Loose Ball Joint

l008com

Original poster
Member
Feb 19, 2016
886
Massachusetts
I've been feeling a little bump in my suspension for a while but every time I jack up my truck and wiggle the wheels, everything seems tight. Today I finally thought to pull the tire toward me at the top and the passenger side is indeed loose. It moves about 1/8th to 1/4 of an inch. The other side seems tight, and the lowers seem tight although i'm not 100% confident I tested them throughly.

So first question first, is this safe to keep driving? Not forever of course but I still need to go to work.

Beyond that, I looked at a few youtube videos and it does seem a little bit beyond my abilities. I was able to do the hubs easy enough but pressing these things in and out seems a lot harder. Which is too bad because if I'm only paying for parts, doing all four would be fairly inexpensive.

So when one of your joints goes bad, do you typically replace just that one, or both on that side, or all four?

Any thoughts on what I can expect to pay to have this done at a shop?

One related weird situation:
I just replaced my wheel hubs, and the hubs seemed good quality, but the plastic clips that hold the ABS wires in place were very cheap plastic. Some of them snapped just by inserting them into the holes in the steel. If I have to pry them out (or if the shop does), I'm confident they will all snap and be totally useless. Can you get kits of just these plastic front abs wire brackets? Like not generic clips but the specific set of clips specifically for our suspension.
 

l008com

Original poster
Member
Feb 19, 2016
886
Massachusetts
Note: I bought this truck in late 2015 and I believe I never replaced any of the ball joints. Also I live in Massachusetts so the roads are garbage.
 

Mektek

Member
May 2, 2017
656
FL
If you did the hubs, you can do the joints. Borrow the ball joint press kit from Azone or AAP. I found a deal for all 4 joints for 25 bucks on fleabay. Can't get much cheaper than that.
Ball joints don't always wear evenly. There may be more bumps and potholes on one side of the road and so that side wears faster. You can get away with replacing only the bad one, but it is probably better to replace them all if you don't know when the others were replaced.
Some would say to buy the much more expensive parts but I'll take a chance on the white boxes:rolleyes:
The existing lower joints are moog - one is tight and the other is loose. Supposedly even have lifetime warranty, but I don't have the receipt from the previous owner...
If you're going to sell the truck in the near future than just change the bad one. If you're keeping it then do the complete job once and you should get years of trouble free service.

The plastic clips are trivial. Zip ties would probably secure the wires OK.
 

Reprise

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Jul 22, 2015
2,724
GM 12040984 s/b the clip, if you really want them, but I agree -- zip ties for the win, here. I've used them for this, no problem. Function over form.

Incidentally, there's a latch mechanism that unlocks and allows the post (aka: 'xmas tree') to remain in place. A small flat blade screwdriver, or even better, a pick tool makes quick work of them.
Often, I can unlatch them by hand (twist sideways on the latch; dont pry upward).
 
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JerryIrons

Member
Dec 20, 2011
434
Zip ties work great, and will last longer than the new hub.

Testing ball joints used to be a mystery to me as well, I would grab tire 12 and 6 and pretty stable, go to get inspected and told bad ball joint. Once I started jacking up the vehicle, putting it on a jack stand so no force present under wheel or suspension, and then using a big crowbar under wheel and levering it up I was able to diagnose my own bad ball joints. (and up high to test the upper)

I think ball joints are harder than hubs. But definitely doable if you have a few tools. Uppers are easier than lowers. I have a standard 4wd ball joint kit from harbor freight that works great, but not on the lower that I recently changed. It was so rusty and corroded I needed my oxy torch to heat it up and beat it out. Plus standard kit hard to use on those. Uppers it works fine. Impact wrench really helps with the ball joint kit as well. And snap ring pliers for those c clips. But I changed a few before I got a snap ring kit - you know how that works.

And no, you do not have to change more than the bad ball joint. But, it comes down to how old they are, since you might be getting an alignment job done, what else is old and can be changed so you don't have to repeat in the near future.
 
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flyboy2610

Member
Aug 24, 2021
460
Lincoln, Ne.
If you were close to me, I'd bring my tools over and do it for the cost of lunch!
I use zip ties for the ABS wires as well.
 
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l008com

Original poster
Member
Feb 19, 2016
886
Massachusetts
That is a shame indeed, I'd gladly pay for the repair with food, or beer, or both! Unless anyone else wants to volunteer and is local, I'm probbaly going to bring this one to the shop. They're pretty old and rusty and It's very likely I get things half apart, get stuck, and then I'll have to get it towed somewhere. I'll just let the pros handle this one.
 

