An important component of a car suspension
The ball joint performs functions that are important for its comfort and safety in every car. It is a suspension element equipped with an iron rod with a ball-shaped tip on one side and a thread on the other end.
The configuration of this part requires the presence of a special casing into which polymer filler can be poured. The casing must have a hemispherical receiving part for attaching the ball part of the pin.
Ball restoration options
First of all, the assembly must be removed correctly. The finger sticks so tightly to the suspension arm that it is practically one piece with it. Beforehand, preferably one day before, the joint is treated generously with penetrating liquid. Use WD-40 or regular kerosene. There are two ways to remove your finger from the eyelet:
- Press out with a ball joint remover. This is the most painless and reliable method, but a puller is not always at hand. There are no universal devices, and the designs for fastening the ball joint are different.
Example of a ball joint remover - The second method is more universal, but there is a risk of damaging the thread on the support pin. It is necessary to screw a nut made of strong steel (hardness 9.8) onto the tip of the ball and knock the ball out of the eye with precise short blows of a hammer.
Important! Do not hit the finger directly. You will rivet the threaded connection, and it will be impossible to screw on the working fastening nut.
So, the ball joint is in your hands. The outer cylinder (cage) is a monolithic structure. It is impossible to remove the finger.
Ball joint options for different car models
Strong fixation and dust protection
Thanks to the presence of such a mounting socket, the support can be easily mounted into the casing and will not cause problems in the future in terms of abnormal vibrations and jerks. At the same time, the technically correct location of the ball end allows the finger to oscillate completely unhindered and in different directions.
This entire assembly is protected from dirt by a boot, which is a strong and durable rubber cover with a cylindrical and conical section.
Thanks to the boot, sand, stones, and deicing agents do not penetrate into the suspension unit, which can significantly extend the service life of the articulated joint and thereby reduce the cost of operating the vehicle.
Installing the hinge into the suspension
The segment of the hinge assembly on which the thread is provided is mounted in the corresponding receiving holes in the lever, after which it is fixed with a nut.
For the sake of full operation of the unit, care should be taken to ensure that there is 100% mutual mobility of the support part and the lever.
The main purpose of the ball joint
To understand exactly what functions a rubber joint performs, it is enough to study the design of the steering knuckle, which is a component of the front suspension that ensures the wheels are connected to the body.
- The task of the ball joint is to provide the necessary mobility of the fist, thanks to which the machine is able to turn quickly and smoothly at any speed.
- An additional guarantee of comfortable steering is the use of a trouble-free steering system.
Let's sum it up
A quality car is not only the well-deserved title of a certain model, which is due to its status in the market. You maintain the quality of the trip yourself. Take the most reliable SUV and perform bad service several times in a row. You will see how a car turns from a quality vehicle into a vacuum cleaner for money. This philosophy works for any car. Even domestic VAZs, which are traditionally considered to be terrible in quality, can surprise you with their reliability of operation.
If a car is well maintained, it will perform as intended by the factory. Many people perceive budget cars as not very reliable transport options, but the reason for this is often poor service. You should not perform a ball joint rebuild if you want high quality performance on your vehicle. Tell me, how do you feel about the idea of restoring rather than replacing failed parts in your car?
Most common problems
Every car enthusiast is quite capable of identifying deviations from the norm that have accumulated in the hinge on their own.
The fact that the current performance indicators of the ball joint no longer correspond to the standard indicators can be guessed by the following signs:
- The appearance of suspicious noises emanating from the suspension, especially when driving on dirt and concrete roads, overcoming ruts, holes and tile joints. Most of all, this sound resembles the effect of plastic fence panels hitting its iron posts during strong winds. In the car suspension, there is also impact contact between plastic and metal;
- In the cold season, car trips are accompanied by continuous squeaking. This development of events serves as evidence of the fact that the boot protecting the hinge has ruptured. In the future, if moisture penetrates into the cracks on the rubber boot body, it is possible that the lubricant will harden in the cold.
Diagnostics
If you hear knocking or creaking noises from the suspension while driving your car on rough roads, these sounds may be coming from worn ball joints. It is better to determine the source of unpleasant sounds together: one person goes down into the inspection hole and puts his hand on the ball, and the other rocks the car. When you feel the sound with your own hands, remove the support, clamp it in a yew, and check the hinge play. The finger should not move from slight efforts, but it should not bite either, otherwise the unit will require repair or replacement.
This check must also be carried out in the following cases:
- Creaking sound when turning the steering wheel.
