[jwiggs225]

How can you tell if your upper and lower ball joints are bad?

 

[trevorb_06]

Jack your front end up and see if you can wobble your tire top to bottom

 

[jwiggs225]

Ok, so how can I tell the difference between a bad hub and a bad ball joint? Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions. I really don't know much about suspension stuff.

 

[racerx004]

A hub would more than likely start making alot of noise befor it got that loose.
Also you can put a pry bar under the tire and try and move it up and down, or in and out while looking behind the tire at the ball joints.
If you see some movement then they probably need changing.

What makes you think you need ball joints in the first place?

 

[jwiggs225]

I had started another thread about a clunking feeling that I am noticing in my steering column. I have replaced the intermediate steering shaft, steering column bearing, and idler/pitman arms and the noise is still there. Some guys on that thread recommended checking the hubs and upper and lower ball joints. So I just thought I would ask how to check those. Thanks for the info!

 

[cooter01]

jwiggs, lets see some pics of that truck! looks sweet from here!

 

[jwiggs225]

Here are a few pics I took today. It's a little dirty but oh well.

 

[cooter01]

thanks man, i like it! hope you get everything straight...

 

[flyinelvis11]

looks smooth without the badges! very nice

 

[Dmax7511]

Is that line x on the bottom

 

[jwiggs225]

Yep, I had the bed, bed rails, and rocker panels all done with line x. I drive on gravel roads a lot and the rocker panels were startin' to look pretty rough, so i figured that would take care of it.