Play in front wheel

K

Kilgore Trout

Fried or Broiled ?
10 Year Member
Mar 30, 2005
4,749
95
134
#1
I put the front of my car up on jackstands this morning to change the oil.

I figured I would check the front suspension while I had it up.

When I grab the passenger wheel it is rock solid with no side to side or up and down movement :nice:

However, the driver's side wheel has some play in the up and down motion :notnice:

This is most likely to be the ball joint correct?

Are there any other things I can do to verify that it is the ball joint or a way to temporarily correct this?

I am going to save up for MM ball joints but I will not be ready for up to a couple months. Can I get by?

Also, it looks like the issue is causing premature wear on the inside of the driver's side tire :(

I will have it up on the jackstands until later this afternoon if anyone has any suggestions to do while I am in there.
 

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#2
Hmmm, been shopping and ball joints are not as expensive as I thought. Are they very difficult to replace? Would I need an air hamer with "pickle fork" or is there another way?
 
#3
You could get some big pliers and try to sqeeze the suspect balljoint. If you feel it click or if it has play in it, it is bad. Also, look at the balljoint while you rock the tire up and down (or whichever direction you feel play), and if it is moving it is wornout and should be replaced. If it isn't moving, try looking at your tie rod ends, if they aren't moving then it is play in your wheel bearing. They most likely will need to be replaced, but you could try tightening them to get by a few more months. You can't do that with balljoints though, if they are bad you gotta replace 'em.
 
#5
cooter_11 said:
You could get some big pliers and try to sqeeze the suspect balljoint. If you feel it click or if it has play in it, it is bad. Also, look at the balljoint while you rock the tire up and down (or whichever direction you feel play), and if it is moving it is wornout and should be replaced. If it isn't moving, try looking at your tie rod ends, if they aren't moving then it is play in your wheel bearing. They most likely will need to be replaced, but you could try tightening them to get by a few more months. You can't do that with balljoints though, if they are bad you gotta replace 'em.
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Just like he says. Im my experience though, i noticed an annoying hum develop when driving my car at higher speeds. So one day i had the car on stands and relaized my passenger front wheel had alot of play in it, so i took it to my buddy whose a mechanic at ford and he told me to replace inner and outter tire rods, and wheel bearing. Got all the parts for around $100 at ford parts dept. Once i replaced it all i realized how shot all the parts were, and the car drives like a new again. but like you guys said, it still may be your ball joint, i just dont hear about those going out so soon...BTW my car had about 105k on it when I had to replace that stuff.

good luck,
Ryan
 
#9
Kilgore Trout said:
Well, I get humming when I turn corners but I am pretty sure it is the power steering pump... I get no noise when driving in straight lines.
Click to expand...

Then you should be good, this is a humming that is conistant with your cars speed and will vary by the turn off the steering wheel...wheni would slightly turn to the right my car would be silent, when it would be straight or to the left, it would be so loud i couldnt talk to my passenger. But just check it all the best you can, let us know how it goes bud.
 
#11
Kilgore - the balljoints on my '97 GT were shot by about 70,000 miles and were making a terrible squeaking noise over the slightest bumps and the tires were wearing unevenly. I had replaced my tie rod ends, shocks and struts, & swaybar links, and my suspension was still F'ed! Well, specifically it was the passenger joint but obviously you wouldnt just replace one of them at a time.

The easiest thing to do is - pick up a pickle fork from autozone (make sure they give you the thick one, there are 2 sizes), and also the ball joint press. You'll remove your wheel, remove the strut, and undo the nut that holds the brake assembly to ball joint. Wedge the fork between the control arm and the brake assembly, and tap it with a hammer until the assembly detaches from the ball joint - put it on a milk crate, and make sure that the brake line doesnt get damaged. Next, you use the press to push the ball joint UP out of the control arm (remember its UP, not down... I spent an hour wondering why the hell I couldnt get it out until my dad came out and reminded me I was a moron). Once pressed out, you press the new joint in, place the hub back onto it, reattach everything and then enjoy a nice solid front end.

BTW, I picked up the FRPP extended ball joints, which are greaseable and designed for lowered cars (is yours lowered?). Heres the link... note that you need to install isolator type things on the springs, unless you want your front end to lower a bit (about 1/2"). If you need some help, feel free to PM me man, the job doesnt take more than a few hours so have fun.

oemfordparts.com
go there, click "search", select "part number" and enter M-3050-S

:nice: :nice:
 
#12
kilgore do you have anybody to check it with you. if so have somebody move the wheel the way you feel play in the wheel. while you see if the balljoint is moving. don't be afraid to get your hand ont he balljoint while doing this to feel for play if you cant see it. BTW if it moves it's junk.

if it is the balljoint remember to put a jack under the control arm when you undo the knuckle. i would not want to see you posting on here that you have a spring stuck in your forehead. ;)

oh and if it's the wheel bearing.. it is so easy i wont even bother giving advice on it.
 
#14
bdcardinal said:
shaking side to side would be a ball joint or tie rod. shaking up and down is a wheel bearing. i check about 30 cars a day every day with this method.
Click to expand...


for the most part that is right. but some fords will show ball joint play in shaking up and down. e series vans and f- superduty are the best example of this

bd it's different for many vehicles. how does the state want you to do it. i know your checking them for state inspection right?

i know i pick up a lot of play in joints that was missed during inspections here in massachusetts.
 
#17
if we did a safety, then all the clapped out 70s chevy pickups with 4 diff size tires, no bumpers, more rust than solid metal, pistons hanging out of calipers with .5" thick rotors, and ropes holding on body panels that gardeners, field workers, and "handymen" use would be taken off the road. however the CHP can enforce safety laws if they see something unsafe. ive had friends cited for having tires with under 2/32" tread, tint, taillights out. we also dont have "inspection stickers" everything is digital, you only get a sticker mailed to you from the DMV to put on your plate every year.
 
#19
haha ya. when you get your plates run by police here it can tell them if your reg is up to date or not.

o, youre one of the few people that will appreciate my new purchase. i just ordered a MATCO double bay 56" wide 25" deep rollaway. best $6400 i ever spent.
 
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