If you are thinking of having a bad day, then nothing can be worse than a busy day with a car that has a bad or broken rear ball joint. This essential part of your car can ruin your perfect day. Also, it can damage your car’s wheel rim and suspension system. In the worst case, you can even have a bad accident.
The rear ball joint connects the wheels and tire to the vehicle’s suspension. Because most people regularly drive through rough roads and these joints carry the load of the vehicle, these joints damage quite often and had to replace them from time to time.
But don’t worry, the ball joints will give you some symptoms or warnings before it fails.
Symptoms of loose or bad ball joints:
There are several major and minor symptoms that may warn you about the bad condition of rear ball joints of your car. So, keeping a sharp eye on the car may give you a hint of bad or broken rear ball joints at the primary stage. These are some essential symptoms of bad ball joints you might find on your vehicle.
- Noise:The first and primary warning sign for most cases of bad rear joints is that you will hear clunking sounds coming from near the rear corners of your vehicle’s wheels. It will get louder when the suspension moves up and down on rough roads or bumps. This noise might become louder day by day.
However, this might indicate a loose or worn ball joint in the rear wheel suspensions. This problem can lead to ultimately breaking the rear ball joint. So, if you hear such noise, fix it as soon as possible.
- Vibration:A loose or worn ball joint can cause excessive vibrations. This can make your vehicle very unstable and can highly vibrate the vehicle too. It is a clear sign and should not ignore it. Besides, it is very risky to drive an unstable car.
- Squeaking sounds:A squeaking sound can be heard from the rear corner of your vehicle on rough roads or bumps. These sounds come for the lack of grease for lubrication. Lubricates make the joint’s working quietly and smoothly. But when the rubber that protects lubricates get damaged, then a ball joint can begin to creak due to a high level of friction.
- Uneven Tires:Uneven tires are another clear sign. This could indicate that the ball joints are wearing out. If your vehicle’s inner or outer edges tires wearing out faster, then there is a big possibility of worn ball joints. You should not suppose to drive the vehicle before fixing it.
- Wear indicators:Wear indicators are great because it makes easy for you to know the condition of rear ball joints of the car. There are two types of wear ball joints indicators widely used.
One type has a wear indicator built-in. This indicator has a flexible grease fitting. When it glitters below the bottom of the ball joint area, well it is time for replacing the ball joints.
The second type of indicator has a pin set through a hole in the bottom of the ball joints. As long as the pin is visible, the ball joints are fine. But when it is not visible, you should change ball joints.
Dangers of worn ball joints:
A bad ball joint is a problem that you should not be ignored. Failure of any ball joint can result in suspensions coming apart and loss of control of the vehicle. It could lead you to a dangerous accident. So a bad ball joint is dangerous for both the ride and the rider. That’s why please try to inspect your car ball joints from time to time. If you find any problem with rear joints, repair or change it immediately.
Conclusion:
A ball joint can last about 70-75 thousand miles. If a ball joint fails on the road, it can create a dangerous situation. So learn about recognizing the signs and symptoms of a bad ball joint. It can save your precious life and your vehicle from big damage too.
Though, today’s vehicles feature suspensions that use upper and lower control arms to attach the wheel hub to your vehicle. But recognizing bad ball joint symptoms is essential and always helpful.