- Spontaneous wobbling when driving in a straight line.
- Tight steering wheel.
The most vulnerable element of the hinge
The car enthusiast should keep in mind that cracks and tears on the surface of the boot are formed with one hundred percent probability. They are an inevitable consequence of long-term use of the machine, its chronic overloads and destructive atmospheric and climatic factors.
In a number of cases, driving style that is merciless to the suspension contributes to the destruction of the boot.
If signs of damage to the integrity of the boot appear, you should stop using the vehicle as soon as possible. Otherwise, the likelihood of debris and dirt penetrating into the support will increase, causing abrasive deformation of the components.
Is it possible to replace the ball joint with your own hands?
As you know, everything ingenious is simple. That’s why for an inexperienced car enthusiast, the best way to fix a damaged ball joint is to visit a branded car service center.
Its craftsmen will not reinvent the wheel, which is what the Kulibins from garage workshops are very prone to, and will restore the unit’s functionality in full compliance with official repair regulations.
- At the same time, in a number of cases it is possible to diagnose ball joint problems without the help of professional car mechanics.
- Car enthusiasts with extensive experience are quite capable of repairing the ball unit on their own.
In order to avoid annoying mistakes, you should find out exactly how badly the boot was destroyed, whether there is noticeable play and long wide cracks in the assembly.
Repair of ball joints by complete replacement is the best option
If you drive an expensive luxury car, you are unlikely to want to perform a dubious restoration of ball joints. Especially if the mechanic at the service station tells you how dangerous and unreliable it really is. But owners of budget domestic cars constantly pay twice, trying to restore old parts, and then buying new ones anyway. You should respect yourself and your car more in order to refuse this method of performing repair work. There are many benefits to fully replacing ball joints that have failed and are making strange noises. If you carry out a high-quality replacement, you are guaranteed the following features:
- the service will provide a guarantee for the work done, the ball joint will definitely serve for a long time;
- unpleasant sounds from the car’s chassis will completely disappear, all that remains is the enjoyment of the natural symphony of the car;
- the installed ball joint will one hundred percent fulfill the assigned tasks provided by the manufacturer;
- the car will demonstrate comfort and a certain level of travel safety without risks;
- During operation, you will be able to ignore the operation of this vehicle unit for a long time.
If you decide to completely replace the ball joints, you will receive high-quality operation of your vehicle. You need to choose quality parts. Of course, the best option would be ball parts from the manufacturer of your car, that is, original parts. But even analog supports will last much better and longer than refurbished factory ones. Therefore, think three times before agreeing to the process of restoring ball joints or any other chassis mechanisms. This will help you extend the life of the car and pleasantly change its driving parameters. We offer you to watch one of the options for restoring a ball joint in the video:
Correct diagnosis of ball joint
After determining the degree of wear of the hinge, repairs are carried out according to the following scenarios:
- If the boot is cracked, but no play is observed, then the boot is replaced;
- If the boot is destroyed and there are signs of play, then the entire ball joint will need to be replaced, and immediately. Otherwise, every new trip, even with an empty trunk, can lead to dire consequences.
Is it possible to drive with faulty ball joints?
Of course not, this is directly related to security.
- When the ball joint is dismembered, the wheel breaks and its rotation is blocked. The car instantly leaves the trajectory. The consequences can be fatal.
Weak ball joints pose a real safety hazard! - Moving with play in the ball joint leads to loss of controllability. At the right moment, you may not have time to make a maneuver.
- At the first signs of wear on these components, it is necessary to undergo suspension diagnostics.
Thus, having determined the symptoms of a malfunction, conclusions are drawn about the repairability of the part. Once critical wear is detected, the ball joints must be replaced. However, their cost is quite high, especially if they are integral with the suspension arm. Therefore, many car enthusiasts prefer to make repairs.
Inadmissibility of using damaged hinges
It is important to keep in mind that the integrity of ball joints has a decisive influence on traffic safety, even on smooth city highways.
In the event of a critical rupture of the ball joint, the wheel breaks, causing it to stop rotating.
As a result, the car rushes not along the trajectory given to it by the steering wheel, but along the vector created by the locked wheel.
- If the ball joint is still intact, but there is play in it, then there is a risk of loss of controllability.
- This means that on a road crowded with cars, the driver simply will not be able to avoid a collision or side contact at the right time.
In order to prevent such a development of events, it is necessary to carefully diagnose them at the slightest manifestations of excessive depreciation of the hinges.
