WHAT ARE BALL JOINTS?
A ball joint is an integral part of the front suspension of your vehicle. They are known to provide smooth movement between the steering knuckles and control arms. Without working ball joints, your ride will start to feel very unsmooth and unsafe.
Tell-Tale Signs Your Car Ball Joints Need to Be Replaced
- You start to hear squeaking sounds coming from your vehicle
- Your vehicle drifts left or right
- Your steering feels loose and shaky
- Uneven tire wear
Impaired or aging ball joints will exemplify the above signs. However, you can also check whether they need a replacement by doing the following tests:
- Take your car out for a test drive and pay extra attention to your engine, steering wheel, and the overall quality of the ride.
- Drive your vehicle over speed bumps (typically found in parking lots). If you hear any odd noises when your car goes over, your car ball sockets are probably worn out and need to be replaced.
- Turn your steering wheel and listen closely for any unusual sounds from the car ball joints themselves.
Can I Drive Without Car Ball Joints?
If you are wondering whether you can operate your vehicle without these ball joints, then the simple answer is absolutely not. Car ball joints play a major role in a vehicle, and you should not drive with worn-out ones (let alone without any). Please do not put off renewing your car ball joints as this can cause damage to other important vehicle systems in the future. If your ball joints happen to fail, you will lose total control of your vehicle, and this could lead to an accident and injuries. For this reason, it is quite necessary for drivers to have their car ball joints inspected regularly and repaired when needed.
If you need a ball joint replacement, we invite you to bring your vehicle to Eric’s Automotive, Inc.
