Replacing Balljoints

As people as diverse as Liz Taylor and Eddie Van Halen can attest, joints wear out. In cars, ball-in-socket joints degrade over time (similar to their human counterparts). Lack of lubrication and dirt inside moving parts will accelerate the demise of a vehicle's joints.


Balljoints are the vital connectors between the steering linkage and axle assembly. Just as baseball pitchers often need rotator-cuff surgery, use and abuse wear down balljoints. Unfortunately for the do-it-yourselfer, many automotive manufacturers rivet the balljoints to the control arms in newer vehicles. As a result, removing original-equipment balljoints can require finesse and patience.


Shown here is a balljoint removal-and-replacement job on a typical front-wheel-drive car that has one joint per side. Trucks and older vehicles often have both upper and lower balljoints on each side; a hydraulic press is often required to service the uppers.

Installation Tips



> Refer to a service manual for fastener torque specifications and for any procedures that are unique to your vehicle.