Mektek

Member
May 2, 2017
656
FL
I started the job today. Once you remove everything needed to access the top joint, all that's left holding the steering knuckle is the tie rod, lower joint and brake caliper. So it's probably best to remove the whole knuckle which gives good access to the lower balljoint.
The OEM brand balljoint press from AAP doesn't have the proper cup to press out the top joint. I had to improvise a bit to get it out.
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
The OEM brand balljoint press from AAP doesn't have the proper cup to press out the top joint. I had to improvise a bit to get it out.

I had the same issue, ended up using one of my deep impact sockets, and that worked pretty well. The lowers were a pain, ended up just replacing the whole LCA and being done with it since I needed new bushings anyway.
 
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flyboy2610

Member
Aug 24, 2021
460
Lincoln, Ne.
The original GM LCA's had a ball joint that was staked in place. When I replaced the LCA's on the wife's '06 TB last summer I tried to get the first one out. I tried everything! I ground the entire lip off the top of the ball joint, let penetrating oil soak on it overnight, used a torch on it, ball joint press with an impact wrench... I finally said "Forget this!" and went and bought two new lower and upper control arms!
A few weeks later when I did my '04 TB EXT I just bought new one right from the start.
 
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The "easy way out" is to just buy a control arm. You get the new ball joint, and you also get fresh control arm bushings (as applicable.)

My '03 Trailblazer had 250,000 miles on it when I replaced the lower ball joints. Uppers seemed fine, so I left them alone. Once the steering knuckle is removed, it's beyond easy to verify the ball joints--grab the stud, wiggle it around. As long as there's no free-play, you're fine. New ones have very stiff movement. Used ones may move without much friction--but as long as there's no free-play, they're fine.

Ball joint presses can be "borrowed" from various parts-stores. I got the "23-piece" set from the loaner-tool assortment at AutoZone; and liked it so much that I just bought the thing. What you need to know about ball joint presses is: 1. Grease the pressure screw; and 2. Use an impact wrench not a damned ratchet and cheater-pipe.

Idiots put a ratchet and cheater-pipe on the ball joint press, which introduces side-force that throws the press out of alignment (bends the C-clamp part.) Then the press is junk unless you can bend it back.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
He needs the uppers. Those are in the knuckle.
 

Mektek

Member
May 2, 2017
656
FL
The lowers are a real PITA. Even the second kit of adapters from Azone did not have the exact right size to fit the shoulder of the lower BJ. The only solution was to remove the boot and then the smaller cup would fit. It took a lot of torque to get it in.
As Schurkey advised - you really do need an impact wrench. Initially I tried a breaker bar without success.
The old moog joints had permanently installed staked in boots. They were still tight, but with broken boots their days were numbered.....
This begins the experiment "how long will the cheapest ball joints in existence last???":thumbsup:

 
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I removed original ball joints (BJs) and installed Moogs with the captive rubber seal. Autozone-sourced BJ press.
Ball_Joint_23pc_Set_01.jpg

Ball_Joint_23pc_Set_02.jpg

Items used to remove lower BJs. Note large impact socket is not part of kit.
Trailblazer_Ball_Joints_02.jpg

On it's way out after straightening the staked flange with hammer and punch. Impact gun rattled, then BJ popped down about 1/8 inch. After that it was pretty easy to slide it the rest of the way out.
Trailblazer_Ball_Joints_11.jpg

Pieces used to install lower BJ;
Trailblazer_Ball_Joints_03.jpg

Be sure BJ is clocked appropriately--the rubber seal at the bottom has a grease vent that goes inboard. That way excess grease can't "POP" the seal, and the excess grease is vented away from the brake rotor. Installation was a two-stage process. C-clamp is not quite tall enough; I had to start the BJ with the spacer ring removed. Once BJ was partially-inserted, there was room for the spacer ring (not in photo) between top of control arm and stepped adapter shown.
Trailblazer_Ball_Joints_05.jpg

Trailblazer_Ball_Joints_17.jpg

Snap-ring installed, grease zerk got another ~90 degree turn after the photo was taken. I poke an awl or small Allen wrench into cotter-pin hole of BJ stud, swivel the stud to align the cotter pin hole fore-aft for easy insertion (and later removal) of cotter pin.
Trailblazer_Ball_Joints_18.jpg
 
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Mektek

Member
May 2, 2017
656
FL
you get the hi-class BJs :yaay:
Mine came in white boxes and had a CR part number on the boots. I'm speculating that they were boxed and labeled with the name brand during the day shift and white boxed during the night when the factory was "closed" There was no orientation marked and they were not filled with grease so I added more after installation. I had to remove the boots for installation so not being filled with grease was a good thing.
 

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