckett, Mississippi Posts: 1,937	If you are gonna go through all the trouble of replacing a boot, why not just replace the whole balljoint? You are allready there...might as well. __________________ The truck... you hear that? No really, you did hear that?!!!

04-16-2004, 03:16 PM	#5
Jeremy_5 Truck addict Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lincoln, California Posts: 497	chickenwing, good point Thanks for the help guys. __________________ 1956 Chevy Napco 1972 Cheyenne Super 1970 K20

04-16-2004, 12:00 AM	#3
Cruiser71 AKA Phillip Johnson, AKA BANNED Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Northern Calif. Posts: 193	Correct. Jack it up and grab the tire. Ive driven several years with bad boots. Most of the time, it happens because a kid at Wal-Mart is over zellos and lubes the heck out of the zerk.



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