Mayne the drag link ball joint? It has to be that I'm sure at this point.
A real mechanic wouldn't say "ball joint" - they'd say "drag link". Two different things.
Yup, I agree with you on that one. Maybe I should just change the ball joints and drag link
Well, certainly can't hurt anything, and with any miles on it...............Yup, I agree with you on that one. Maybe I should just change the ball joints and drag link
It was just weird, the mechanic said my lower ball joint on the passenger side is "shot" as he was putting a crow bar to the drag link and saying there is the noise right there.
That's actually how you check it. I checked mine that way. Rocking movement is ok. Up and down is bad. It really takes a crow bar to get the leverage needed to check up/down movement.It was just weird, the mechanic said my lower ball joint on the passenger side is "shot" as he was putting a crow bar to the drag link and saying there is the noise right there.
We always checked by having someone rock the steering wheel back and forth while I laid under the front of the car/truck and watched and felt each joint in the steering.
Sorry, I thought he was referring to ball joints. But I have seen it done with tie rod ends, too. Not sure if it is as good a method as for ball joints.
It would work if you think of how the joints in tie rods and drag links are made.
Thank you for that outline! From what you are all saying, it is the balljoints then. The dealer and another mechanic they were fine then another guy said they were shot.It would work if you think of how the joints in tie rods and drag links are made.
I won't say "it's not going to tell you anything", just that I've used other methods.
In some designs, as things wear, there's a really strong spring in the bottom pushing up on that lower pad to take out play. So you might get some up and down movement anyway.
That image isn't from a "ball joint", though.
Thank you for the explanation and yeah he did pry the drag link end up and down and there was play with a clunking sound. The only confusing part is when he said the lower ball joint is shot and it's better to change all 4.......... Unless if the drag link end has anything to do with the ball joint I have no idea. He tightened the bolt at the drag link end which was a bit loose.That image isn't from a "ball joint", though.
The ball joint of a Jeep with solid axle is in the steering knuckle and the 'C' of the axle tube (at the end)
The joint pictured may be a tie rod end or a drag link end.
If you go asking for a ball joint, that is not what you'll get from a parts store.
You need to shop for a drag link or drag link end.
the correct term can be very important. If the mechanic was looking at the end of the drag link and said "ball joint", he may be blind or learned under the branch of an old oak shade tree in his back yard. If he pried on or moved the drag link, he didn't check the ball joints.
If someone said "go replace the ball joints, that will fix it", you'd still have a drag link end that is iffy and have wasted your money on ball joints (well, not wasted, after-market are sometimes better than the stock ones)
This is a drag link end -
this is a Jeep Gladiator ball joint -
And it goes here - (and on the bottom of the knuckle as well)
and here -
All I can think of is he was prying on that to get the knuckle to move up and down and wasn't REALLY checking the drag link, although that's what it was pressing on (in order to raise and lower the steering knuckle.
