How to check the ball joint

Question how to check the ball joint can worry both when symptoms of its breakdown appear, and simply when buying a new one. There are three basic methods for checking serviceability - without hanging the wheels, with jacking up the car and using a lift on which the car is raised (usually used in a car service). the check also depends on the type of ball joint - single-lever (another name for MacPherson suspension) and multi-link. In addition, the lower and upper supports are distinguished. Despite the variety, the verification methods are largely similar, and are available to almost any car owner who has basic skills in performing repairs in a car.

How to understand that the ball is broken

You can understand that you need to check the ball joint by one of four main signs:

• the appearance of a knockcoming from the front wheels when driving over bumps, especially at high speed;
• car swaying from side to side when driving straight on the road;
• ball creaks when turning the steering wheel in one direction or the other;
• front tires have uneven wear, namely, the wheel where the problem ball is installed wears out more, and the wear itself is greater on the inner surface of the tire.

If at least one of the listed signs appears, it is recommended to check the vehicle suspension elements, including ball joints. And it is advisable to do this as soon as possible, in order, firstly, to save on repairs, and secondly, to protect yourself and passengers while driving, since a faulty ball joint carries a potential threat.

Ball joint inspection methods

Exist 3 basic methods, allowing the car owner to check the condition of the ball car himself. The first and easiest is without removing the wheels or even jacking up the car. The second - using a jack (you need to hang the wheels one by one). The third is using a lift. This method is available, though only in service stations, but such a diagnostic method gives the most accurate answer to the question about the state of the car's ball joint. also, the verification methods differ depending on what type the ball belongs to - single-lever or multi-lever. So let's consider in more detail the serviceability of a ball without a lift, focusing only on knock, play and the degree of wear by how the ball dangles in the body.

Types of ball joints

The choice of test method depends on the type of ball joints used in the vehicle. As stated above, they are of two types, namely:

• Single-lever or McPherson type. The design is made in such a way that in the upper part the wheel and its hub are supported on the rack, and at the same time, they rest on the lever from below, with which the ball bearing is in contact. This design is used in most conventional budget cars and the test of this type of device is most often described.
• Multi-link. Here, the design assumes the presence of two levers - upper and lower, to which the steering knuckle is attached. In accordance with the fact that there are two levers, there are two hinges, one on each side.

How to check a ball joint without a lift

further we will consider in order the algorithm for searching for wear of ball joints of various types, which is true, often the methods for checking them are similar in many respects, respectively, they can be used for different types of ball joints.

How to check the top ball joint on a car

To check the health of the upper multi-link ball joint, you need to follow the following algorithm (it will make it possible to check the backlash):

• The machine must be installed on a flat area and set to the handbrake.
• Have an assistant sit in the driver's seat and depress the brake pedal. Instead of an assistant, you can fix the brake pedal with the help of improvised means (a heavy object resting on the mount pedal). Fixing the brake eliminates the possible occurrence of backlash in the wheel bearing, if any.
• Grasp the upper part of the wheel with your hands and swing it in the direction perpendicular to the movement of the car, that is, away from you / towards you.

Checking the top ball

If there is play in the upper hinge on the support, then during the described check it will be clearly felt. also, clicks or squeaks coming from the ball joint may be heard. However, such a check is often suitable only in case of significant wear; at the initial stage, such an algorithm may not give a result.

Therefore, to check it is better to use a jack. The algorithm will be the same, but the difference will be that you need to swing not only the upper part of the wheel, but also the lower and side ones. namely, you can take one hand on the top of the wheel, and the other on the bottom. farther rock the wheel in a vertical plane. A similar check can be made if you take the left side of the wheel with one hand and the right side with the other. In this case, you need to rock the wheel in the horizontal plane. If there is backlash and "unhealthy" creaking sounds, then you need to replace the support with a new one. A cat such simple actions will help to check the ball joints without removing and without a lift.

How to check the health of the lower ball

You can check the lower ball joints in the same way as in the case of the upper ones, but the result will be much more effective if you use the mount and install the machine on a flyover or lift. It is necessary to push the mount between the trunnion and the lever in order to unload the ball joint and check the possibility of its movement. The test methods below are suitable for testing a single lever system.

Checking the lower ball joints on the lift

Ball check video instruction

So, to check the lower ball in a single-lever suspension system, you need to use a jack and a mount. It is advisable to drive the car onto a flyover (inspection hole) or onto a lift so that it would be more convenient to perform diagnostics. The verification algorithm in this case will be as follows:

• Install the machine on a flyover (with installation on the handbrake) or on a lift.
• If an inspection hole or overpass is used, then you need to use a jack, namely, hang out the wheel whose support is being checked. The lift with the machine, of course, needs to be raised to a comfortable height.
• Carefully, in order not to tear the boot (it will also need to be checked), lay the flat end of the mount between the eye of the steering knuckle (trunnion) and the support arm.
• then you need to gently shake the mount up and down so that in order to unload and reload the hinge being checked. That is, the ball pin will move in the vertical direction.
• If the hinge is in good condition, there should be no play under the mount. If it is, it will immediately be visible to the eye and even felt to the touch. The presence of backlash is a direct indication that the ball joint has become unusable and needs to be replaced.

