If a lower ball joint comes right out of the lower control arm with no effort (not having to use a pickle fork or any separator, no hammering on the knuckle, etc), I can just remove the castle nut and lift the knuckle right out of the control arm....does that automatically mean the ball joint is bad?
Quick ball joint question
- Thread starter exranger06
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No, it means that the nut was not tightened enough during installation.
If the joint is worn badly it will fall right apart.
If it was torqued incorrectly,you would know about it,lots of noise and wander.
A new ball joint will not be able to be moved by hand,and trying to reinstall a worn or used joint usually results in the ball circulating so you cant torque the nut anyway.
If it was torqued incorrectly,you would know about it,lots of noise and wander.
A new ball joint will not be able to be moved by hand,and trying to reinstall a worn or used joint usually results in the ball circulating so you cant torque the nut anyway.
Actually, it could be either.
A worn part or an incorrect installation are both possible.
A worn part or an incorrect installation are both possible.
All of the above or there could be a crack or wear in the knuckle.
If you can tighten it fully and its still loose in the knuckle then suspect a crack or worn knuckle, the tapered shaft should not move or wear at all unless it was left loose and it was moving in the knuckle, then either or both could be worn.
If you can tighten it fully and its still loose in the knuckle then suspect a crack or worn knuckle, the tapered shaft should not move or wear at all unless it was left loose and it was moving in the knuckle, then either or both could be worn.
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