2012 Mazda 3: Ball joints again?

[johnmyster]

Time to throw more parts at the beater. It got front wheel bearings and ball joints last fall. The ball joints were an add-on because the boots were torn or tore in the process of front-end takedown. (Fun story, it ended not being the bearings. It was cupped tires.)

Now the CV shafts are spitting from the outer boots. My car seems to be an odd single-year combo (2012 skyactiv 2.0 six-speed auto) so no boot kit available and I haven't been able to solve the problem with fresh bands on the outers. So it's going to get shafts.

And there is a horrible popping from the front end, both sides it seems that has developed since the prior work. Mostly when turning the wheel (but not every time) and very rarely over a bump. I can feel lateral movement between the knuckle and lower arm when my wife turns the wheel. The popping developed slowly since doing the prior work but was not initially evident.

Were my new ball joints duds? Sankei 555? Are they likely dead in only 2k miles, or are they popping and moving within the control arms (press in style)? Do ball joints pop or am I going to wind up doing lower control arms and/or strut mounts?

Doing ball joints again is going to be a pain, but I'm there anyway for CV shafts. Doing lower arms is going to be a bigger pain. 95k on vehicle.

Bitog crystal ball experts unite. This car's biggest problem seems to be the person working on it.

J

Thread 'Mazda 3 2012 Front Wheel Bearings'

Oct 15, 2025

Well, I couldn't take the noise in the beater commuter anymore. Pulled knuckles yesterday, first batch of parts arriving today. It's my first experience with press-in bearings.

Factory bearings are definitely noisy and have play at 93k miles. Car has had minimal salt exposure but rotor removal, lower ball joint separation, and knuckle/strut separation were tasks I was not prepared for. I will be buying a bigger hammer. Bad design for Mazda to make the ID of the rotor hat a close fit to the OD of the hub flange - any rust in the rotor hat locks the rotor onto the flange.

Timken...

• johnmyster
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Mechanical/Maintenance Forum

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[The_Eric]

Are you sure that it's not the strut bearing plates? Without hearing it, it seems pretty unlikely that the ball joints would 1) fail that soon and 2) make a popping noise.

 

[johnmyster]

Are you sure that it's not the strut bearing plates? Without hearing it, it seems pretty unlikely that the ball joints would 1) fail that soon and 2) make a popping noise.

I 100% haven't ruled strut mounts/bearings out. Strange thing is that it doesn't pop with every stroke of the wheel. It would make sense if they were not happy because I had to be pretty abusive with a hammer to get the knuckles out of the car.

Sachs is another $30 a side and...I'm practically there anyway.

And that I can discern lateral play in at least one of the ball joints.

 

[RedSpider]

My son's 2017 has had three ball joint failures in 160k miles, twice on the driver side, once on the passenger. All factory parts from the local dealer, no aftermarket. And now about a week ago he told me he's hearing a knocking sound again while going over rough roads, same sound as the previous two times. Soon to be a fourth replacement? Cant whine too loudly, other than an idler pulley and one wheel bearing its the only thing we've had to repair in almost 10 years and 160,000 miles, but jeepers creepers. What's with the ball joints? I had to replace three on his 2012 Mazda2 before 150k miles as well.

 

[johnmyster]

Further investigation via prybar, looks like one of the replacement ball joints is loose in the control arm. The popping is likely the control arm shifting vertically on it depending on load. Looks like I'm in for a full arm replacement or two. The joints were tight going in but this one has surely compromised the stamped bore by now.

Now to debate what else to do while I'm there. Struts ride okay and aren't leaking. Bellows and jounce bumpers look good. Mounts seem okay, so I think just arms and shafts for now.

Rotors are trash and one of the end links has a torn boot but both of those are easy to get at later. I think those will stay for now.

 

[johnmyster]

Managed to tear down the front end last night and have it all back together in five hours including all the cv joint grease cleanup, test drive, and family dinner. I managed to get the front control arm bolts out without pulling the lower pan. Now rattle free and quiet, fingers crossed it holds. Control arm removal and replacement wasn't that bad since the shafts were also coming out and the sway bar got detached.

New CV shafts (trakmotive), and delphi lower control arms. "While you're there" items included delphi sway bar links, Delphi sway bar bushings, and some cheap coated rotors (quality-built) since mine were pitted and badly rusted inside the hat. Copper anti-seize, red Loctite, etc. I stripped a stud on one outer tie rod end (used a wrong torque spec?) so it'll get a pair of Delphi outer tie rod ends (it never ends) and a toe-and-go at the upcoming annual inspection. For now it is holding with a jam nut behind it.

Last fall it got four new wheel bearings (Koyo front, Timken rear), an "upgraded" set of rear adjustable camber arms (at the advice of a local alignment shop), and an alignment. So $820 for two rounds of parts cannon (plus lots of hand soap and brake clean) I guess I should give it a good wash and plan on keeping it for awhile.

New Bosch ceramic pads all around, fresh TYC headlight housings, Michelin Defenders...I'm that guy with the "nice" beater. Maybe the transmission deserves another drain and fill in the near future. You touch it you own it, and I've now touched most of the things. It's clean and generally rust free so I guess she stays. I shouldn't complain. In 14 years the only repair the car has needed has been a mass airflow sensor and now some suspension parts.