It is imperative to repeat a similar check on the opposite side, since ball bearings often fail in pairs (as they are installed / changed on a car), albeit with less wear.

Checking the lower ball joint on a car without a lift

The method of checking the ball without a lift can be carried out using an additional stop, like a hemp, capable of supporting the weight of a car or a similar design.

So, first you need to jack up the wheel under test, and then place a stop under the ball joint so that in order to load the ball joint. If it is in relative order, then the car wheel will remain suspended and will rotate freely without making extraneous knocking sounds. If a when the wheel is spinning it feels beating and knocking - means, ball joint failed and must be replaced.

The design of the suspension of some cars also provides for the presence of a diagnostic hole, specially made to measure the distance from the surface of the ball joint to the base of the pin. However, it is necessary to know the allowable values ​​of the respective distances. They can be found in the technical documentation. The distance is checked by measuring instruments. The presence of the specified hole greatly simplifies the process of diagnosing the ball bearing for wear with your own hands without any tools.

Checking the boot of the ball joint

In the process of checking the condition of the ball joint, be sure to pay attention to its anther. It is made of rubber and its task is to prevent moisture, dust and various debris from getting inside the hinge from the road during the operation of the car. Anther, by and large, is a consumable item and must be replaced periodically. As a result of temperature differences (including in winter), mechanical stress, damage, and simply in the process of aging, small cracks may first appear on its rubber casing, and then increasingly larger cracks through which dust, sand and other small debris will enter the ball joint . This mixture will work as an abrasive, gradually breaking down metal surfaces and washing out the grease.

Therefore, when performing an audit, you should always pay attention to the condition of the anther, the presence of debris and grease in it. If it is damaged, it must be replaced with a new one, since the use of a torn anther leads to a sharp decrease in the total ball life. And when replacing the anther with a new one, you must not forget to fill it with grease ("Litol", ShRB-4 or their analogues).

There is also one non-standard method for checking the ball, namely, due to damage to the anther. namely, the method is suitable for testing on machines in which the ball valve is vertical with its finger up, that is, if water gets inside, it remains inside as in a vessel, and it enters from above through the stuffing box seal. So, on machines where it is difficult to dismantle and generally get to the support, you can take an ordinary medical syringe with a needle and pour a little liquid oil into it (2 ... 3 cubes). then you need to pierce the anther in the upper part with a syringe needle and pour the existing oil inside. After that, compare the nature of the old knock and the knock after filling the oil. If there is a difference, it means that the ball valve is out of order and it is advisable to replace it. As for the needle hole, water will not get inside through it, so the car enthusiast can be calm about this.

Checking a new ball joint

Many new machine parts, even from the factory, are not as high quality as a car enthusiast would like. This is especially true for budget parts from little-known Chinese and other brands. This is also true for new ball joints. Therefore, before buying a spare part, it is worth checking its condition by visual inspection. By the way, such a check can also be performed if, for some reason, a car enthusiast has dismantled a problematic ball joint. As for repairs, modern ball joints are unrepairable, but old parts for Moskvich or VAZ-classics were often made with the possibility of replacing the polymer liner, that is, with the possibility of restoration.

The easiest method to test a removed or new ball joint is to turn the ball pin down. If at the same time the upper (when turning over, respectively, the lower) end of the finger under its own weight fell down (and even more so if it simply fell out of the seat), then such a ball joint is obviously faulty and must be replaced. Even if there is no big backlash in it either, it's only a matter of time. Similarly, it is worth pulling the ball pin from side to side at its seat. Not only should there be no backlash, but the movement itself should be with little effort!

Often on the market or in car dealerships you can find ball joints, the fingers of which go very tight. If the new ball is of high quality, then after shifting the finger to the side, it should continue to move easily and without much effort. If he still continues to move with difficulty, it is better to refuse to buy such a part, it is of poor quality.

Another sign of low-quality (mostly Chinese) ball bearings is that they have a grease fitting, or a place for it. The original high-quality supports of the grease gun should not have it (roughly speaking, it is believed that the grease gun is the last century). For reference - a grease gun is the old name for a grease fitting. The name comes from the word grease, as lubricating oils used to be called. Accordingly, the grease gun is a device for supplying lubricant.

also, with a new ball joint, it is imperative to inspect the integrity of the anther. Not only should it not be damaged (even small cracks), but there should also be a plentiful amount of lubricant under it. Otherwise, it is better for the car owner to stuff the lubricant into the boot on his own before installing it on the car.

Hack and predictor Aviator

It is best to check the performance of the ball joint on the lift, however, it is quite possible to do it yourself using a jack and a mount. also don't forget to check the boot. The main thing is to check in a timely manner in order to replace the ball joint at the stage when it also does not threaten the safety of the driver and passengers when the car is moving!