Ball Joints Bad?

[winterbeater]

If you have up-down play, it points to a lower joint. If possible, see if you can jack or pry the wheel up, and then pull back and forth on the top of the wheel, to test for side play. If there is no side play, you might not need an upper joint. Of course, if there's any doubt, you would do better to replace it anyway, but on the 99, the top joint is designed to move up and down, to provide self-adjustment, with the lower joint alone providing vertical location (earlier models used a more complex system with an adjustable ring).

alohajeff, from what's posted above, I'd put a second jack under the steering knuckle and see how much up/down play you have in the lower joint. And check the top joint for side to side play. I think Mr. Currie knows what he's talking about.

 

[slcpunk74]

Would this work on a cherokee? I was just thinking if it did you would have all new steering that would be the beefier stuff and new ball joints.

v8
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUSP...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

v6
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ball...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Which one would it be I6 or v8?

 

[winterbeater]

THey got the same kits for the XJ Cherokee too. The Grand won't fit.

 

[Matthew Currie]

On the joint pictured above, I suspect it would be all right for a day of wheeling if there's no significant side play, but I'd be careful on the road. At some point a bottom joint will be loose enough just to pop apart, and I wouldn't trust it for much longer. I'd also advocate getting both top and bottom joints, because even if the top wasn't worn out to start with, it's been open wide enough for long enough to chew it up.

 

[alohajeff]

Yep, I got one more run out of it with no issue. I replaced the upper and lower ball-joints on the passenger side yesterday and am glad I did. I ordered the OTC press and the OTC Jeep adapter kit from Amazon on Sunday and it arrived Tuesday morning. Picked up the 36mm socket from VatoZone for $15 bucks. I purchased a set of Dana/Spicer ball-joints for pretty cheap and in about an hour I had it apart and back together. The right tools really made the job a cinch. I changed the U-joint on the shaft while it was out to a non-serviceable 260x Spicer.

To answer my own question... the lower ball-joint is indeed toasted if you can see that much free play on the upper.

I've still got a light thunk thunk thunk in the front end or under my butt when going 0-5 mph. The loud worn out ball-joint induced knocking is gone and it's oh so much nicer to drive because I'm not worrying about it coming apart.

Oh yeah, when I ordered the ball-joints the one part number included the upper and lower ball-joint, new castle nuts and new cotter pins. When I saw the price I was pleasantly surprised... a whole hell of a lot cheaper than my TTB Ford or Dodge.

Aloha