Diyvehiclerepair
The lower ball joint is the load-carrying joint in this type of suspension, while the upper ball joint is the “follower,” with no significant load to support.
- Are ball joints spring loaded?
- Which ball joint carries the most weight?
- How do you know which ball joints are load-carrying ball joints?
- What is a loaded ball joint?
- Where is a load carrying ball joint found?
- Should load carrying ball joints have play in them?
- What is the difference of tension load vs compression load ball joints?
- Are left and right ball joints the same?
- Is there Rear ball joints?
- What does a rear ball joint do?
- Where is a ball joint?
- What connects to ball joints?
- What is a ball joint gauge?
Are ball joints spring loaded?
A ball joint is made up of a housing, ball stud, bearings, end cover and Belleville washer or spring. A Belleville washer is a conical-shaped spring designed to be loaded in the axial direction. The joint is attached to a control arm by pressing the joint into the arm or riveting the joint to the arm.
Which ball joint carries the most weight?
Suspensions that feature both upper and lower control arms with a spring on the lower arm have loaded lower ball joints and follower upper joints. Loaded front lower ball joints help to carry most of the vehicle's weight.
How do you know which ball joints are load-carrying ball joints?
The lower ball joint on a vehicle with MacPherson struts is a follower joint. Because load-bearing ball joints carry vehicle weight, they usually wear first. If the coil spring is seated between the frame and the lower control arm, the lower ball joint is the load-carrying joint.
What is a loaded ball joint?
A loaded joint is designed to support the weight of the vehicle and a follower joint that positions the control arm or strut assembly. A lower control arm that is connected to the spring uses a loaded ball joint to connect the steering knuckle to the upper control arm follower ball joint for a SLA suspension.
Where is a load carrying ball joint found?
In the first SLA example, the loaded lower ball joint is located below the centerline of the wheel, and the sprung weight of the vehicle is pressing down on the lower control arm. This creates a tension load, as weight tries to pull the lower ball joint away from the knuckle.
Should load carrying ball joints have play in them?
Ball Joint Inspection
The old rule of thumb that ball joints with more than . 050 inches of play are worn does NOT hold true for all vehicles. Some ball joints should have NO visible play while others can handle up to . 250 inch or more of play and still be considered okay.
What is the difference of tension load vs compression load ball joints?
Load carrying ball joints can be divided into two types. In the tension-loaded type, forces applied to the joint housing are pulling the stud against the housing. In the compression-loaded type, the same forces are pushing the stud into the housing. The tension-loaded is the more popular design.
Are left and right ball joints the same?
When opening the package, the ball joints are different. They look to be the same overall size, however one has a large washer/lip at the mid point, while the other is the same width from top to bottom till it tapers down near the dust boot. They both have the same part number on the package.
Is there Rear ball joints?
Rear ball joints are a key part of your vehicle's suspension system. The ball joints connect the control arm assembly (part of the chassis) to the steering knuckles (part of the wheels). The ball joints serve two purposes: they allow the wheels to steer and they allow the suspension to move freely.
What does a rear ball joint do?
Rear ball joints are essentially the main rear pivot point between the wheel and the suspension, and are very important to the vehicle's overall ride and handling characteristics. When they fail, they can cause problems and place additional stress on other suspension joints and components.
Where is a ball joint?
What do ball joints do? Ball joints are a component of the front suspension of a car. The front suspension is a complex assembly of links, joints, bushings and bearings that allow your front wheels to move up and down independently and turn left or right together.
What connects to ball joints?
A ball joint is connected to the top and bottom of the spindle, while the tie rod end connects to the spindle and controls its pivot which allows vehicle to be steered.
What is a ball joint gauge?
Features: Gauge checks ball joint wear and tire and wheel runout in 0.020" increments. Includes a heavy steel base and an extension bar. Easily adjusts to fit most cars.
